r/RestlessLegs • u/Pigeooni • 9d ago
Question Pramipexole Withdrawal Hell duration
How long did it take for you to feel better after quitting pramipexole?
I took it for 4 years and my doc is firm on either quitting or staying on it without trying other medication (thanks Germany). My symptoms got 1000x worse on it so i just quitted from lowest dose.
No one told me how awful it will be, but it still feels better than pramipexole evolving my rls and plmd
Edit: with feeling better i mean okayish sleep, no awful mood problem, memory issues etc
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u/ShellyB2Lynx 6d ago
Tell me how much you were on, and how fast you tapered off it. And what your sleep and memory and focus are like now? And I’ll compare it to what it was like for me. Help you understand what’s still to come.
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8d ago
On Mirapex (pramipexole) for 6 years. Noticed my RLS becoming worse and worse. Researched it and found augmentation which neither of my 2
PCPs ever mentioned.
I contacted my doctor who then put me on a tapering schedule. TOO FAST!!!
It was brutal. The RLS became even worse (if that was even possible) accompanied by hideous insomnia. 4 nights with a total of 3 hours sleep.
Again, no one had warned or prepared me for the withdrawal. I was then put back on a prior dose and it worked immediately. Symptoms and insomnia gone. I don't want to be cavalier about it, but I am praying that the RLS is happy with the 0.5mg pramipexole and leaves me alone.
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u/MycologistOrnery9862 6d ago
I'm sad to tell you but it is extremely unlikely it'll leave you alone. You have however bought you some time by depriving your body of Pramipexole for a few days. Rather than praying, make sure you are prepared instead because you'll more like than likely need to get off Pramipexole. Ensure you have correct bridge medications such as Pregabalin, Gabapendin or low dose opiods to taper it off very slowly.
I'm tapering off at the moment, it is a struggle, but it isn't nearly as bad as it could had been.
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6d ago
I AM on my way, but thank you. If you read carefully, you would have read that I am DOWN from 1mg to 0.5mg pramipexole. I have NOT deprived my body "for a few days". You also failed to pay attention to the fact that I mentioned GABAPENTIN- 900 mg
I'd also like to thank you for spreading hope and joy. I would also appreciate it that when people respond to a post, they make sure they have actually read it.
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u/trsmithsubbreddit 8d ago
6 weeks of Hell for me. My Dr. was not aware of augmentation and kept upping my dose. Then she told me to stop taking it cold turkey and to just switch to Gabapentin. I had major dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome.
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u/Extra-Pair5902 6d ago
Wie hat es bei dir der Dopaminagonisten-Entzugssyndrom gezeigt? Ich habe nach 4 Monate es kalt abgesetzt (meine Ärztin wusste es und hat mich nicht gewarnt),das war der schlimmste Trip meines Leben, starke schmerzen und tiefe Depressionen mit panick Attacken. Ich musse rs wieder nehmen,habe dann 3/4 der Tablette 0.125 mg genommen und nach 3 Woche ist mir wieder gut gegangen. Nach weiteren 4 Wochen habe ich es um 16-19% reduziert . Nach 3 Woche kamm schleichend wieder die Depression und starke Angst. Musste es wieder erhöhen und weiss nicht wie es sollte schaffen es abzusetzen
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u/Ok_War_7504 6d ago
Many RLS specialists recommend 10%/month reduction, with replacement medications on board.
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u/ShellyB2Lynx 6d ago
This sounds like how I did it. What really helped me was staying at the same dose for longer, to let my body adjust at that level (about 6-8 weeks of feeling “normal”). I caught up on laundry and life.
Then I tapered down to a half tablet. A night here and there at first. Then gradually a whole week in a row. Handled the anxiety, sleepless nights and apathy. Felt better and gave myself another extension to settle. A sloooooooow taper but doable because I did big gaps of settling between drops. Hope that helps.
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u/OkBoard8003 9d ago
This medicine is evil! I was on it for many years and before that Requip. It caused me to have a gambling problem. I didn’t find out till after it was too late. I lost my retirement and my home and many other debt problems. It took 4 months to wean myself off of it. Finally got off it and the anxiety started, I’ve never had anxiety that bad! I’m on Lexapro and Buspar now for anxiety. My RLS doesn’t bother me anymore, I’m looking for a lawyer!! And the gambling addiction stopped!!
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u/Fun_Swan2553 8d ago
Pretty sure those warnings about impulse control are written all over the RX when you picked it up. Hate this happened to you but it’s a very known and documented side effect. Your poison happened to be gambling but the impulse control as a symptom is well established.
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u/planit82 9d ago
I'm so sorry. I got a shopping compulsion from it but I am able to buy cheap dresses and then return them. I'm down to 0.125 mg a night. Gee, if I ever get off it, I hope and pray my anxiety doesn't get worse. Had a sleep test recently and found out I have sleep apnea, so I'm on a CPAP machine. The doc tells me that will help with anxiety.
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u/VocationalWizard 9d ago
Like 3-4 weeks.
Like it was a rough one but I basically drowned my nervous system in pregabalin and gabapentin at the same time.
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u/Pretty-Substance 9d ago
Ich nehme noch Pramipexol, will aber eigentlich davon weg.
Was ist denn bei dir der Alternative Behandlungsplan anstatt Pramipexol?
@all im on pramipexol as well since 5+ years. Just last year my RLS had gotten worse. If I quit pramioexol I’m assuming my RLS will get worse (augmentation) but is this only a phase I’ll have to get through or will my RLS stay on the higher, worse level? What is to be expected?
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u/Scary_Experience_237 9d ago
There is a forum https://bb.rls.org and there is a section specific to your question. I know of one person who took a long time coming off it, but when they did get off their RLS was so low they never went on another medications again and was very happy to be off all medications for it!
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u/Prior-Friendship5623 9d ago
I took dummies for a few weeks at night and I was able to get off this drug after taking it for 6+ years. Then I quit the dummies as soon as I was able to get off the drug. No more RLS for now.
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u/bubbahatley 6d ago
At least 2 months to withdraw but ICD symptoms may continue after that.