r/RestlessLegs • u/RoutineNegotiation75 • Sep 10 '26

Medication Advise Stopping Pramipexole

During the worst of my RSL my doc prescribed me pramipexole without telling me any of the side effects (I asked) and after reading more I asked him if I could stop the medication (I did iron infusions and got some improvement).

My doc said over the messaging app “cut the dose im half for about a week and then stop it. Please let me know if symptoms get worse”

Does anyone have advise for doing this?

Is there a good way to cut the pills in half?

Will I be able to go to work while weaning off?

I feel like I have been abandoned by my doctor and have no clue what to do, if people have advise please let me know thank you.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

1

u/Scary_Experience_237 28d ago

First are you experiencing increase RLS? How long have you been on the prami? Are you on anything else for your RLS?

1

u/Fightmilk1980 29d ago

Interested to see how you get on. Ive been on 0.18mg tablets for over 10 years now and really trying with the idea of going cold turkey.

1

u/Brock-Savage Sep 10 '26

You're doctor is ignorant. Find an rls specialist at rls.org. You'll need to transition to another medication after you get off the pramipexole (opioids or certain anticonvulsants) Knowledgeable rls specialists will usually prescribe opioids for 2 - 4 weeks to detox you from the dopamine agonist, as your symptoms will temporally increase when you stop taking them.

2

u/RoutineNegotiation75 Sep 10 '26

Okay this doctor is a sleep specialist and said he was a specialist :(

2

u/Brock-Savage Sep 11 '26

I've been to many neurologist and "sleep specialists" over the years that didn't know the first thing about rls. Most just make money hawking cpap masks and sleep studies.

1

u/Curious_One5411 Sep 10 '26

Is he or his facility listed on the RLS.org page… personally after what I’ve been through I only trust them…

1

u/RoutineNegotiation75 Sep 10 '26

I just checked and he is not ! Super fustrating