A New Pill

For several years now I've had Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), but didn't know that it was actually a medical condition that's treatable. I just always figured it was poor circulation or something. It is annoying as hell and the only thing that seemed to help was to get up and move around...unfortunately that can be a little difficult to deal with when you're trying to sleep.

So, the doc prescribed Mirapex. It was actually developed for Parkinson's, but they discovered it also relieved RLS. I took my first one last night along with my normal regimen, which includes a pill to help me relax and sleep. All I have to say is that I don't have to take the sleeping pill anymore. I was dead to the world - and am still feeling groggy and drugged.

I went on the drug's website and actually laughed when I read some of the warnings. I discussed it all with my doc, but reading the actual warning just struck me as funny...

"MIRAPEX may cause you to fall asleep without any warning, even while doing normal daily activities, such as driving. When taking MIRAPEX, hallucinations may occur and sometimes you may feel dizzy, sweaty or nauseated upon standing up. The most common side effects in clinical trials for RLS were nausea, headache, and tiredness. You should talk with your doctor if you experience these problems.

Patients and caregivers should be informed that impulse control disorders/compulsive behaviors may occur while taking medicines, including pramipexole, to treat Parkinson's disease and RLS."

Fun, huh? Don't worry about the falling asleep without warning thing - that's why I take it at night. At least, I hope I don't have to worry about it during the day...that would suck - I like to drive too much...