Pramipexole
Pramipexole is used alone or with other medications to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD; a disorder of the nervous system that causes difficulties with movement, muscle control, and balance), including shaking of parts of the body, stiffness, slowed movements, and problems with balance. Pramipexole is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS; a condition that causes discomfort in the legs and a strong urge to move the legs, especially at night and when sitting or lying down). Pramipexole is in a class of medications called dopamine agonists. It works by acting in place of dopamine, a natural substance in the brain that is needed to control movement.
🔔 How should this medicine be used?
Pramipexole comes as a tablet and an extended-release (long-acting) tablet to take by mouth. When pramiprexole is used to treat Parkinson’s disease, the regular tablet is usually taken three times a day and the extended-release tablet is usually taken once daily. When pramiprexole is used to treat restless legs syndrome, the regular tablet is usually taken once a day, 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Pramipexole extended-release tablets are not used to treat restless legs syndrome. Pramipexole may be taken with or without food, but taking pramipexole with food may help to prevent nausea that may be caused by the medication. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take pramipexole exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Swallow the extended-release tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them.
Your doctor will start you on a low dose of pramipexole and gradually increase your dose. Your doctor will probably not increase your dose more often than once every 4 to 7 days. It may take several weeks before you reach a dose that works for you.
If you are taking pramipexole to treat restless legs syndrome, you should know that as your treatment continues, your symptoms may worsen, may begin earlier in the evening or afternoon, or may occur in the early morning. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or if they begin to occur at different times than in the past.
Pramipexole controls the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome but does not cure these conditions. Continue to take pramipexole even if you feel well. Do not stop taking pramipexole without talking to your doctor. If you are taking pramipexole to treat Parkinson’s disease and you suddenly stop taking the medication, you may experience, fever, confusion, muscle stiffness, a lack of interest or concern for usual activities or things you usually care about, anxiety, depression, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, sweating, or pain. If you are taking pramipexole to treat restless legs syndrome and you suddenly stop taking the medication, your symptoms may become worse than they were before you started taking this medication. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.
Patients, too, are unhappy with the care they receive during those brief interactions with their doctors. Healthcare communications company West Corporation reported that 25% of patients don’t feel that their provider cares about them as an individual and nearly 20% aren’t convinced their doctor is focused on improving their health – even though 93% of doctors strongly agree that patient satisfaction is important.
If you stop taking pramipexole for any reason, do not start to take the medication again without talking to your doctor. Your doctor will probably want to increase your dose again gradually.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.
