urinary issues from mirapex?

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jeffisme
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:55 am

urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by jeffisme »

hi,

I've had RLS for years. it was first treated with requip but have been on a relatively low dose of mirapex (1 mg a day) for years until I started to have trouble with it in my arms for the first time about four or five months ago. My neurologist prescribed a neupro patch (1, 2 and then six mgs) along with with the mirapex. the patch just destroyed my skin and after nearly fainting one day out in the street, he suggested I go off it and instead try mirapex ER 1.5, plug 600 mg daily gabapentin

Well, it certainly helped with the RLS but I think it was concurrent with the neupro and the increase in the mirapex, I have now developed a nasty urinary issue, where I am peeing and dripping all day long, it seems. I had a ctscan and a rather unpleasant test in the urologist office, and he didn't see anything wrong other than a slightly enlarged prostate, normal for a 60 year old. The urologist thought it might be a neurological issue related to back surgery I had a couple of years ago (my back is hurting again) or possibly the mirapex. My neurologist is sort of unresponsive, so I've had to do my own digging and I did find a web site saying that there was a small statistical indication of a connection between mirapex and urinary incontinence. He knows nothing about mirapex and says I should wean myself off it to see if the situation improves. So a lot of questions here (and I apologize for that):

Has anyone else had this problem and had it attributed to mirapex? If so, what did they do about it? If I do wean myself off mirapex, would lyrica be a good substitute or just the gabapentin? Does requip have a known similar side effect? How long would it take for it to be out of my system? I know what's involved with going cold turkey. I have tried it before and don't want to do that again. Anything else that might act as a kind of substitute while i reduce the mirapex? Quinine? Sinemet?

thanks for any help. We don't know for sure whether there is a connection but without anything obvious showing up on tests, doctors think it might be the meds.

jeff

ViewsAskew
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Posts: 16570
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by ViewsAskew »

I have not experienced the urinary issues - and so sorry you are. Unrelated to that, I think you are experiencing what we call augmentation. When it moves to your arms, that is a big telltale sign. It can and does move to arms without augmentation, but everyone I know on a dopamine agonist who's had it move to the arms had augmented.

Try reading some of the posts about that - there are many - and see how they address your questions about stopping Mirapex/pramipexole.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

debbluebird
Posts: 2386
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 3:27 pm

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by debbluebird »

Plus, those are high doses of Mirapex. Sorry for whay you are going through.

jeffisme
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:55 am

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by jeffisme »

Thanks for the responses and the concern.

Yes, I have been reading and reading about how to reduce it (I've been back to 1 mg a day total for a couple of days without any problem but worry about what will happen when I try to go below that), and it's all rather discouraging, more so because the neurologists I have seen just don't know enough about side effects, augmentation (which I have been familiar with, I was the one that explained it to one of my doctors) and possible alternatives. And no one has a clue whether there can be a urinary connection but there are some statistics out there, indicating there might be. Of course it could also be something else entirely that is causing this.

One doctor told me he has seen patients go off mirapex entirely and just stay with Neurontin, although they seem to be on megadoses of it. I haven't seen anything here that seems to work for a majority of people, which is understandable since RLS and its symptoms vary so much from person to person.

badnights
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Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by badnights »

jeffisme

I feel sorry that you're having these problems. You are almost certainly augmented (the medication that is supposed to help is actually making your symptoms start earlier in the day, spread to your arms, start sooner when you sit or lie down, feel more intense).

Your doctor seems to know only the basest minimum about augmentation. He is trying to treat it by increasing your dose, which will compound the problem, and by using extended-release formulations, which will mask it for a while but are not a long-term solution.

There is unfortunately no easy way to get off Mirapex. If you're down to 1 mg, stopping cold turkey or a very short taper will give you the shortest time of torture. But I advise you to get some literature on augmentation and its treatment to your doctor, or to find a doctor who has experience with augmentation. It could even be worth your while to travel to an RLS Qualty Care Center (see the Foundation website). Because the only way I know of to come off a DA without experiencing unrelenting torture is to take a potent opioid medication.

Opioids are the most effective treatment for RLS/WED, if there are no side effects, although DAs like Mirapex can seem wonderfully effective at first - until you augment.

There is no one I am aware of on this board - speak up if you're out there! - who has augmented on a DA and now successfully uses Neurontin/gabapentin only for WED/RLS. There was in fact only one positive response, I think, when I asked if anyone successfully controlled their symptoms with nothing but an anti-convulsant (the class of medication to which NEurontin belongs).

For literature to bring to your doctor, first go to the RLS Foundation website, click Patient at the top, click Publications at the left, and download "What is Augmentation?"
Become a member, log in, go to Members Only, click Member Publications at the left, and download "Augmentation: A quick Guide" and "Augmentation FAQ"
All three of these brochures have valuable information.

Also, see the link below my signature. I've been meaning to clean that page up for a while - - but here are two things that would be useful:
- the extract from Clinical Management
- Buchfuhrer's 2012 paper
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

debbluebird
Posts: 2386
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 3:27 pm

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by debbluebird »

I agree !!

jeffisme
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:55 am

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by jeffisme »

many thanks for the good advice and links. forwarding both to my doctor.

jeff

jeffisme
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:55 am

jeffisme

Post by jeffisme »

PS: I just joined the foundation, but still can't access the members only papers. does that take a couple of days?

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by Rustsmith »

It does not take days, but they do need to process your membership. Try giving the office a call, they are very friendly and helpful and could probably get you up and running in just a couple of minutes.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

veldon75
Posts: 51
Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2014 3:45 pm

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by veldon75 »

I have had overactive bladder for years, I have been on Mirapex for 10 yrs and have been Augmenting for a while. Recently it's spreading to my arms and starting in the morning. I have tried to stop Mirapex a couple times, I still want to very badly! I take .50 mg I have dropped it down from .75. I don't know if the bladder problem is from Mirapex, I have had bladder problems before Mirapex, but I think it's worse now. I can relate to the. Neurologist not saying much or knowing about the drugs they prescribe it's ridiculous! I am at wits end, but I think my pain Dr. Is trying to stop giving me opioids, and I'm worried about addiction. I've been getting Oxycodone 5 to 10 mg for a couple yrs but I've had 3 surgeries in 2 yrs. :(

Tim S.
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2021 3:48 pm

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by Tim S. »

The Mirapex caused me have severe bladder problems. A constant urge to pee even with an empty blarred that kept me up all night and day. It also created a significant amount of kidney pain. Because of this I stopped taking it. It did clear up atfer about 2 weeks but has come back twice. I never had it before Mirapex. I am in my latest bout now going on 4 weeks. This is happening even though I have not had it in months. I believe that it is tied into my dopamine receptors but I have no idea how to get it to stop. I stopped taking vitamin D which is tied to dopamine levels. I would like to know ho you resolved your proble.

QyX

Re: urinary issues from mirapex?

Post by QyX »

Tim S. wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:06 pm
The Mirapex caused me have severe bladder problems. A constant urge to pee even with an empty blarred that kept me up all night and day. It also created a significant amount of kidney pain. Because of this I stopped taking it. It did clear up atfer about 2 weeks but has come back twice. I never had it before Mirapex. I am in my latest bout now going on 4 weeks. This is happening even though I have not had it in months. I believe that it is tied into my dopamine receptors but I have no idea how to get it to stop. I stopped taking vitamin D which is tied to dopamine levels. I would like to know ho you resolved your proble.
Maybe these problems are somewhat inherit to RLS even? l aways had some issues once l started taking dopaminergic medication with 14 for ADD.

l was able to resolve most of my issues with Tryptophan and THC / CBD.

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