Trying to stop Mirapex

[badnights]

Gee veldon, I don't know if you should even be trying to stop it without 2 weeks of a sufficient dose of a potent opioid to see you through it. 7-10 mg oxycodone just won't cut it for DA withdrawal, and gabapentin/Neurontin is not powerful enough. Finding a doctor to work with you on this will be very important. Otherwise you will either stay on the pramipexole, or suffer wildly for 1-4 weeks. (Ann's the worst I've heard of, it took her 4 weeks, but for most people, the worst is over with in 3-10 days, then maybe another week til baseline is achieved.)

Have you emailed Dr B yet? Tell him what you're on now, why you want off, the meds you've tried that don't work, and that Percocet makes you itch and you're sure it's not the acetominophen; then ask him what dose of what opioid he would suggest in your case. You could take the question and answer with you to a new doctor. Depending on how you present it and who the new doctor is, he might be receptive to hearing what the expert had to say.

Mine was. I told him that this doctor was answering emails from patients all over the world, and posting the questions and answers on the web; that he was one of the co-authors of the Mayo Clinic algorithm on treating RLS; and that I had written to him. So my doc was curious and asked what Dr B had said, which allowed me to pull out the printed email to show him. My doc was quite open-minded about it all.

[doety]

I needed desperately to stop taking Methadone--I would fall asleep driving, talking, etc. but it didn't help with WED. Some docs in our "behavioral health" dept put me on Suboxone. Actually, it worked fine. But they insisted on treating me like a drug addict -- counting out pills for me, making me drive to see them once a month, had to pee in a cup and they wanted me in counseling. I got furious, maybe it was my pride, but I told them I was titrating down and stopping it. Hardest thing I've ever done (please don't compare this to stopping smoking...that was a piece of cake compared to these drugs). I won't take you through the whole trip, but I was walking for almost 9 days, actually crawling because my feet hurt so bad. I would collapse and pass out for a couple of hours, but I think it would have been easier to stop Methadone. My neurologist tried to help me -- he offered me anything I wanted to help get through it -- but the drug docs said nothing would work, that Suboxone was "sticky" and until it was gone, nothing could touch my problem.
I read the other day that Big Pharm has come out with another pill to help people withdraw from opiates -- something is wrong here. While I was going through all that, I was in touch with a reporter who writes about opiates...he said he keeps asking everyone about addiction and what is being done. Nobody seems to care.

[veldon7]

Well the only reason I was even considering the Suboxone, is because I work for someone who prescribes it, and it helps you to withdraw from meds, but that Dr. is retiring soon anyway. I haven't emailed Dr. B yet, I don't know when I will be able to see another Neuro. I hope to get some insurance soon. I guess for some people the Methadone does work, some people on this site take it and say it doesn't cause them as much drowsiness as other meds., we all react differently. I didn't have much trouble quitting smoking, but my husband is a chain smoker, to me the withdrawal of WED drugs is a LOT HARDER!! but I guess what I meant was your body is still needing the chemical that you are withdrawing from, even though it really is more difficult for us physically with the WED. and in my case, I was angry at my body for needing the drug!! wishing that my body was normal. Thanks for listening.

[ViewsAskew]

You are absolutely right, D - each of us is different. I stopped methadone cold turkey three times so far. Never a problem. But, I was at the emergency room for stopping tramadol after taking it just a few weeks. Go figure. I've had issues stopping clonazepam, pramipexole, methadone, other opioids, and tramadol. Of them, clonazepam was by far the hardest - took 7 months!

[doety]

Veldon, I was just wishing the same thing. I wish, wish, wish I was normal. WED interferes with so much. I'm in the mountains right now with my daughter and grandson -- coming up here was hideous. But the next day and night, with lots of distractions, and today and tonight, with even more distractions, I'm just fine. It always makes me think I'm nuts.

(Ann: Decided I can't watch Luther -- I have to look away too much!! I'm now watching LIFE, which is streaming from Netflix.)

[ViewsAskew]

I can see why it would be hard to watch Luther in that case! I really liked Life, too, if it's the one with the detective who was wrongly convicted.

Per the being OK and not being OK and then being really not OK and then being fine....you're not crazy. It's just WED.

[veldon7]

Ann: It's too bad it was so hard for you to quit Klonopin, it is suppose to be less addictive too. I have taken it periodically for anxiety. The Neuro I used to go to gave it to me and I was thinking about taking it again for anxiety. Most antidepressants make my legs worse, but Klonopin doesn't. I really need something for anxiety right now I am under alot of stress at work, etc. I have to wait until I get the money to see a Dr. who will give me something. I have Cymbalta, but I've tried it, and I think it makes my legs worse. I really want to take Klonopin, the Docs (Psychiatrists) I work for give it to alot of patients for anxiety, why did you have to stop it? if you don't mind me asking.

[Polar Bear]

Having seen the posts referring to Luther I decided to watch the series which began here last week.

Yep... I'm looking away too.
And I'm glad there isn't any space under my bed or I'd have to be checking it.

[ViewsAskew]

Having seen the posts referring to Luther I decided to watch the series which began here last week.

Yep... I'm looking away too.
And I'm glad there isn't any space under my bed or I'd have to be checking it.

But, did you like it????? I really admire Idris Elba as an actor. He was excellent in The Wire, a US show about drug culture and the police in Baltimore.

[Polar Bear]

Oh yes, I liked it. Seen him in loads of other stuff.

[ViewsAskew]

Ann: It's too bad it was so hard for you to quit Klonopin, it is suppose to be less addictive too. I have taken it periodically for anxiety. The Neuro I used to go to gave it to me and I was thinking about taking it again for anxiety. Most antidepressants make my legs worse, but Klonopin doesn't. I really need something for anxiety right now I am under alot of stress at work, etc. I have to wait until I get the money to see a Dr. who will give me something. I have Cymbalta, but I've tried it, and I think it makes my legs worse. I really want to take Klonopin, the Docs (Psychiatrists) I work for give it to alot of patients for anxiety, why did you have to stop it? if you don't mind me asking.

Sorry - I missed this!.

I think it's overused for a drug that can be terribly difficult to stop - some people take YEARS to get off of it. It seems that 50% of people have no difficulty stopping it, but 50% do. It creates incredible dependence for some. The half life of clonazepam is very long - one of the reasons it's so hard to stop. It also is addictive - much more so than many doctors realize.

It has little to no purpose for use with WED. That's why I was given it - my doctor didn't have a clue and was trying to help me when I was augmented. I appreciate that she tried, but ultimately, it didn't do anything to help and it made me very sick stopping it. Research shows it works for very few people with WED and PLMS. It's believed that it keeps you asleep through the sensations and movements, but doesn't stop them. If someone needs to sleep, there are other drugs, such as the Z drugs (like zopiclone) that work fine, don't cause the issues with dependence and addiction, and have a much shorter half life.

If someone needed it for anxiety, I'd ask if behavior therapy would help. (I believe some psychiatrists use drugs for things that could be much better treated in other ways. Additionally, research seems to suggest that drugs never stop anxiety and similar issues from occurring over time - just when taking them. That means the problem just comes back. They can, however, help a lot when going through therapy.) A friend uses lorazepam while she goes through therapy. She doesn't use it every day, though, so she keeps from having dependence issues, and hopes to not need it in the future. So, maybe you could use a benzo for anxiety on particularly bad days and use a different benzo with a shorter half-life, like lorazepam or oxazepam. Of course, you might not be someone who doesn't have any difficulty stopping it. I don't know how you know unless you have to stop it and have trouble.

[jakesmom]

My drug of choice for anxiety, which is also great if get poison ivy and itch like you are on fire, is hydroxy-zine. It is non-habit forming, cheap and best of all, it, doesn't affect my WED.

It helped me alot on my worst detox days.

[jy13131]

I hope you can eventually get off the mirapex. I also see dr B and had to get off my requip when I augmented. He prepared me for the experience (although not sure you can ever really prepare). He said to quit cold turkey and armed me with methadone and oxycodone. It was one month in total, but the first two weeks were the worst. I didn't think it was possible to take so many opiates and still be standing let alone working. I did not take any time off of work but I would love to see a playback of my work performance. In truth, I could have used a week off. He had told me that the RlS would be much worse at first and then after a month or so would seek a more normal level. I continually backed off the opiates to match symptoms, taking ONLY ENOUGH to just get relief. This was 1.5 years ago. I take very low doses of methadone and oxycodone now only. Not exactly how I envisioned my life would go, but we have a serious condition that needs treatment. Period. My saving grace and single best thing that has happened to me in all this was finding the right doctor who knows how to treat this beast. My neurologist before made me feel like I was a guinea pig being used to educate him! No thanks. I also have found it is important to get the symptoms under control as fast as possible because the stress of the symptoms only leads to more symptoms. And I also have PlMD. Good luck on your journey

[badnights]

Not exactly how I envisioned my life would go, but we have a serious condition that needs treatment. Period.

Well said.

My saving grace and single best thing that has happened to me in all this was finding the right doctor who knows how to treat this beast.

I wish we all could have this seemingly simple thing.

[veldon7]

Thanks for the info. I hope to stop the Mirapex eventually, when I find a Dr. who understands and will give me Methadone or Oxy., all I have now is some 7.5 Percocet and Lortab from the Pain Dr.