Help please

[pat]

I am new here and wonder what you all do to combat the effects of MIRAPEX? I have to have someone drive me around becuase I fall asleep a lot .....had a sleep study done and I only slept one hour out of 12. Does anyone else have the effects from Reguip or the mirapex? I have been taking it over two years so it is not a new effect, it is the dreaded side effect> any possible solutions

[Caesareeh]

Hi,

I have never taken the Mirapex, but Requip did that to me the first couple of weeks I was on it. I only take it at night 45 minutes before bedtime now. If I take it during the day I fall asleep. Can you take the Mirapex at bedtime only or is it a multiple doseage throughout the day?
Take care,
Caesaree

[ViewsAskew]

Hi ladies,

Ceasaree, I posted a response to you somewhere else. Pat, welcome to the board; how nice to offer to moderate! I'll look forward to getting to know you on the board.

Pat, sounds like you need to switch to something else, at least during the day. It can't be good to have you like that. I assume you take Mirapex throughout the day? Maybe it would work to use something like tramadol during the day, and Mirapex only right before bed. Lots of people have used tramadol (Ultram) successfully during the day. Other options would be to use gabapentin (if it works) or an opioid like methadone or levorphenol during the day, and Mirapex at night. Lots and lots of people take more than one thing for their RLS.

Ann

[Rubyslipper]

I agree with Views, try something else for the daytime. I have used Mirapex for several years but only at night. It helps suppress the RLS but also helps me sleep. I can't imagine taking it during the day. Actually I can because I mistakenly took my night meds in the morning two weeks ago. Luckily (at least for me!) they didn't kick in until I got to work. My co-workers did a great job of covering for me as I sleep-walked through most of the day There are lots of other meds you could try, this just isn't what you need.

[nikkishan]

I'm on Mirapex and I take 1.5mg 3 times at night and sometimes I have to take 4. Problem is, that's still not enough. My Dr. now wants me to take Ambien CR 12.5 mg. I climb the walls for the first 3 hours and don't know anything I'm doing. My husband says I don't even know I'm in the world. I've tried several different kinds of medications and Mirapex has been the only one that has ever helped the restless legs. The Dr. that I'm going to now says for me to keep taking my Mirapex and take the Ambien for 30 days, even though he knows it's making my symptoms worse. I don't think he cares. I want to find a Dr. that specializes in the RLS. I'm glad I found this web site.

[ViewsAskew]

It is sooooo hard sometimes to find a doctor who will work with you. Several of us can commisserate. I've learned that I have to be VERY firm with docs, especially when something isn't working.

Are you worse with or without the Ambien CR? If worse, then you might want to consider stopping it and making an immediate appointment with a new doc. When one neuro I had did something similar, I just immediately wrote a long letter to my PC explaining everything and made an immediate appointment with her. I took information from this site and from the www.rlshelp.org site about other options and showed it to her. She gave me a script for something that helped me until I could get to a new neuro.

Of course, this might not work for you for various reasons, but when you are this miserable, I know from experience that the only way you will get any help is to be assertive.

Let us know how it works out or if you want any help finding drugs to try. The site I listed above is great to find options, as are the sticky posts in the the New to RLS? section of this site.

Ann

[ksxroads]

nikkishan,

I replied to your post in another section. Glad that the Mirapex is working for you, in the other reply I mistakenly thought you were having problems with the Mirapex!

They are finding that Ambien can adversely affect some people.

Ann had posted some information on night eating... the fact that people were doing things in their sleep they were not aware of, similar to what I think that you are saying when your husband says you are not in this world...

http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1724&highlight=ambien

Can't think, my meds are kicking in, but I think I recall another report on Ambien if I can find it I will post it here later!

Listen to Ann! I did, and it was a turning point in my life! I learned all that I could so I could discuss my treatment plan with the doctor with more confidence. Who knew I could be assertive and firm, but I learned I could just say no this medication is NOT working for me.

The support and encouragement of these wonderful people is a very important part of my treatment protocal! I hope you have similar results.

Hazel