I used Mirapex for three and a half years. There was no doubt in my mind that I developed a craving desire for sweets, especially chocolates. Prior to my diagnosis of PD I worked out regularly and rarely had desserts. Needless to say I gained 50 pounds. This weight gain lead to insulin resistance and pre diabetes syndrome. I stay away from casinos because of similiar concerns. My libido increased with introduction of the dopaminergic medications.

I discontinued Mirapex and switched to Requip. Significant side effects (passing out) made me d/c Requip. I have used Permax for the past year and a half. The craving of sweets decreased and I managed to lose 15 pounds. Now I am weaning off Permax (Thanks to your posting of recent research and heart valve damage). Azilect was added three months ago with excellent results. I have also used Stalevo for past two years. Yesterday my MDS suggested low dose Mirapex .5 mg to smooth out on/off periods if I need it. I probably will not resume the Mirapex. The drug scares me. I hope all this makes sense.

Gary

I also take 1.5mg of mirapex,and have a mild problem with gambling.So far it hasn't caused me to lose the farm,but I could see where that could happen if I wasn't carefull.I'm not sure if it is a result of the sinemet,mirapex,pd or all of the above.Guess I'll never know.I believe that recognizing it is a problem is half the battle then you can deal with it.Know thy enemy,and prepare your defense.I've been dealing with pd for 9 yrs,and it never fails to throw up a new challenge.wishing you the best.

Carolyn,

When I was on mirapex 1.0 3x day, I obsessively-compulsively worked on the computer 18-22 hours a day. Specifically I was a photoshop fiend. Made everyone I knew a birthday card, posters - you name it - I made it.

Thankfully it didn't involve spending much money (yes a few fonts & photoshop plug-ins...) my husband became alarmed. I finally saw I had a problem. Azilect came along, so I started it & I titrated down to mirapex .25 3x.

I feel like I have my brain back now. Still work on the computer - because I like to and want to. But I actually missed some family members' birthdays recently ... was a good sign to me!

Good luck! Jean B

As soon as I stopped taking it, I felt like I woke up from a bad dream (in reality it was a nightmare). I thank God I found out before it was too late.....financially speaking. A few more months and I would have lost the farm. Came pretty darn close as it is.

We all have personality "quirks". You don't have to have PD or be on any particular medication. The drugs probably do cause personality modifications and wether they are "good" or "bad" or just "ugly" is pretty much a subjective call. The question to ask yourself is: Can I live with this? The orderly become the disorderly, the 'get things done quickly' guys become the dawdlers and the tight fisted become the give away the house kinda people. I used to be so organized and had to have everything just the way it should be all the time and drove people crazy, now I am marginally organized on a good day, could care less about the stuff accumulating in the back seat of my car and still drive people crazy. Only the people I drive crazy now are the ones who used to like the old me better and vice versa. As long as we fit into the wide spectrum of the "normal" range we are just part of society and it really doesn't make a whole hill of beans difference in the big picture. We should really just enjoy the experience of being broad spectrum people. If our OC behaviours become dangerous to anyone, or threaten to hurt peoples lives then we need to have someone haul us off for some help. But if not...hey enjoy the ride, smell the roses, enjoy life and learn whatever is to be learned from the experience. Sometimes we take the whole thing toooo seriously. Well that's what I think anyway. However I may not feel that way in the morning. We do spend a lot of time contemplating our navals ...isn't that OC behavior? Why don't we just comtemplate somebody elses naval for a change. Or would that make us just plain old kinky????? We can just blame it on the Mirapex. Time for some sleep. My cognitive processess are drifting into the twilight zone....

OK - good idea about other people's navels. I'll start with Brad Pitt's, then move onto Johnny Depp's. And who's that guy who stars in Prime with Uma Thurman? He would fit in nicely. Someone my age? Don't burst my bubble please its 4 am - I could be typing this sound asleep.

p

Are you on Mirapex?

nope, just a little requip - not even what they consider a therapeutic dose. This purpose driven life is a surprise to me and surely not what I expected, but I am not sad ......at least not yet.

paula

What ever happened to the word "passion"....we used to say we had a passion for things, now we are all O/C!!! It's the spin we put on things, and in our little o/c minds we begin to think we are going down the proverbial drain and fast too. On re-reading my post on smelling the flowers (which we of course cannot do because we have no sense of smell) I think I still agree with myself. I often think things at night when my brain is in another space that I re-think in the morning...then rush to the computer to remove it before I set someone's hair on fire with my comments, only to find that what I have said makes sense in the cold light of day. (why is it the "cold" light???..light and warmth go together). Yes this is a peculiar place we are all in. Make sure you keep notes. ....Love ya all for being there (whereever "there" is)
and keep those passions alive. Anyone care to look up a selection of quotes on the value of Passion?

We may spend time watching and laughing at Monk on TV, but in reality, can you imagine actually living that way...people in this world DO LIVE that way.

Pardon me for being too serious here (no smilies in this post). I am a justifiably sensitive to the issue.

While I don't totally disagree with this view of OCD, please don't take the issue to lightly.

Yes, maybe in this world we do put a peculiar spin on things, but OCD can be a devastating problem in ones life. And that is the kind I am dealing with, and working hard to rid myself of.

I started this thread to see if other PWPs have had minor OCD...since childhood...issues enhanced due to agonist such as Mirapex, which is directly associated with OCD...and has sadly spun off many lawsuits.


This UK website summarizes the issue well.

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
http://www.ocduk.org/1/ocd.htm

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related
condition that affects as many as three in a hundred people – from young children to older adults - regardless of gender and social or cultural background. Sufferers often go undiagnosed for many years, partly because of a lack of understanding of the condition, and partly because of the intense feelings of embarrassment, guilt and sometimes even shame associated with what is often called the ‘secret illness’.

To some degree OCD-type symptoms are probably experienced at one time or another by most people, especially in times of stress. However, the illness can have a totally devastating effect on work, social life and personal relationships. The World Health Organisation (WHO) even ranks OCD as the tenth most disabling illness of any kind, in terms of lost earnings and diminished quality of life.

There is more on the linked page

Related Disorders
http://www.ocduk.org/3/related.htm

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is thought to be one of the most common mental illness in the UK, with an estimated 2-3% of the population suffering from the condition.

Researchers also believe that OCD is closely related to a variety of other disorders which include Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Compulsive Skin Picking, Tourette Syndrome and Trichotillomania.

The common factor in all of these conditions is that they involve, to some degree, the presence of repetitive thoughts or behaviours.
All of these disorders often go unrecognised and undiagnosed by GPs because the symptoms mimic other disorders such as social phobia, agoraphobia, panic disorder and other secondary conditions from the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) range, all of which can sometimes lead to depression.

There are also a number of other disorders which often affect people with OCD. Although these conditions are not in the OCD?spectrum of disorders, they run alongside the OCD and are often a consequence of OCD. These include Depression, Emetophobia, Panic Attacks, Self-Harm.

In this section of the website we take a look at these related disorders, we have also provided basic information on other conditions, which although not part of the OCD spectrum we are often asked about.