Pramipexole and serious side effects

[jakesmom]

Here we go again.

I got bumped up to 100mg of Lyrica 3 times a day. That's not gonna work. Even at twice a day I am so hung over I slurred my words and have more typos than a toddler on a Fisher Price keyboard. Plus, the med is making me get hives in places I don't get to show often and it is making my neuropathy worse. Not to mention I am fatter than a puffer fish in fear for its life.

My short term drug regimine is a slew of vitamins during the day and tramadol as needed and at night 2mg of klonopin, 7/325 hydrocodone, 25 mg amitrityline, 25 mg topamax and 50mg hydroxyzine

I wanted to stay on oxy but she can't write them long term, so she is writing me the strongest thing she can while she gets me a referral to a pain management specialist. I am growing to admire her more and more for walking with me on this journey and helping me instead of just turning me out to fend for myself.

[ViewsAskew]

Good for her - I am so happy you found her. Those side effects are not healthy at all.

I take it the amitriptyline does not bother you? It does many people with WED.

[jakesmom]

I slept 15 hours was up for an hour and slept 4 more. That's the biggest problem so far, but WED didn't wake me up or bother me at all. I'm going to play with dosing this weekend.

[Polar Bear]

Excellent that you are getting sleep but it isn't always possible to sleep15 hours + 4 hours... When it is possible to do this you are getting some well earned rest but yes, sounds like the dosage needs tweeked a bit.

[jakesmom]

I cut down to 1 klonopin and cut out the hydroxyzene and will see what the night brings.

[badnights]

I was going to say, 2 mg clonazepam/Klonopin seems a bit high, and given its 40-hour half life, it might be contributing to daytime slurriness. But Lyrica is renowned for that too. You aren't getting the WED sensations, which is impressive. It seems that now you have to balance the sleep and wake issues somehow.

Why are you taking two anti-convulsants? Or, I guess I should ask, what is the topamax for? Does it help with the WED? or is it for migraines or something else?

[veldon7]

It's great that your WED is not bothering you. I guess the Hydroxyzine and Amitriptyline don't affect your WED. I have both of those meds., but I'm afraid to take the Amitriptyline because it can cause wt. gain and it's also an older Tricyclic antidepressant on the list of drugs that make WED worse. A Dr. gave it to me for Migraines the lowest dose of 10 mg but I am afraid it will aggrivate my legs, and the Hydroxy. is an older antihistimine. I was thinking about trying the Amitript. again, but I'm already overweight maybe the 10 mg wouldn't cause much wt gain.

[jakesmom]

Hydroxyzine has never bothered my WED and I have been taking it off and on for over a decade. As for the amitrityline, I take it at 5:30 or 6pm and I am asleep by 9 and I sleep all night long. As for weight gain, I am losing weight again now that I am off the Lyrica. My doctor did warn me about the possibility of amitrityline bothering my WED, but I didn't want anything new or experimental due to needing all of my mental faculties at work. I also told her no more DA's . So, since amitrityline was older and well known and cost about $2.50 a month, she said to give it a shot and if it bothered my WED we would try something else. Knock on my noggin, so far so good.
I will say I love that the topamax has taken away all cravings for cake, cookies, brownies, pie, etc.

[badnights]

but I'm afraid to take the Amitriptyline because it can cause wt. gain and it's also an older Tricyclic antidepressant on the list of drugs that make WED worse

It's like all these drugs, it seems we have to try them before we can know how they'll affect us. Some time when you're feeling stable, it might be worth a try.

[veldon7]

I took Topamax for about a yr. got up to 100mg, but I didn't loose any wt., and it didn't help the Migraines. I was told to try Amitriptyline for migraines, I tried 10mg for a few days, and I was so sleepy the next morning I couldn't drive, but I was also taking .25 of Mirapex. I am taking Propanolol .20(Inderal) a Beta Blocker, to prevent Migraines now. I just started back on it and it has helped the last couple days. I am switching to Requip for a while instead of Mirapex, until I can go back to the pain Dr. or Neuro., Requip doesn't make me as drowsy.

[jakesmom]

So far I haven't lost the weight I regained on Lyrica. The hydrocodone and klonopin aren't helping as well as the oxycodone did, but I will have to wait until October (my pain mgmt appt got pushed back) to see if I can get back on it. I am not having any problems with the topamax at 20mg twice a day, but I don't want to go up because it is hard on my stomach. TOTALLY agree with amitriptyline making you tired. I stay sleepy. If i dont take my nightly medicines by 6pm, getting up at 6am is very difficult. On the upside, between the current meds and the vitamins, my WED is about 85% under controll.

[badnights]

AND you're no longer a slave to the ICD

[Frustrated]

I have been on this terrible drug for some time. I didn't realize that this drug was causing this behavior until earlier this year my doctor called in the wrong dosage and I started researching the drug. This drug should NOT be on the market. It was okay at the .125 level but when my neurologist bumped it up to 1- 2 mg. that is when I started having a horrible time. It certainly does cause compulsive behavior (none of these I've ever experienced before) - gambling, eating, shopping, running races every single weekend. I have had breathing issues and now am on the CPAP machine. I hope to get off this down the road when this medication is out of my system. Brief periods of some very unusual feelings while driving have forced me to limit my driving significantly (I've read there are fatal accidents associated with this drug). I've been trying to get off the drug for the last three weeks. It's like going through heavy duty withdrawls, with night sweats and the whole nine yards. This is a horrible drug! I will be filing a complaint with the FDA.

[EeFall]

I have been on this terrible drug for some time. I didn't realize that this drug was causing this behavior until earlier this year my doctor called in the wrong dosage and I started researching the drug. This drug should NOT be on the market. It was okay at the .125 level but when my neurologist bumped it up to 1- 2 mg. that is when I started having a horrible time. It certainly does cause compulsive behavior (none of these I've ever experienced before) - gambling, eating, shopping, running races every single weekend. I have had breathing issues and now am on the CPAP machine. I hope to get off this down the road when this medication is out of my system. Brief periods of some very unusual feelings while driving have forced me to limit my driving significantly (I've read there are fatal accidents associated with this drug). I've been trying to get off the drug for the last three weeks. It's like going through heavy duty withdrawls, with night sweats and the whole nine yards. This is a horrible drug! I will be filing a complaint with the FDA.

Yeah, I just got off it and I went through 28 days of misery per doctors instructions but I am sure glad I have detoxed off of it now! However, I would not file a complaint because for 6 years it was a godsend. It is just that doctors and patients need to be educated on when to stop using pramipexole (when one augments on it). Doctors are still figuring all of this out. I augmented on it the first time almost 6 years ago so have been going through terrible times most of that time going on and off of it to get it to work again. The side effects are now known too and doctors and patients need to also be educated about them and to watch for them but even going through all the side effects including buying things like crazy I sure wouldn't have given up the 6 years when it did work.

[ViewsAskew]

EeFall, I hear you, but this isn't new information. The medical community has known of these problems for YEARS! And, yet, doctors know little to nothing about it. There MUST be a better way to get doctors information about issues before hundreds or thousands of patients have problems because of the doctors' lack of knowledge.