Pramipexole, reducing

[Woody4]

Former Minerva, you said you kept taking the pram for several months along with the gabapentin. How low a dose did you get to before you stopped?? Then did you still get any augmenting??

[Joolsg]

Hi Woody,I know Manerva has responded to your previous posts and advised you how to reduce the Pramipexole. I also see from your replies to Manerva that you were having trouble getting smaller dose pills as you're in the USA and have to rely on whatever the VA gives you.

Sadly, the vast majority will have 2 weeks of hell after stopping the last dose of Pramipexole and gabapentin doesn't stop this. There are very few people who don't suffer the 2 weeks of hellish withdrawal.

However, once through that 2 weeks, the RLS settles and the gabapentin should start to help.

I know someone advised you to try kratom to get through withdrawal and that may be an option where you are.

I'm so glad I pushed through that 2 weeks. The RLS becomes much less intense and your life will be much better.

I wish you strength.

[Woody4 in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks Joolsg. Not what I wanted to hear but with RLS there hasn’t been much I did want to hear. Another question - Does the gabapentin make you sleep more. I used to wake after 5-6 hours sleep, felt fine and got on with my day. Since taking gaba I’m sleeping 8-10 hours every night. I take 300 mg of gaba and .25 pram.

[Elffindoe in reply to Woody4]

I can only answer you from MY experience, recognising that everybody is different.

I took gabapentin for several months before reducing pramipexole. This was for nerve pain. I originally took 900mg a day, that is 300mg 3 X a day. I later decreased it to 600mg once a day.

At the time I was taking 0.75mg (540ug) pramipexole and sleeping about 2 hours per night average.

At first I reduced the pramipexole in steps of half a 0.125mg pramipexole dihydrochloride tablet which is equivalent to 44ug pramipexole. I did this every 4 weeks.

After approximately 3 months I noticed that my symptoms gradually got less intense and daytime symptoms faded.

After about 5 months, I started sleeping better, (about 5 to 6 hours).

My final reductions were less and I went from 44ug to 22ug before stopping.

It was a marathon. I think it took nearly ten months to reduce the pramipexole.

I was warned about withdrawal effects and people having an horrendous time. I don't recall ever having had any withdrawal effects. It may have been because I was so relieved from the augmentation, I didn't notice.

I can't predict how it will be for you, but I can say, it's worth going through, it can be literally like getting a life back.

[Joolsg in reply to Woody4]

Yes- gabapentin has a sedating effect so is often used in conjunction with a low dose opioid to counter nocturnal opioid alerting.

[Woody4 in reply to Joolsg]

Thanks Joolsg. The extra sleep hasn’t been a bad thing. It has caused Smoke a little concern. He has to hold his water a little longer before getting to go outside.

[Joolsg in reply to Woody4]

Is Smoke your dog? Bet he's a sweety.

[Woody4 in reply to Joolsg]

Yeah, he’s my 95 lb rescue. He’s been with me for 4 years now. No better companion. His desire in life is to be a lap dog.

Contentment!!