Withdrawal from Pramipexole

[7681]

Has anyone tried Pregablin 75 mg . I'm taking one at night while I'm coming off Pramipexole

[Pam34]

I’m on 150mg at night which I find works great most of the time.

It won’t help with your withdrawal from pramipexole though. You need something like Tramadol and to reduce very very slowly. You will need to wait until the pramipexole is out of your system for a couple of weeks before you notice any effect from the Pregabalin. Do you have a withdrawal plan?

Pam

[7681 in reply to Pam34]

Thanks Pam,I don't have a withdrawal plan, I'm actually walking the floor as we speak, I have tramadol in the house I think its will try some

[Pam34 in reply to 7681]

You need a plan!

I don’t know what dose of pramipexole you are on but you need to do it really slowly. I’ve been through it with ropinirole and it’s hell. Everyone will tell you that. I used 50mg Tramadol for the last 2 weeks of withdrawal and for some time after before I started the Pregabalin.

I don’t know the dosage of pramipexole so I’m hoping someone who has been through augmentation with that will be able to advise.

I’m not sure of your current situation but it helps to have your GP (😂) on side as well as any family and your employers. I wouldn’t start taking Tramadol until you have spoken with your GP, it’s not a drug to be trifled with.

Good luck and keep posting. Lots of us have been through it and come out the other side. There is life after dopamine!!!

Pam

[7681 in reply to Pam34]

Hi Pam thanks for your input, I'm on 0.088mg x6 if pramipexole my neurologist has told me to withdraw 2 tablets a week at the same time initiating 75mg of Pregabalin at night. I'm on 4 pramipexole at the moment and its hell can't get any sleep

[Pam34 in reply to 7681]

That seems too fast to me - you really can’t go slow enough. And like I said, Pregabalin won’t help with the withdrawal and won’t help at all until you are well through the withdrawal.

You need a low dose opioid, Tramadol is the usual one. I would get back in touch with your neurologist or GP and ask for this.

I get so frustrated, unless they have actually suffered a withdrawal they have absolutely no idea what it feels like and how bad it is.

Ring them tomorrow and let them know how desperate you are.

Pam

[7681 in reply to Pam34]

Thanks I'll get an appointment and let you know how I get on, and again thanks for your advice

[Pam34 in reply to 7681]

No problem. I know exactly what you are going through.

In the meantime, watch your diet, try hot baths with Epsom salts, stretching, compression stockings, try magnesium oil on your legs, or magnesium supplements, ask for your ferritin levels to be checked and don’t accept ‘normal’ - it needs to be over 100 for RLS sufferers. Iron bisglycinate helps to raise this and increasing ferritin levels helps RLS for a lot of people. Rest when you can and don’t be hard on yourself!

[LotteM in reply to Pam34]

I totally agree with and second Pam’s advices. It may help to read the paper “Allaying augmentation” in this link: sleepreviewmag.com/2015/02/.... Especially read the part entitled Opioids, as it says there that potent opiods are especially effective at smoothing the transition away from dopamine agonists. And forget about the long acting dopamine agonists like rotigotine (Neupro) - we read too often on here that even with those augmentation returns sooner or later. Print and bring the paper to your doc to discuss.

[Hidden]

I's agree with Pam34, 75 mg of Lyrica is unlikely to cut a Pramipexole withdrawal - but then again we are all different.

My GP reckons that its of no use for RLS at doses lower than 150mg, (your Dr might be starting you off low as it can really knock some people for six), but again if its working at 75mg obviously you stick with it!

OH Yeah - Pam34 - excellent idea on a withdrawal plan - failing to plan is planning to fail as an old mentor used to tell me.

[Pam34 in reply to Hidden]

You can tell I’m a librarian 🤣 !!!

[macewan13]

I’m on 150mg, sometimes 200mg of Pregablin. 75mg didn’t work. My neurologist said that 75 would be considered a low dose in the USA. I am also on 100mg extended release Tramadol.

I had to come off the DAs very slowly, with the help of Tramadol. The Pregablin didn’t work until I was completely clear of the DAs.

Anyway, so far, so good with the present regime - about 80% effective.

I hope this helps.

[Joolsg]

Pam has given you excellent advice. Withdrawal is very, very difficult with little or no sleep for 14 days & constant leg jerking and spasms.

I wish you strength- you will get through it. I’m on 100-150 mg of pregabalin at night and 25mg OxyContin over 24 hrs.

Pregabalin won’t be effective until about 2-3 weeks after last dose of pramipexole.

[Yakester]

I totally agree with having a plan and lower your pramipexole dosage very very slowly. I’ve gone off off pramipexole twice now and both times it caused life changing deep and profound depression. Neither my sleep doc or my primary care doc believe there are withdrawal symptoms but at least my primary care doc is willing to prescribe a low dose of oxycodone for me which has been a god send. I will NEVER go back on a dopamine agonist! I went to a support group a couple weeks ago and the guest speaker was a neurologist who has RLS and specializes in sleep disorders. I asked him if believed that there are withdrawal symptoms going off of DAs and he whole heartedly agrees that there are, some of which can be debilitating. So be careful.