Pramipexole and serious side effects

[ViewsAskew]

.25 mg is starter dose.

Do be careful with it! After all you've been through, I'd hate for this to worsen. And after my recent augmentation after just a week, I'm a bit more skeptical than usual.

[jakesmom]

.25 is the starter on Requip ????? Crap
She is starting me off on 1 mg.

[Polar Bear]

The advised plan would be to titrate upwards.
.25mg.... see if that helps, a few days..... then .5 .... see if that helps.
And STOP when you reach what helps, no need to go any higher.

[veldon7]

I understand your financial problems, I too have had a lot of credit card debt my whole life. I went through two divorces had to file chapter 13 Bankruptcy a few yrs ago, and still have lots of Dr. bills and credit card bills, and I live paycheck to paycheck too so I know how you feel, it is very stressful, but we can only do so much. I hope the Requip works for you, I took it and it didn't work for me, but I was so use to the Mirapex, maybe I didn't take it long enough, I think it takes a while to get the levels up. The half life is shorter than Pramipexole so you may have to take it more frequently. I just think it's too bad you have to go back on a DA after all the hard work of stopping Mirapex. That's what I don't understand, I mean I get the fact that people do it because they are augmenting, but who's to say we won't freaking augment again, you know what I mean? If that's the case, why put yourself through the torture of stopping the Mirapex. I guess I will have to when it won't work anymore, or if I have to take a larger dose. Hope you don't mind my input, I was just wondering how you were doing. Take care.

[ViewsAskew]

.25 is the starter on Requip ????? Crap
She is starting me off on 1 mg.

When they first approved these drugs, I remember talking to Dr B about it. He and a bunch of other doctors all shared their experiences. They were trying to agree on a recommended dosage. Dr B always recommended very little. Other doctors suggested much higher. In the end, the doctors suggesting a higher amount prevailed. Personally, it's the drug companies wanting to sell more...but that's me being cynical.

Over time, they realize those higher doses were a BIG problem.

This is from the RLShelp.org site: "... Requip is available in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 4 mg and 5 mg tablets. The starting dose should be 0.25 mg, which can be given if needed up to three times per day. The 0.25 mg dose can be increased by 0.25 mg each week for the first four weeks."

In a patient letter, he writes, "...and we now typically recommend maximum doses that are much smaller (Mirapex at .25 mg daily and Requip at 1 mg daily). "

[jakesmom]

Well hell's bell's I just get past augmenting and she starts me on the upper end of the dosing scale. I will start smaller. Oh well. At least when I augment she knows what to do and I know what to expect.

Thanks!!!!!

Desperate D,

I'm well thanks, a little nervous about the DA's, but taking it one day at a time. How are you?

[veldon7]

I'm good, hope the Requip works for you. I know when I took it, I liked the fact that it didn't make me as drowsy. It just wore off faster, so I had to take more. I tried to stop the Mirapex for a couple days, but I was so miserable and I get Migraines when I don't sleep, so I decided to wait until I have to stop it, when it doesn't work any more, or when I have to keep increasing it. Take care.

[Polar Bear]

Views quotes from Dr Bs patient letters where he advises that the max for requip is now considered 1mg. Well... that's a whole lot away from my 4mg requip daily.

The more I read the more I feel that the DAs are not the good guy that they were considered..... and I wonder if I asked my doc would he give me a strong opiod to try come off the requip. It was a big deal to get the cocodamol off him that I use alongside the requip.
And actually if I need to see a doc for anything at all I go to one of the others in the practice in case he takes a look at my regime and decides something could do with a reduction.
So.. I'm wary in case I ask him for something strong to come off requip and he says no, but also in case he thinks ..... mmmm... look how long she's been on the cocodamol/tramadol//// whatever ..

[badnights]

jakesmom
I am only now reading that you are starting ropinirole. Thank goodness you were warned here not to start at 1 mg! If you ever need more than 0.5, I would suggest you tell your doctor you're deathly afraid of augmenting and want to combine it with a drug of a different class in order to keep the dose 0.5 or below.

I am quite serious. You only just went through hell, and are still reeling from the adverse effects of the pramipexole that had nothing to do with augmentation. Not the time to be taking any chances!

I want this to work for you, but I' have a bad, icky feeling. Please consider keeping it under an 0.5 mg cap......... P.S. I have no professional healthcare training and this is just my personal opinion.

Except I do have first aid lol

[ViewsAskew]

Polar Bear, I feel for you. It's difficult to know what to do, say, ask for. I guess, in the end, all we can do is advocate for ourselves the best we can.

Jakesmom, I'm glad you're starting at a lower dose. I hope it works for you at that dose.

[badnights]

polar bear - gee whiz. What a spot to be in. Is this the same doctor that was appalled at how little sleep you were getting, a few years ago when things were bad? And is it the same one who recommended an AD? He doesn't sound caring enough. I had forgotten you were using ropinirole. He would want a convincing reason why you want off of it, and our worries about its long-term effects won't count for much with him.

[Polar Bear]

Dr C (GP who I would normally have attended) is the senior GP in the Practice and he prescribed the requip, I asked for it after seeing it advertised whilst in the US. He is also the doc who is quite happy that I should research on line and he has looked at responses I have taken in from Dr B. He is willing to learn but at the same time takes a step back when he sees things cited such as methadone. He knows I 'adkjust' medications at times and he says he would expect nothing less. I do believe he is caring enough tho he isn't a walkover. I haven't seen him in a long time.

I had an occasion to see Dr M who only does part time, say 2 days per week and is a lady of my own age.
I liked her immediately.
It was she who took all on board when I took in my sleep diary, she gently pushed that I should commence citalopram, she listened when I spilled out stuff from years ago that I didn't even know was still in my head. She doesn't know much about WED. It is she that I would tend to go see.

If I was to start thinking about stopping requip I'm sure it is Dr C whom I'd need to see. I don't see that he would have a difficulty with me coming off it but I do wonder about his willingness to go up the opoiod scale to cover the withdrawal. Only way would be to ask and I'd have no hesitation about discussing this with him, but as stated previously, I'm afraid of him taking a review of all my meds and finding them wanting in some way. And then me ending up still on requip, but with less .... say cocodamol,,, than I currently have.

We will see, I will ponder....

[badnights]

yuk. Maybe discuss it with the young woman first... feel her out about it when you're in to see her for something anyway. I hope you don;t end up worse off, but surely reason will prevail? one can hope, anyway.

[jy13131]

I have seen Dr B for the last 3 years. As soon as I augmented on requip he pulled me off. I asked him if I was taking a "holiday" and would be going back on. He said no, because the likelihood of augmentation was too high. I feel concern for you about the scenario with going off such a high dose of mirapex and then right into requip. My withdrawal process from requip was VERY uncomfortable even with opioid support. After my initial rebound, we were able to back me down onto a stable dose of opioids that allow me to have a fully functioning life, although I would say I poop less and am more generally fatigued. But not more fatigued than I would be if I were suffering with WED! Good luck to you

[jy13131]

And one last point...Dr B has a few interests, but one of his is educating other doctors and institutions regarding WED. It may be worth checking to see if he has a referral or database of doctors who have been educated by him.