Pramipexole

[Hoochybaby]

I want to thank you all for taking the time to write to me.

I am just in my second week of trying to cut back on the pramipexole I have made a list of the dosage I take each day and add up the weekly totals I am going very steady with mixed success and I know it's going to be a rocky ride don't know if I'm strong enough but I can only try. I feel a bit ( more than a bit) let down by the Professionals who I trusted but is this lack of knowledge common place? Or are they just incompetent?

[BJamn]

Hey there, keep at it. I was prescribed Pramipexole with absolutely no warnings about possible side effects by a sleep doc. Well meaning, I suppose, but ignorant. When I started augmenting she doubled the dose. On my second augmentation I started studying and found this website. I realized I needed to ween off. NOT easy. Terrible RLS not only in my legs but radiating to my arms and chest. Deep depression. My family doc had never heard of anybody having trouble with Pramipexole. I educated her with some literature if found.

Once I got through the worst of the withdrawal I was down to .125 mg of pram at night and a 400mg or gabapentin. When I totally went off pram I started taking gabapentin throughout the day. 200 at noon, 400 at dinner, 400 at bedtime. This was not enough to get through the last stretch so I took an Ambien also. Ambien knocks me out pretty well but you build up a dependence on it. Still it’s better by far than rocking your legs all night. After two weeks I went off Ambien. Couple of difficult nights but now, I am off pram. I now (after a wrestling match with my insurance co.) on Horisant a slow release gabapentin. I also take 200 at noon and 400 in the evening. This affords me decent sleep most nights. Some nights I still get episodes of rls.

I’m still looking for answers but I know more and more what DOESN’ T work.

Good luck in your search for answers.

BJ