i took 4.5mg/day of mirapex for about 8 years. now i am sort of stuck halfway on a switch to requip xl in an attempt to extend the hours of typing-level dexterity i have each day, but equip and mirapex are almost identical.

and for me the absolute most precious benefit i have received from dopamine agonists is the absence of dyskinesia and fluctuations. if there is one thing on which there is consensus in the pd research community, it is that young onset are much more vulnerable to these side effects - sooner and more severely - than regular onset.

by every account i have ever read, with symptom onset at 32, if i had been taking levodopa for the last eight years instead of a dopamine agonist, i would be deep into dyskinesia and fluctuations by now. fortunately for me, mirapex was on the market when i needed it, and it worked for me, and, largely, still does.

this has allowed me to continue to engage in my favorite creative pursuits, photography and singing.

it has also allowed me to continue working full time.

personally, while i value my creativity immensely, i have to say the latter is exponentially more important to me.