Pramipexole and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Nig...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 25, 2016

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "At first was a godsend. 20 years later, whole-body dystonia, haven't slept in 5 nights. I thought this was the best, and now I believe it will kill me. Not being dramatic. I am getting old, and my body is giving out trying to handle getting off this drug. I worked in the addiction industry and never saw this much suffering and pain."

• cab...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 20, 2019

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking Pramipexole for about 7 years and find I am increasing the dosage to get the desired result more and more. Some days I take 2 mg but split the pills and take some in the AM and some PM. The side effects are getting much worse with the increased dose, and I can feel my body needing the pill my wife calls the crazy pill! My RLS is so bad it even comes during the day, mostly while driving. The worst thing I hate is the intense urge to fall asleep while driving and the insomnia at night. I sleep four hours per night, and that is poor quality sleep. I tried all the other drugs for RLS, and none worked, so I feel doomed to take this poison till I die. Seems they can put a man on the moon and take the heart out of one person and put it in another but can't stop RLS, and that irritates me greatly! I would not suggest anyone take this med unless it is the last resort! I feel for every one of you with RLS, for I have had cancer three times and feel the RLS is worse!"

• sum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2013

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "It takes care of the Restless Legs Syndrome symptoms but also seems to give me insomnia, which kind of defeats the purpose. I can initially go to sleep and get 3-4 hours but then I'm suddenly wide awake. Requip worked for a while but you have to increase dosage fairly quickly and that causes some bad side effects. I may have to try a 3rd option."

• Bea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2017

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had RLS for years. I dealt with it for a long while until it started doing it during the day and started creeping into my arms. Got put on Mirapex to attempt to control it. It was the most awful thing I've ever taken. Lost huge chunks of memory, couldn't keep up with conversations, hallucinations, and major insomnia. I couldn't sleep before, but to be given a 'wonder drug' and have it exacerbate the situation was beyond bearable. No thanks."

• 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."

• xan...
• August 30, 2013

Pramipexole for Parkinson's Disease "I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. I was started on Mirapex. After 3 weeks of therapy, I had to stop due to severe side effects: auditive hallucinations, nausea, peripheral edema, muscle pain, vivid dreams, and the worst, difficulty sleeping, having the need to get up and move constantly. I'm sure that this is a very good medication, but I couldn't tolerate the side effects."

• Anonymous
• February 29, 2012

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "This somewhat reduced my restless legs syndrome (which occurs every other day and is enough to keep me up at night and be bothersome); however, this gave me insomnia, specifically causing me trouble falling asleep, and once I was finally able to fall asleep, I would wake up once every two hours or so."

• Fra...
• December 29, 2012

Pramipexole for Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "I had terrible side effects on this medicine. I was overactive and couldn't stop making things, knitting, etc., all through the night. I couldn't sleep, and my balance was off. I fell in the shower and hurt my neck. This was a terrible time for me."

• DCM...
• February 13, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I wanted to cut my legs off. I was willing to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life versus living with the agony from RLS, which at the time felt like I was telling my doctor a fib. When Mirapex came to Canada, I went straight to him and said, put me on this NOW. I would go weeks without any half-decent sleep, if any at all. Now, if I don't take my 3.50 mg a day, I know it. BUT I also just (today) got out of the hospital from the psych ward, third time. Each time has gotten worse. Suicide, uncontrollable actions, grandiose ideas, lack of sleep, and not from RLS, heart palpitations, eyesight blurry, confusion, short memory, forgetfulness... and of course, compulsive gambling/shopping! SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO WORK! now..."

• ste...
• September 17, 2010

Pramipexole for Restless Legs Syndrome "Military doctors originally put me on Klonopin for my restless leg syndrome. The medication was a total godsend! My only noticeable side effect was dizziness if I stood up too fast. Once we retired from the Army, however, new doctor, new medicines. I got stuck with a neurologist with a 'complex,' who told me I could take Mirapex and have nerve damage testing, or I could just have the nerve testing and go without. Great. So I took the Mirapex. Over about six weeks, I've gained weight (not normal for me), forgotten LARGE amounts of things. I sleep LOUSY and still have the 'twitches.' The doctor finally listened and put me back on Klonopin but didn't warn me about switching from one to the other. I've now been awake for over 24 hours, only catnapping in 15-minute increments."

• Dua...
• May 11, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I take pramipexole for RLS caused by Parkinson's disease. It does work very well for the RLS, however, I did have some issues. While on the drug, I had purchasing problems instead of gambling problems. I think it's affecting a region in my brain that makes it difficult to say 'No' to issues like gambling and shopping. I knew what it was when my doctor asked me, 'Are you having problems with shopping and spending money?'. That's when I made the connection. My doctor is switching me off of pramipexole to sertraline, which is a drug for Parkinson's. While stepping down from pramipexole, I ran into sleep problems. I did not fall asleep for about 5 days! Wide awake! 5 days! I'm not going to use pramipexole. Bad drug."

• oll...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 2, 2025

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have suffered from Restless Leg Syndrome since the age of 14, now I am 65. Mine has always been accompanied by fibromyalgia in my legs, which in addition to RLS would ache deeply to the bone. I was put on amitriptyline for over 30 years, which helped at the beginning but quickly stopped working. I suffered greatly, and life was hell. A year ago, I asked my doctor for gabapentin, but she put me on pramipexole instead. At the first dose, I got so sick to my stomach and dizzy that I stopped taking it. I continued to suffer, so I tried taking it again. The first few days were rough with the nausea and dizziness, but I kept taking it until those side effects stopped, and for the first time in 51 years, my legs were calm!! It was truly a miracle. Side effects now are just constipation and sleep disturbance from having to urinate often, but it's worth it. My dose had to be increased to 1 mg, but it's still doing its job. This drug has saved my life."

• sic...
• February 11, 2021

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking Sifrol for 4 months for RLS caused by another med I'm on. It certainly worked. I've just weaned off it after speaking to a pharmacist (don't they often know way more than doctors, by the way?) who said I could try magnesium tablets/day for RLS, as he had many patients who had success with this. Thinking it would not work, I tried it, and to my amazement, it worked the very first night. I realize everyone is different, and it may or may not work for you. I'm experiencing severe withdrawals from Sifrol, the most disturbing is insomnia. I'm getting about 2 hours of sleep a night. Also foggy-headed, angry, and dizzy, headaches. For goodness' sake, GPs please, please, please don't just stick us on meds when you haven't done your research on less harmful things that may help. Yes, I'm angry... but grateful to have found that pharmacist. Once these withdrawals are over, I'll be even more grateful."

• Red...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 17, 2018

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I've been on Mirapex for over 10 years. For the most part, it's been the only thing that has helped. Being a recovering addict and understanding addiction, it is hard to believe that this drug causes gambling problems and other compulsive behavior, but I can only speak for me. Those issues were there before the Mirapex. As I'm now getting older, it has not helped as much as it did 10+ years ago. I also have insomnia, and nothing seems to help that. I have other ways to deal with what may or may not be side effects, but the RLS and the insomnia need medicine. I guess, like a lot of other things in life, it's trial and error. Whatever works for you."

• Ear...
• August 30, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "On Mirapex for years. Worked to perfection. Switched by pharmacy to paracetamol 3 months ago (which is how long it takes for Mirapex to completely get out of the body). Lo and behold, once again the restlessness rears its ugly head. No sleep for two nights! Not all generics work. More investigation is needed."

• Jea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2020

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Pramipexole keeps me awake."