I have written about this in the past, but it seems that there is still some interest in the subject of agonists and OBSESSIVE/COMPULSIVE/DISORDER. The first PD medication given to my pwp was Mirapex, i.e., after the initial dosing with Sinemet as a diagnostic tool. Doreen's only symptom at the time was a right-hand tremor (that was 10 years ago) and her response to the Sinemet was excellent in that it completely eliminated the tremor. Not wanting to start her on Sinemet so early on in her dx, her neurologist prescribed Mirapex which not only eliminated the tremor, but also, gave her a generally all-round feeling of well being as she titrated up on the Mirapex...to what I believe was the maximum dosage, i.e., 4.5 mg daily. At this time, it seemed it was not generally known about the obsessive/compulsive side effect of Mirapex...and certainly, we were totally unaware as was her neurologist. What we FINALLY realized was that Doreen had become excessively obsessive/compulsive, but, we had no idea what was causing this. She would literally spend money that she certainly did not have to spend...would purchase items in "multitudes", i.e., FIVE weather stations, all very similar, but she HAD to have all FIVE (this, in a 3 1/2 room apartment!) She would go to electronic stores and purchase electronic gadgets (some, very expensive)...bring them home...unpack them...use them for a few days (she had an "understanding" with all the merchants about how long she could keep an item before she would return it). These items, too, were purchased in multiples...cell phones...headsets...and she became very proficient in opening the packages and resealing them to be returned. This behavior went on for quite a long time...one of the worst times in our lives...because she didn't want me to interfere with any of this...and a normally, very nice, quiet, calm person became "not-so-nice"...actually became someone I really didn't know (a very, very difficult time for me, especially, because Doreen was having the time of her life!!!) It was not until I read somewhere on the internet that one of the side effects of Mirapex was obsessive/compulsive behavior that it "dawned" on me that this was what had happened to Doreen. We brought this to her neurologist's attention and he immediately weaned her off Mirapex...a shame in that she had fared so well while taking this medication...and she has not felt as well nor have her symptoms been relieved as well by any other medication regimen...to the point, where we are planning to discuss with her neurologist at her vist at the end of this month the possibility of adding back into her "med" regimen a lower dose of Mirapex..although, we are not too hopeful that he will agree to this. He is always open to our ideas, but I don't feel confident that he will be open to this. I have chosen to tell my "story" again since this thread has brought attention, again, to the POSSIBILITY of Mirapex (and any agonist, for that matter) of the undesirable side effect of Obsessive/Compulsive behavior that can and has literally destroyed lives. Please note that I have emphasized that word, "possibility". As with all PD medications, some work well for pwp's...some do not so that my particular "story" is told simply as a warning of the POSSIBILITY of this very adverse side effect.

Therese