Pit of despair.

[frickets]

UPDATE: Seems so long ago since I first posted this thread. Those were some REALLY bad times. I'm much better now. The methadone has returned me to a new normal for several months now. I worked up to 10MG and seem to have found the right balance. I'm sleeping 7-8 quality hours every night, and my afternoon/evening symptoms are usually only mild. I'm ok with that. It was the lack of good sleep that had strung me out. I still take pramipexole (.25 at 3pm, .5 at 9pm and .25 once when I wake to use the bathroom). We've tried to lessen this, but whenever we go below this current plan everything gets shaky - bad RLS symptoms come back and I can't sleep. So I'm ok with where we are. My only fear is losing my doctor or meds. We've come so far. You could not have convinced me a year ago this was possible. Now if I could just get the pharmacist to not whisper and look at me sideways when I pick up my methadone. Whatevvs! That's their problem.

[badnights]

Well that certainly is remarkable progress! I'm so glad for you. Thank you for the update

It is very hard to get off pramipexole, but if you adjust your expectations, you should be able to do it. You should expect that you will have symptoms, and that you will be unable to sleep, for one to three nights. You should clear your schedule so neither you nor anyone else expects anything of you during that time - - only to get through it. It is good to wait until you've recovered from all the previous poor sleep, to be healthier going into the withdrawal.

And it helps to write down your reasons for doing the withdrawal, as well as reminders to yourself that the agony is only temporary, that many other people have done it and so can you. You will be in no state to be able to remember those things without having them written down.

There is no rush to go there unless your symptoms worsen further. I just wanted you to know that you could do it when/if the time comes.

[Polar Bear]

With regard to getting off the pramipexole, as Beth says, it can be done but it is not an easy time.
For many years I took Ropinerole which is a sister drug to Pramipexole, and I had augmented. My Ropinerole dosage was higher than the recommended dally max.

With the encouragement and support of the members here I eventually decided I just had to get off the Ropinerole and I did a very slow taper. Much slower than is generally done. I was (and still am) using Codeine and I began taking Pregabalin as well. This was actually prescribed for neuropathy but proved to be a great support also for RLS/WED symptoms. It was a wonderful day when I had my last Ropinerole pill, I was so proud of myself.

For a very long time I knew I needed to get off the Ropinerole but was afraid.
I firmly believe that you have to be in the right place and feeling ready to tackle what will not be easy.
Good luck.