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Old 10-12-2009, 07:03 AM
Boomer2202 Boomer2202 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Washington DC area
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10 yr Member
Boomer2202 Boomer2202 is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Washington DC area
Posts: 1
10 yr Member
Default Sinemet and Mirapex

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsiebenh View Post
DX with MS in 1999 after 10 years of issues. Dx with Lyme in 2004.

From 1999 to 2008 I took Sinemet for my restless uncoordinated legs, between 2 - 8 tabs of 25/100 per day. Mostly around 4 tabs. As predicted by the prescribing neuro, it lost effectiveness after 9 years.

I switched to Mirapex from Sinemet in March 2008. Started having more problems walking in July 2008. Finally weaned myself completely off Mirapex in January 2009 after reading Once Upon A Pill about the horrors of Sinemet and dopamine supplementation. Weaning took about 4-5 months.

I now take Baclofen or Zanaflex for the legs.

My legs are still very stiff, tired and uncoordinated. I realize my disease has advanced in the last 10 years, but I do expect to regain some leg functionality in the next year as my body learns to manufacture and process dopamine on its own again. From what I have read this can take over a year. But there is little info out there.

Has anyone else on this board quit Sinemet and / or Mirapex, and does anyone have any idea as to the timeline I am looking at to reestablish a normal dopamine system?

Apparently not too many non-Parkinson's people are "lucky" enough to get this rx, and fewer ever quit.

Thanks!
I guess I was one of the lucky ones. I was perscribed Sinemet several months ago to confirm PD. Then I was perscribed Sinemet and Mirapex about three weeks ago. Two weeks ago another doctor told me to get off Mirapex, which I did by reducing .5mg every two days. So far no side effects or problems. Perhaps because I was only on a full dose of Mirapex (2mg) for a little over a week. Perhaps it is because I've only been totally off Mirapex for a couple of days. After reading about Mirapex and this thread I bless my lucky stars for having not really becomed "hooked" on Mirapex. I'm also in the process of getting off Klonopin (for another condition), but this will take six weeks to complete. Should I be worried about a Mirapex "backlash" or am I one of the lucky ones who got off in time?

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