Mirapex or Requip - Had both? Which would you choose first?

cadmonkey · Post by **cadmonkey** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:25 am

As the topic says, if you've had both, which one would you choose first if you had it do all over again?

My reluctance has been softened by some gentle prodding combined with a severe lack of sleep, and I am considering giving in and going on to one of the DA's at my doctors appt tomorrow. I last saw him about 2 weeks ago but things haven't gone well on the gabapentin and lorazepam - and my symptoms are occuring more often than not.

Or (as usual) am I overanalyzing things and would be best just to go with whichever he's most experienced with?

Thanks.

Greg

becat · Post by **becat** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:25 am

Hi Greg,
Just my thoughts about what I would choose, for myself....And I am no doctor! BUT!

Mirapex and at a small dose for as long as possible. if you have other issues, like pain or sleep.....and they do not get better within a couple of weeks or sooner, then address that with your doc tomorrow as well.
EX: ok, this will work in how long, and I should see a difference in how much time? If I do not, I will call the office and we will do what, then?

For so many of us on this board, it's been a trial and error thing about meds., this does nto mean that it will be that way for you. So read and educate yourself and remember you sign the front of the check!

Your doc has to be a willing partner in treatment and ready and willing to listen to you. You have to ask the right questions and the only way you can:..........is to know your body and know as much about RLS as you can.

Let us know how it goes.
Lynne

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:15 am

As Becat said, I also am not a doctor. And I'd go a similar route to Becat. Mirapex, very small amount. Then, I'd want to stop it as soon as I had any doubts of its effectiveness, sub something else for a couple of weeks (like an opioid), and then try it again.

If I had pain, I'd ask for an opioid with the Mirapex. DAs rarely help the pain all that much, though they can help some. But, by the time they help, the dose it higher. And, I'm just not convinced that higher is better. So, I'd take either Ultram or an opioid for the pain and the Mirapex for the RLS. And, I'd consider how I could stop the Mirapex every so often. Seems that might help with preventing problems like augmentation.

cadmonkey · Post by **cadmonkey** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:06 pm

Thanik you both very much Lynne & Ann.

I'll take my arsenal again and see how it goes. The biggest question I want answered today, if I go with the DA, is how he addresses augmentation. I'll add in your thoughts.

Between as much sleep in the last 72 hours as we've had inches of rain in the last 36 hours (6) my vacation is off to a roaring good start.

Thanks again.

Greg

BTW - You both chose mirapex but didn't exactly state why - was it more effective in your mind? Less side effect issues?

cadmonkey · Post by **cadmonkey** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:35 pm

A small update. Saw the doctor and started Mirapex. he had never heard the term augmentation when I talked to him so I pointed him in the right direction, didn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling though.

The starting .125mg wasn't helping but last night moved up to the .25mg he prescribed. I could tell fairly quickly it made one heck of a difference. I only wish the high school football games hadn't been delayed because of bad weather (I live right next to the stadium and would have loved to go to bed several hours earlier) as last night was the best night of non-medicine induced sleep I've had in years!

Wish the .125mg had worked but I'll take what I can get.

Greg

becat · Post by **becat** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:43 pm

Fablous Cad. And good job, a good doc/patient partnership takes time. Hang in there a bit.

So glad you slept, even if it was a little late than you wanted. Yeah!

Lynne

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:41 pm

You asked why Mirapex. . .sorry, I should have said.

It lasts longer in the body, less of it is needed, and it seems to have better toleration when you first start it.

Glad that you started low, though, as even if the .25 is what you needed, you may have had some problems with sleep or other side effects had you started at the .25 (which is where many docs tell you to start, and to work up to .5, which is way too high for many of us).

Here's hoping it works a very long time for you. But, at least you know what to look for if you start having any problems.

cadmonkey · Post by **cadmonkey** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:20 pm

Ann - Thanks - I gathered that fom further reading that morning and had the duration info handy when he asked which I prefered.

I've had very little side effect, excepting an appetite increase shortly after taking it and a tendency to get songs stuck in my head a lot more often than before. Both of which are very tolerable considering the alternative. Thanks!

Greg

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 6:59 am

Praise the heavens! Another person with songs stuck in their head! Too funny. When my dose of Mirapex got higher, the songs stayed longer. I would dream them, awaken singing them, and they would stay with me for up to 3 days. I often didn't even know the lyrics - one time it was some song from the 50's that I'd only remembered hearing a few times as a child. Very weird.

Per that appetite, keep tabs on it. I ended up 50 pounds heavier, even did some nocturnal eating. I lost 35 of it when I stopped it, but haven't had much luck with the remainder. I am working on it

RLS83 · Post by **RLS83** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:54 am

Good topic. I tried Requip awhile back and had horrible side effects - I ended up in my bed in the fetal position with the lights off because I was so nauseous and dizzy. Same thing the following night. That was enough of that.

This makes me a little scared to try what seems like the sister drug, Mirapex. However, I know I've gotta start somewhere so this may be the next drug I try. Please keep us updated on your experience with Mirapez and good luck!

~ Jaime

red56 · Post by **red56** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:45 pm

hi. I just wanted to add my two cents here. I was on Requip for a long time, then augmented terribly (before I knew that just taking more was making it worse). Then I had a holiday from it while I was recuperating from knee surgery and started back on it at .5 mg.

I also, at the same time, started weaning off Effexor. What a horrible time that was! I didn't think I'd get thru it, but here I am 6 weeks later.

I noticed a decrease in symptoms about 3 weeks after starting to get off Effexor. I asked my doctor to switch me from Requip (which makes me nauseated) to Mirapex, but at the lowest dose.

Knock on wood***it's helped immensely. Less nausea, fewer symptoms, IF I take it on time (7pm) and I've not had an unusually hard or physical day.

I do know that if I start to augment again, I will not be upping the dose (.125mg) and I will take a holiday from it.

It takes a long time to find out what works for yourself.

cadmonkey · Post by **cadmonkey** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:56 am

Well 1½ weeks into the ¼mg and I'm still getting some symptoms, but not as often and not nearly as intense. I'll stick with this dosage for the remainder of the initial bottle and then make a decision on whether I want to increase or add something else for a 'cocktail'. I don't really want to up dosage, as I didn't really want to go on a DA to begin with but my mind is open seeing as how much of a difference I have noticed.

I have been able to sleep without the Ambien, but have had a few bad nights so I've used the lorazepam that was in my initial regimen. Ambien leaves me feeling hung over the next day, even worse than how I feel without sleep, but the lorazepam leaves me refreshed when I have to use it, though i am going off label and using a higher dosage than he prescribed (2 to 3mg vs the 1mg he prescribed). I can already tell tonight I'll need some help as I had a poor night last night and then laid brick doing some house repairs for over 6 hours this afternoon. I overdid it, but the stress of the weather forecast necessitated it.

The only ill effect I've really noticed at this point is a perpensity to have what I'd call heavy legs during the day - from the moment I wake up till around 2 or 3pm. The appetite has returned to normal, possibly because I'm taking my dose at 7pm as it seems to give the best results, and since I typically finish dinner around 6pm my body is already satisfied.

And Ann - my family and coworkers think I'm nuts going around singing the talk radio "bumper" songs I hear over and over - so you definitely aren't the only one, but if I hadn't seen that posted here, I don't think there's any way I would have associated the two.

I'm rambling, will keep updating as the weeks wear on. Thanks to everyone here for the support.

Greg