More on stopping Mirapex (sorry....)

[veldon7]

Polar Bear: Thanks for mentioning the Citalopram. I did read that you were taking it, and I thought I might ask my Dr. if I can try some since it's not bothering your legs. I 'm glad it's helping you, I took Citalopram about 15 yrs ago, for a while. I really do need to take an antidepressant, I've taken them most of my life, I get depressed alot and stressed with work and marital issues. Great job Doety on stopping the Mirapex!!

[veldon7]

Debbluebird: Good luck with your surgery!! I'm sure everything will be fine. I've been thinking about death alot too, I guess the older I get and the more health issues I have, the more I think about it. I guess taking drugs that cause heart issues, etc. make me think about it, and sometimes at night when I get up, I can barely walk from the side effects and I feel like I am going to fall off the toilet when I go to the bathroom. Oh well, we have to try to think positive. Take care!

[doety]

7 nights without Mirapex, or maybe it's six, but it feels like a million. I can't tell that I'm sleeping at all. Last night, I took 10 mg of Methadone and it made my legs go faster. It never used to do that. I've already taken 5 mg. tonight and don't think I'll take more than that. I don't think I can mix it with anything. Good thing I saw the bottle label: Don't mix this with Methadone. I try to look things up, but not always.
I'm excited about all the new information. For once, it isn't announced as a new drug. I have a feeling we're going to get lots more info soon.
I did go to the health store and got some D-Ribose, will try that tomorrow. Any tricks about what to take it with.

[ViewsAskew]

I just mixed the D-Ribose with milk - it's sort of sweet and the milk flavor covered it up. I also put it in carrot juice a few times - didn't even taste it.

[badnights]

I just put it in a small glass of water.

[veldon7]

I put it in water too, I stir it up and don't taste it much, it's just sweeter. Great job Doety going without Mirapex!! The Gabapentin helps me sleep some. I would love to stop Mirapex, but I don't see it happening right now, I just try to stay on a low dose for now.

[badnights]

Staying as low as possible is the best plan if you can't stop it. Hopefully someday you will find a supportive and knowledgeable doctor who will prescribe what is needed to get you through the withdrawal.

[doety]

I know everyone will be glad to hear the news: I SLEPT LAST NIGHT!! Six and 1/2 hours, but better than nothing (which is what I've gotten the last seven days). I know that when I got off Suboxone after 9 days of not sleeping, there was no looking back. Then I slept for 12 hours, then the next night 10, etc. I hope the Mirapex is gone for good (or at least until I use it again, and then only at a small dose). I have to tell you that I actually held the Mrapex bottle in my hand last night, knowing that I could have slept so well if I'd only taken a small bit. But I was so determined to know what it felt like to be off it. I am thrilled. My brain is still scrambled, that will probably take a while to come back. Stay tuned...I'll let you know how it goes now.
And once again, thank you all for the support. It's so important.

[debbluebird]

That's great that you slept. Good for you.

I have another question for everyone. After a person stops Mirapex, it's been two weeks for me, what are the morning WED/PLMD ? They either wake me up or come a little later in the morning. Then also some in the afternoon. Don't stop until I take meds. Is it just withdrawal from the Mirapex? Or is it just my WED/PLMD? I was thinking that I would have to wait at least another two weeks.

[doety]

thank you for writing that... I'm always too optimistic. I don't know why I thought it would only take me a week...nobody has said that! I just thought getting off this would be like getting off the last drug. When I stopped Suboxone, it was nine days of walking hell, but when it stopped, it was gone. This is different and I guess withdrawal is going to be strung out. I was up off and on last night (better than just up), but it's always creepy.
When I finally got out of bed, I had WED and it wouldn't stop. I finally took a Tramadol and now I wonder if I'm a drug addict. I'm also changing my diet, and wonder if that's what makes me feel so awful.
It probably means we both have to wait it out somehow. Nobody said it would be easy (in fact, just the opposite), and I think the estimates for withdrawal have been at least two weeks and more. I can only say lots of bad words right now, but I won't say them in print.

[ViewsAskew]

It's NOT easy at all...but you know that.

Not sure why you think you're a drug addict. Did you take the drug because you want the symptoms to stop? Or because you want to be "high?" If because you want the symptoms to stop, that's not an addict - that's completely reasonable!!!!! It gets blurry when you want the symptoms to stop but also "like' the feeling the drugs give you. Then you need to be careful with those drugs. Most of us do NOT like how we feel all that much, except for the part where the sensations are gone - and that's OK to like.

I don't think you've ever liked how you feel on the opioids - though tramadol is new to you. I like tramadol. It makes me feel better than I ever feel on other drugs. But, I don't take it just to get that feeling - I only take it to get rid of the sensations. I choose it, when possible, over other opioids because I prefer how it makes me feel in comparison. But, I don't ever take it just to take it OR take it because I only want the feeling. And I never take more than I'm supposed to. I do, though, watch myself just in case....

[doety]

Thanks for that, Ann. I agree with everything -- it does feel better than anything I've taken. And yet -- I hate taking it because it just stops everything I'm doing. AND YET if I felt as bad as I did before I took it, I couldn't do a damned thing.
My emotions and my logical mind often don't go together.

Sort of changing topics....even though we have no idea whether nutritional choices will raise or lower our glutamate, etc, of if that would make any difference, I'm trying to eat food, take supplements, that will reduce "inflammation." I desperately need to change my diet -- mostly I eat no green vegetables and way, way too much sugar. For the last week, I've been making a "green" drink in the morning....I put in coconut water, aloe vera juice, blueberries, kale, cucumber, yogurt, a shot of chia seeds, shaved ice. It actually tastes good and the best part is that afterwards, I feel [i]sooooo[/i] righteous! I've cut out almost all sweets. I'm not sure why I can do this now, but it seems easy and comfortable. What if at the same time I'm getting off Mirapex, I could also get off sugar? Whoo.

[debbluebird]

It's always easier for me to pass up sugar when I'm off Mirapex. When I'm on Mirapex I'm hungry all the time.

[jakesmom]

Great job on getting off Mirapex Doety!!! It's not easy but it's rewarding to see the real you once you are off it.

Deb, my am WED stopped completely once I got off Mirapex. My overall symptoms are now a 5 on most days and that is at night.

My 2 cents on antidepressants, I am currently on a low dose of amitrityline and it doesn't seem to affect my WED.

My 2 cents on migraines, I am on 25mg of Topamax twice a day. Stopped my headaches and my cravings for cookies, cake etc.

I was off Mirapex for 2 months and tried Requip at a low dose. My body wouldn't accept it. So, no more DA's for this chick.

Good luck to all!!!!

[doety]

Hi Jakesmom: You were really my inspiration -- when I read, day after day, about the hell you went through AND you were working, I thought what a wimp I am!! I believe your co-workers deserve medals, too. So important to have friendships like that. REading all the details of what you went through was important and I"m glad you did that. Sometimes we think we'll be boring or nobody wants to read all that -- but day by day, the people on here were cheering you on.
It's wonderful to know the Mirapex is leaving my system day after day. I still haven't slept much, just 2 hours here, 4 hours there. But I feel confident that this is the right path. I seem to remember you were taking a bunch of stuff -- what are you taking now? I just love hearing that you're doing so well.

I want to tell you a story, but can't right now (guess why....). Later.