Nausea and pramipexole

Thanks to those who answered my cry for help getting off Pramipexole. Did anyone else who went into augmentation on that drug get severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, staggering, sweats, severe headache? l think I already said 600 mg gabapentin over 12 months gave me fits of anger, outbursts of inappropriate speech, staggering. After 2 weeks of step down I was in the agony you all know so well so I moved to Pramipexole and for 2 weeks was in heaven after adding thc oil for sleep. Pramipexole was only .25 mg at bedtime but augmentation brought double the RLS symptoms and the thc oil gave me a cannabanoid issue that made it like poison.

Just as I joined here, my Nurse Practitioner gave me a prescription anti-nauseant as I hadn't kept food down for a week. The box says Odansetron. It goes under your tongue and acts on the vegas nerve. Within 20 minutes, no nausea or stomach pain. I drank an electrolyte drink and ate 1/2 cup of soft food. One hour later, after no sleep for 36 hours, I slept without taking 1/2 the Pramipexole step down dose and woke after 12 hours. RLS started lightly 1 hour later as I stayed lying down.

I have blood (iron, thyroid and a page more) this week and other tests as my NP had never seen this reaction to Pramipexole. Dopamine agonist meds do not like my body.

Ice gel rubbed on legs and soles of feet helps.

Another doctor is being consulted to find a non-dopamine agonist treatment once I am off Pramipexole and a social worker has been assigned.

I really appreciate all of your answers and information. All very helpful. I wanted to mention getting thyroid checked as when mine was brought under control, the RLS stopped. When it went hyper again, RLS was back. What you have shown me is that RLS is similar yet different for each of us, that sometimes the treatment is worse than RLS and that, with work, lifestyle changes, medical help and support from you fellow sufferers, I am going to get Pramipexole out of me and find a life. My mood is 100% better than 2 days ago, due to all of you. I will keep following and if I find anything that helps me, will share. You are angels.

[SueJohnson]

Certainly severe nausea, vomiting and sweats can be part of coming off pramipexole.

[SueJohnson]

If you haven't already, check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know including about its treatment and refer your doctor to it if needed as many doctors do not know much about RLS or are not uptodate on it at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a...

[Hidden in reply to SueJohnson]

Thanks. I read their site often but I have access to a site for doctors only that requires a code. It has the most up to date info on every condition. There I learned that researchers are telling doctors that dopamine agonists should no longer be the first line of treatment for RLS because over 20% of patients go into augmentation. Opiods are recommended. I was on Oxycodone 30 mg daily for 18 years and my RLS disappeared. I only gave it up, with no withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately in my country, opiod addiction has made Class 3 opiods unprescribable outside of hospital with few exceptions. Just as RLS affects each of us differently, so do treatments. I really appreciate you sharing all you have, your suggestions and immense knowledge.

[SueJohnson in reply to Hidden]

How did you manage to get the code or are you a doctor? Actually up to 70% of people on dopamine agonists eventually suffer augmentation according to the RLS Foundation which is very disheartening as they can work very well until then.

[Hidden in reply to SueJohnson]

I have a friend who is a doctor in another area who shared their code upon retiring. The percentage of patients who go augementation varies depending on which RLS association, which country, which research site. It is frustrating for me to know an opiod would work but not be able to access it. I am a week away from finishing my step down, actually going two nights in a row without it but the RLS just changes the time of day when it is worse. I have multiple tests for the next two weeks. I hope they bring answers because I have 4 other autoimmune diseases to cope with. I will check back here then.

[nutville in reply to SueJohnson]

Reading this article on mayoclinic is quite depressing: no real development in treatment, medication medication medication!

[Truthsword]

i can so relate to the moodiness and headache. I am down to .25ng paramexol and have found that now that i am following the glutamine diet all i have to do if i have an episode is take GABA 250 mg and its gone. After over 40 years of suffering, strange i would not get help from a Dr, but on this forum. Thats how i lesrned about GABA (loraflora).

[Boldgirl45]

Just to say someone recently recommended an electrolyte supplement as a treatment - it's called Pedialyte. Might be worth a try as maybe that's why you had good sleep?

[Hidden in reply to Boldgirl45]

i have been drinking electrolyte drinks for 5 days as my NP found me dehydrated. Slept well last night with no Pramipexole but I also find it appears to be causing constipation, which is as bad as the diarrhea almost. Thanks for your input.

[Boldgirl45 in reply to Hidden]

No problem!