Cold Turkey

[agpthng]

I believe I am experiencing augmentation with Mirapex, 2nd prescription taken over the past 10 years 1st being Requip. Is it possible to stop taking all of it and deal with the symptoms? When I was taking Requip I tried to stop cold turkey and would make it 3 days and then would be climbing the walls with the side effects/symptoms. Will my symptoms be worse without any prescriptions? Are there alternatives, I take iron supplements as my level was at the bottom of the scale 2 years ago, I drink lots of water especially before bedtime, I try to take a multivitamin. I don't take my anti anxiety meds like I used to only when I think I might need one. What about medicinal marijuana in New Hampshire. At wits end.

[debbluebird]

I tried to stop without anything, and it never worked for me. I had to take another med to get through it. It took me about 2 weeks. I took Gabapentin at the time. (I no longer take that) Gabapentin will knock you out at first, then slowly gets better. It is also a drug that you have to wean up and down. I also used my TENS unit. Most people suggest that you take an opioid to get through it. I believe that is the best way. I take Methadone now. 5 mg, only two tabs, once at 5 pm, then another around midnight.
Good luck

[agpthng]

I don't want to have to take anything anymore. Sorry frustration coming out!

[Rustsmith]

Sorry that you are having to go through with this again. The problems getting off of Mirapex will be similar to those that you experienced with Requip. The common recommendation for this is to stop the Mirapex cold turkey, but that you will need an opiate to get you through the withdrawal period of a week or two. I have not yet had to experience that myself, but the general consensus is that the first three days are the worst and then it starts to get better. And then once you have recovered from the Mirapex, your WED returns to the level it would have been without any medications, which is generally less than what you were experiencing during augmentation.

Good Luck!

[Polar Bear]

I tried to stop ropinerole (same class of drug as mirapex) 3 times by myself and lasted no more than a few days.
It is possible that your symptoms could be better once you are off medications - if you are augmenting.

I don't know anything about medical marijuana, if you do a search you will bring up some posts.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8592&hilit=medicinal+marijuana

[ViewsAskew]

See my response in the other thread you posted in.

[Orrel]

I am attempting to get off mirapex by using 4 mg. Neupro. I am down from .50 mg to .25 mg
Some nights are not bad while other nights are terrible. I can't seem to find a reason.
I want to get off both DAs. and plan to continue the patch to cover getting off mirapex. I have no alternative
since no one will write a script for an opioid where I live. The reason I want off both DAs is that I have
congestive heart failure and I seem to have more bouts of breathlessness since starting the patch.
Evidently DAs can cause ventricular tachycardia which would explain the breathlessness. My
cardiologist thinks the dopamine could be a reason but is not sure. It was an acute episode of
dizziness and breathlessness lasting several minutes that caused me to go to the ER of the local
hospital before Christmas. They diagnosed ven. tach and implanted a combination defibrillator/pace
maker. Since then I have had another big episode (heart beat 240) but the defib fixed it fast.. I have had
a lot of lesser bouts. Hence my wish to get off DAs. My question is how do you know when the DA is
out of your system and what your are experiencing is not an augmented DA but the WED that you would
have if you had never started a DA.

[ViewsAskew]

Yikes, Orrel, you'd think that someone would help you get off of these and FAST! Doctors just do not see the big picture some times. An opioid would NOT likely help you long term - they depress breathing. But, possibly for a week or so to help you get off and then on to something else? That seems reasonable to me!

[Orrel]

No one seems to want to prescribe an opioid where I live, so the chances of using one to get me off the DAs
are rather slim. The purpose of the patch was to help me to do so, reflecting the theory that a longer
acting DA (rotigotine), which has less chance of augmenting, would help me to wean off a shorter acting
DA (pram) that has augmented. The ongoing transition has not been smooth. Maybe it is not supposed to be.
Last night I got no more than 2 hours sleep because of WED and insomnia.
I have the feeling that I am flying solo, although the collective wisdom and experience of this board has
been tremendously helpful. Thanks to all who have made this journey a little less lonely.

[Polar Bear]

Flying Solo is a pretty insightful expression.
Forthe doctors to see the bigger picture would be wonderful.

[ViewsAskew]

Your earlier question - how do you know the DA is out of your system and you aren't augmented. The only answer that I know is that you can reduce your medication and that your symptoms go back to close to where they were.

I know that Beth, myself, Susan, and few others here have not had common reactions to augmentation, but some of us have NOT returned to our prior level of symptoms. The vast majority of people do. But, a few of us did not. THAT is why it drives me crazy to see you in this situation. The doctors have all kinds of reasons why we ended up the way we did....but the fact is that our lives were working prior to DA use and they are NOT working now. We have trouble working, thinking, concentrating, take more drugs that we ever imagined. So, when someone cannot get help (as I could not) and waits months for resolution, all I can think of is what's going to happen in the end.

I hope that you are like the 99 percent of everyone who finally does get off and you have no issues with increased symptoms. But, I really do urge you to do whatever you have to to get off of them. You CAN go back to them. But, you can never get back to your prior level IF you are one of the few for which the augmentation seems to trigger a worsening.

If your doctor could tell you how long it would take and that he has experience with this taking 2, 3 or 4 months, I'd feel better. This is very new. And, the only person here who has done it had it work quickly - not take months. So, it just makes me scared for you.

[agpthng]

About 2 weeks ago on a Friday night, I decided I was just not going to take my half a dose of mirapex! What a night it was, I was up all night long walking, pacing, edgy, gritting my teeth, oh my the worst night of my life. Never has been that bad even when it didn't work. The next day was just as bad. So my husband asks are you going to go for 2 nights in a row? That was my plan, that Friday night I was done! No More! But I said geez I don't know if I have it in me, I can't sit to read, play games, knit, watch tv nothing works, wine, shots of moonshine lol ( i was getting desperate!). So I'll be making an appointment back with the last neurologist that I saw not sure where it will go but I'm going back.

[Polar Bear]

I replied to this same post in the 'Just Joined' Forum.

[sleepdancer2]

Seems going cold turkey is acceptable for some doctors these days. I read up on it a bit, and it seems that recommendation is for when stopping from a low dose. At a higher dose, I suggest weaning. I went off Mirapex once from a higher than generally recommended dose and ended up with a neurological glitch that apparently is permanent. I would want to err on the safe side. But I think there's more than one consideration here. One is of you can safely stop taking the Mirapex. The other is, how much are you willing to suffer to accomplish getting off? I weaned off one time due to augmentation and my symptoms were nearly unbearable. As much as I would rather not take stronger meds, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't put myself through that. I would avail myself to whatever meds could give me a tolerable quality of life. Even though I now use a TENS Unit instead of meds, I know that if the TENS ever stops working for me, I will have to take whatever is necessary to stop my suffering.

[ViewsAskew]

sleepdancer2, I honestly don't know how you go through it. I tried multiple times. I caved each one. Awful stuff trying to do it on your own.