Pramipexole in psychiatry: a systematic review of the literature.Aiken CB.
Department of Psychiatry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.christopher.aiken.med.99@aya.yale.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risks and benefits of pramipexole in psychiatric populations. DATA SOURCES: A PubMed search was performed using the keywords pramipexole and ropinirole, which identified 500 articles. STUDY SELECTION: All clinical studies in psychiatric populations were included in the primary review (24 articles). Studies involving other populations were then reviewed to evaluate potential risks and benefits not identified in the psychiatric studies. DATA EXTRACTION: Effect sizes were calculated from controlled studies. Rates of intolerable side effects and manic switching were estimated by pooled analysis of controlled and uncontrolled studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: Pramipexole has a large effect size (0.6-1.1) in the treatment of both bipolar and unipolar depression with a low short-term rate of manic switching in bipolar patients (1% mania, 5% hypomania). The pooled discontinuation rate for all reasons was 9%. Pramipexole is neuroprotective and exerts beneficial effects on sleep architecture. Pramipexole is associated with 3 rare but serious side effects: sleep attacks, which have only occurred in Parkinson's disease; compulsive behaviors and pathologic gambling, which have occurred in Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome; and psychosis, which has occurred in both psychiatric and neurologic populations. CONCLUSIONS: Pramipexole is an important therapeutic option for treatment-resistant bipolar and unipolar depression; further studies are warranted to evaluate its safety in psychiatric patients.

PMID: 17854248 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

read this!
mirapex for restless leg people -
http://www.mirapex.com/ -

It begins as a strange feeling in your legs that seems to get worse until you stand up and move around. Deep inside your legs you can feel burning, creeping, and crawling sensations that are hard to describe, even to your doctor. Meanwhile, you cope with your condition the best you can.

If these symptoms describe the way you are feeling, you may have restless legs syndrome (RLS), a sensorimotor condition that affects millions of Americans.

Restless legs syndrome can be a primary or a secondary condition. Primary restless legs syndrome is the main form of the disease. While no one is sure what causes primary restless legs syndrome, nearly half of the time it can be traced to a family history. There is currently no cure for primary restless legs syndrome. Secondary restless legs syndrome is caused by an unrelated condition such as pregnancy, anemia, or iron deficiency. Once the unrelated condition has been treated, secondary RLS will usually go away without further treatment.*

Living with RLS is difficult both physically and mentally and can have a major impact on normal, everyday life. MIRAPEX is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription medication for the treatment of moderate to severe primary restless legs syndrome.

There are many benefits to MIRAPEX treatment:

Proven effective in the treatment of moderate to severe primary restless legs syndrome
Studies have shown sustained relief from RLS symptoms up to 9 months
If you think you are suffering from restless legs syndrome, you should consult your doctor and see if MIRAPEX is right for you.

This Web site contains information about restless legs syndrome and MIRAPEX treatment, as well as personal insights from people living with RLS.

* MIRAPEX is not indicated for secondary Restless Legs Syndrome.


IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION ABOUT MIRAPEX: MIRAPEX may cause you to fall asleep without any warning, even while doing normal daily activities such as driving. When taking MIRAPEX hallucinations may occur and sometimes you may feel dizzy, sweaty or nauseated upon standing up. The most common side effects in clinical trials for RLS were nausea, headache, and tiredness. You should talk with your doctor if you experience these problems.

Patients and caregivers should be informed that impulse control disorders/compulsive behaviors may occur while taking medicines, including pramipexole, to treat Parkinson's disease and RLS.

please do not forget the real life stories?????

heres one example
Pamela R. — age 51

I have been having creepy crawly feelings in my legs since I was a teenager. When I was younger, my mother would take me to see the doctor about my legs. He would always tell her those weird feelings I had in my legs were just growing pains. When I was younger, I didn’t think about my legs a lot because I would have episodes only a few times a year. For example, sometimes I would feel the sensation of water rushing through my legs when I sat and watched a movie. I would always miss the end of the movie because getting up and taking a walk was the only way to get rid of those funny feelings in my legs.

Over time, my symptoms became worse, and eventually I was diagnosed with moderate restless legs syndrome. As I learned about my condition, I tried various ways to help ease my symptoms. I tried hot and cold baths, exercising, massages, acupuncture, and even sleeping pills. While some things worked for a little while, nothing seemed to have any lasting effect. Soon enough I was pacing around the room at all hours of the night again. I went back to my doctor, and he prescribed MIRAPEX. For the last 6 months, my symptoms have been much better. I just have to take 1 pill every day a few hours before I go to bed, and my legs don’t bother me as much when I go to sleep.