Pramipexole and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• JDe...
• May 11, 2020

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been on Mirapex for 4 years. It is very effective but I am sleepy during the day. Started at 0.125 mg and I’m currently taking 0.25 to 0.5 mg per day. There is a tendency for me to build up a tolerance so every so often I have to go off the medication just so my body will reset to a lower dose. I have tried to go off this drug and it was horrible. I couldn’t do it. My recommendation is do not try this drug unless your RLS is severe."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2020

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I've suffered from RLS for 30 years and have tried almost everything to relieve it. My new doctor prescribed Mirapex, and it has been amazing. The only side effect has been a bit of daytime drowsiness, but I reduced the dosage a bit, and it's gotten better. And I'll take a short period of daytime drowsiness over the horrible RLS I was experiencing every night!"

• gla...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 29, 2012

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "Restless legs syndrome is a hard problem to deal with. Mirapex seems like a Godsend. But like most things, it comes with a cost. First was the dollar cost which over the last 6 years has gone up considerably. The next price you pay is from side effects. Falling asleep while talking to someone is embarrassing and dangerous. But I've found a wonderful fix. While at the doctor's, I had to use a doctor's assistant (who was playing on her cell phone while talking to me). She gave me a prescription for Mirapex that is time-released and you only take it at night just before bedtime. My energy level has increased 10x, and I don't fall asleep while dining out with my wife. Blessed by doctor's assistant and her playing on the cell phone actually was searching on the intranet for something to help with the problem."

• thi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2013

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I started getting Restless Legs Syndrome in 2010, it caught me off guard. I was taking Requip, and that worked for a while, but I found that I was getting leg shaking during the day. Since I sit at a computer all day, this was very annoying and would actually interfere with my job. So I started taking the Requip during the day to alleviate the shaking, that made me very tired. I went to a neurologist, and he changed my script to Mirapex. The first night was wonderful, the next full day, I was sleepy. He had put me on 0.5 tabs 3 times a day. I found that if I cut a tab into quarters, I could take 1/4 during the day with minimal sleepiness, and 1/2 tab at night when I wanted to sleep really well. So I ended up taking the pill just 2 times a day."

• Lis...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 3, 2019

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I've been on pramipexole now for about 2 1/2 years. At first, I thought thank God something is helping me get this miserable affliction under control while I sleep. However, as the months passed, I realized that I was having horrible side effects. Somnolence all day, aches and pains that weren't there before, insomnia, and the stomach pain is unbearable at times. It's taken me a while to pin this stuff on this drug, but I've had a lot of tests which all came back negative, so it must be the drug. It helps the RLS, yes, but the side effects are horrible, and I don't know what else to take. Either way, life is hard. Very sad. I've also lost a lot of hair to the point it's embarrassing. I'm on .25 mg a day. I've gained about 15 pounds too."

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2020

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Completely knocks out my RLS like a charm. My RLS had been getting worse due to my SSRI treatment, so my doctor prescribed pramipexole in a relatively small 0.125 mg dose when needed before bedtime. 'When needed' is a tough decision because, from what I’ve read, the drug could take up to 3 hours to kick in. But, for me, I have normally found relief in less than an hour. The problem is that I feel like a zombie the next day. Drowsy, cloudy head, sluggish for most of the day after taking it. I’ve started breaking the tablets in half to take down the dosage even more. It still works, but the side effects are still there. I’m currently searching for another path towards RLS relief with a different medication."

• Che...
• November 22, 2019

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been on pramipexole, generic for Mirapex, for about 15 years. The only side effect is a bit of drowsiness now and again. I am very pleased with how this medication works. Previous doctors have had me on drugs that would push my RLS even harder as the drug wore off. Now my new general practitioner wants me to try extra iron, magnesium, and zinc to see if that can replace taking this drug. Trying that, but I am happy to stay on Mirapex because it works for me!"

• ECa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 1, 2020

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I took pramipexole for 9 days. It made me drowsy, dizzy, and very hungry. And it didn't help my leg twitching. My doctor told me I could stop taking it, so I haven't for 3 days, and I'm still unusually hungry."

• Ric...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 10, 2022

Pramipexole for Parkinson's Disease "Diagnosed at age 48 with Parkinson’s, although I remember resting tremor began at 39. In the beginning, on pramipexole, I would feel faint when standing up, and I admit that was scary, but that went away quickly. I still feel drowsy, often with sleep attacks, despite being on it for 2 years. Having said that, it is worth it because the resting tremor and anhedonia are gone. I can enjoy life again to the fullest. What I liked the best was when I asked my neurologist about the ER version (0.75 mg). It’s so easy to only have to take 1 tablet a day, and I feel like I’m on a more even keel. I never had any compulsive behavior but found that I enjoy online shopping. Nothing devastating, of course. Thank goodness for pramipexole. Life is great!"

• Cli...
• February 21, 2021

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I tried a variety of non-drug options and herbal supplements, but my RLS continued to get worse. First prescription was Neurontin. After the third day, I was extremely groggy and almost unable to function. Dr. then put me on pramipexole at the lowest dose, and my RLS symptoms went away almost immediately. Over the years, I have had to increase my dosage. Eventually, it was upped to one 1 mg tablet at bedtime, which has been very effective until about 6 months ago. I've noticed that if I take the pill just one hour later than the night before, my legs start up. If I take it within 3 hours, it usually works quickly. But this month I've started having problems during the day, so it may be time for another dose adjustment. I also have irreversible peripheral neuropathy from taking thalidomide as part of a drug study 25 years ago, so not sure about that impact on my RLS (which started after the neuropathy). The only negative side effect is compulsive behavior around gambling."

• Pse...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 12, 2022

For Restless Legs Syndrome "My mother was prescribed pramipexole for RLS. They have pretty much destroyed her life. The side effects of these little poison pills are not worth it for RLS. My mother is only in her sixties, but since taking these, she seems more like she's in her nineties. She falls asleep all the time (during conversations, in between mouthfuls of food while eating, etc.). She can't hold her head up straight anymore (almost like a hunchback). She can't sit straight anymore (always leans to the side), has memory problems, and is often confused. Avoid these things like the plague."

• Tik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2020

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I was put on pramipexole a couple of months ago by the neurologist for RLS. I must say I'm not particularly impressed with it. Not only did it not make the RLS even moderately better, it seems to have actively made it much worse in my case. Aside from that, it seems to leave me feeling decidedly drowsy in the mornings. That being said, it has less unpleasant side effects than ropinirole."

• RLS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 30, 2014

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Restless Legs Syndrome in a nutshell: Find your trigger. After a lot of experimentation, I've found that a number of things contribute to my RLS: - fatigue - iron deficiency (possible other deficiencies) - anxiety - alcohol ... I'm sure there are more. In any case, I did try this medication, as sometimes I can't determine the cause. It was awful! It made me restless throughout the night. I completely dried up. Finally, when the medicine started to wear off, I could barely move around from extreme fatigue, as though I never slept. Sure, it'll make you drowsy, but don't expect a good night's rest. I've since found that fighting Restless Legs Syndrome is best by fighting the above triggers."

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2022

For Parkinson's Disease "As for the tremors, pramipexole stopped them almost immediately. However, I had side effects that made taking this impossible. The sleepiness I could handle. But the brain fog. I could be in the middle of a conversation and totally forget the words or what the conversation was about, or that there was someone else in the room. After a couple of days, the nausea was so bad I barely left the bathroom."

• Ale...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 27, 2021

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I had RLS in my late teens, for many years, I would move my legs while in bed, but it did not seem to affect my ability to fall asleep until years later. Then I heard about Requip treatment for RLS, and it seemed to address this condition that doctors failed to diagnose for many past years. I started out with the Requip starter kit, I don't recall what the maximum mg was. But I had gastro issues with this medication, and my doctor prescribed Pramipexole (Mirapex) 2 mg before retiring. The medication seems to be very effective in controlling RLS symptoms but does come with some unwanted side effects-not compulsive gambling as some claim, but other issues that could be a result of taking this medication. Daytime drowsiness is common, I can't imagine how those who have Parkinson's disease stay awake as this medication is prescribed at much higher dosages."

• Anonymous
• December 16, 2008

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been on this medication for only 3 days now. I am in shock to see such a change so quickly. I was a bit skeptical that it would be a 'cure-all,' but it is. I have no hip or shoulder pain anymore, and I am getting out of bed every morning feeling great, as opposed to feeling like I was hit by a truck. I did have a bit of a groggy morning after the 1st dose. I have been fine ever since. I realized while taking this medication that my entire body feels so much 'looser' than before. I am so happy I found a doctor who took an interest in my symptoms and finally diagnosed my PLMS and RLS."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2018

Pramipexole for Parkinson's Disease "I tried it for one day, and the side effects made me bedridden for almost 2 days. I felt so nauseous and extremely drowsy. Had a headache and then felt weak. I can't take this again."