[SarahBain]

I have tried Mirapex and didnt get anywhere near the 'target' dose before I couldnt stand the side effects anymore (esp. nausea) and am finding that even lowering the dose is causing side effects I didnt notice on the way up.
I'd appreciate input from neurotalk about this drug, as the members here seem more, shall we say, sophisticated than on some other forums.
thx, SB

[Nan Cyclist]

It sounds like it's time for you to get off Mirapex. I went from that to Requip XL and was able to stay on Requip XL for several years and now I'm using the Neupro patch. With Mirapex I had nausea, exhaustion, hallucinations, panic attack, and I could go on and on but you get the picture.

[lurkingforacure]

I've posted several times here about our attempts to get off Mirapex, you can do a search for them if interested. I would just add that if you are early into Mirapex and it's not a miracle drug for you, get off before it's too late and too hard. We had side effects early on but were never given the option to get off, it was sort of presented like "this is just how it is, to get any benefit you have to put up with some side effects..." Now I think to get off, we'd have to be admitted to the hospital and even then, it will be hellish. In all my research about getting off Mirapex, I've only read of three people who were able to quit Mirapex, and one of those went into the hospital and did it under a doctor's supervision! the comment was made that it's harder to get off of than heroin...I can't verify that (thankfully) but will say it's been so hard for us that we have failed every time we've tried. Be careful, this is a tough drug to mess with.

[SarahBain]

Egad! Thanks so much for your comments, I will do a search for past posting on this drug as soon as I know how to use this site effectively - I havent done the newbie 'tour' yet.

[SarahBain]

Thanks Nan, I willl do a search for postings on Requip and Neupro too. I have read that there is no incentive for drug companies to do comparative studies to see how agonist drugs stack up against each other - and I guess the University and/or government labs dont have the funds to do it either.

[Jim091866]

I was on Mirapex for about 2 months, quit cold turkey when I could not stand the side effects, I was staying up for 2-3 days at a time! I'm talking as in not sleeping a wink! I had all kinds of compulsive behavior, I was oversexual, had sleep attacks-in fact fell asleep at a traffic light!
Wouldn't take it if you paid me!

[soccertese]

they do test new agonists againt old ones and carbidopa/levodopa.
some people do just fine on mirapex and requip , but some people can't tolerate either. i think the side affects are clearly stated on the package insert.

i know a few who do very well on requip and mirapex, one person i know on 4.5mg of mirapex is in incredible shape, she went to a 90 minute spinning class on thanksgiving day and prepared dinner for 19 people. most pd'ers i know who are doing ok on their drug regime don't read this board. not knocking it, just saying you can't take everything as gospel.

but some people can't tolerate either. i think the side affects are clearly stated on the package insert.

you have to remember that many people doing ok with their drug regimes don't read these boards.

i always suggest someone get THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE TREATMENT BOOK by AHLSKOG or another general book on pd and learn about the drug treatment strategies.

trying azilect or an agonist first still seems the conventional thinking, figuring out the best pd meds is an art more than a science, everyone is different.

i'd trust your neuro, if you don't then get a second opinion.

there is the PATIENTSLIKEME website which tabulates pd'ers opinion about different drugs.

[soccertese]

Originally Posted by lurkingforacure

I've posted several times here about our attempts to get off Mirapex, you can do a search for them if interested. I would just add that if you are early into Mirapex and it's not a miracle drug for you, get off before it's too late and too hard. We had side effects early on but were never given the option to get off, it was sort of presented like "this is just how it is, to get any benefit you have to put up with some side effects..." Now I think to get off, we'd have to be admitted to the hospital and even then, it will be hellish. In all my research about getting off Mirapex, I've only read of three people who were able to quit Mirapex, and one of those went into the hospital and did it under a doctor's supervision! the comment was made that it's harder to get off of than heroin...I can't verify that (thankfully) but will say it's been so hard for us that we have failed every time we've tried. Be careful, this is a tough drug to mess with.

lurking, just curious, when you stop mirapex, do you increase the l-dopa? is it just the pd symptoms breaking thru?
you can't seriously believe only 3 people have successfully stopped mirapex? i've read studies testing how long it takes to switch from requip or mirapex to neupro and many people have been able to do that. i admit that is different from going cold turkey.

[lurkingforacure]

Originally Posted by soccertese

lurking, just curious, when you stop mirapex, do you increase the l-dopa? is it just the pd symptoms breaking thru?
you can't seriously believe only 3 people have successfully stopped mirapex? i've read studies testing how long it takes to switch from requip or mirapex to neupro and many people have been able to do that. i admit that is different from going cold turkey.

ST, we've tried both ways, both upping the sinemet and keeping it constant while we tried to taper off mirapex. the problem, I think, is that Mirapex helps with some symptoms that sinemet doesn't, and sinemet helps with symptoms Mirapex doesn't. Mirapex has a longer half-life, which also makes it hard to juggle quitting.


I have only read of 3 people who were able to quit: granted, there may be scores more who have been able to get off, but never posted about their experience anywhere that I found. Also, all of the posts I've ever seen about trying to quit Mirapex describe it as a very difficult and painful experience: none of that easy tapering off, adjusting to a new lever, and tapering down again as with most drugs. The most recent success story described a year-long tapering off process, literally going down .25 every week or two (or so....), and it did not sound like it was painless.

I'd love to switch to neupro patch, but our neuro isn't too keen, and I don't know why. As more people take it, I will be curious to see how it performs over a broader range of PWP and then maybe he will be more inclined to consider it.

[Nan Cyclist]

Hmmm. I just went seamlessly from Mirapex to Requip XL.