Use this section to discuss your experiences with prescription drugs, iron injections, and other medical interventions that involve the introduction of a drug or medicine into the body. Discuss side effects, successes, failures, published research, information about drug trials, and information about new medications being developed.
Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
Greetings,
First time poster here I've tried Mirapex and Requip (at the recommended beginning dosage) and noticed a near dibilitating side effect the next morning. Although I took it at least 2-3 hours before bed time and got at least 8-9 hours of _sleep_, I wake up in such a fog that it takes at least an hour or two to *snap out of it*. Becasue I discontinued both of these meds after only a week or two, I'm curious as to whether or not I should have tried to stick with either one for a longer period of time -- Question being, do they start working right away or as an example, would they be similar to an anti-depressant that may take up to 4-6 weeks to start working? Ironic how someone who has chronic day time tiredness, (yes, I do have RLS), gets a drug side effect of increased daytime sleepies.... What to do?!
H Kath, when I first started Mirapex, I had the same problem. It did go away after awhile. In the end, it actually kept me awake! If it worked for you, I'd try it again. Try a smaller dose. Dr Buchfurer says that half of the smallest dose is helpful for some people. For example, I think .125 tablets are the smallest for Mirapex. Cut one of those in 1/2 and see if it works better.
All of the DAs have side effects and most people can tolerate them. Some, like me, can't. Some people take additional drugs to combat that. I would prefer not to do that.
One other thought is that you just need more sleep that you're getting. They now say that the average person needs 8 to 10 hours. Maybe if you slept 10 hours, you'd wake up more lively. Then again, maybe not!
I guess it depends on how well it helped the RLS, how bad the RLS is, and if you have other options. If it worked well, there weren't other side effects, and you can allow yourself some extra time to wake up every morning, maybe giving it a month is worth it. Effective RLS meds can be hard to find.
Good luck with your decision. Let us know what you decide. And, welcome to the board!
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.
I'm a long time suffer of rls and I've been around the block with most rls medications. All of the DA's leave me exhausted and worse. I suspect this is pretty much universal, however it seems that many people can grow to tolerate it (that's my personal feeling, maybe it does go away for some... I don't know). It never goes away for me. and I've given several of the DA's long term (years) trials.
I've tried Mirapex and Requip (at the recommended beginning dosage) and noticed a near dibilitating side effect the next morning. Although I took it at least 2-3 hours before bed time and got at least 8-9 hours of _sleep_, I wake up in such a fog that it takes at least an hour or two to *snap out of it*. Becasue I discontinued both of these meds after only a week or two, I'm curious as to whether or not I should have tried to stick with either one for a longer period of time -- Question being, do they start working right away or as an example, would they be similar to an anti-depressant that may take up to 4-6 weeks to start working? Ironic how someone who has chronic day time tiredness, (yes, I do have RLS), gets a drug side effect of increased daytime sleepies.... What to do?!