Pramipexole

Pramipexole is also known as Mirapex and Mirapexin. It can be used to aid in both Parkinson’s disease (stiffness, tremors, muscle spasms, and poor muscle control) and restless leg syndrome. Normally the basal ganglia are affected. This has a very high amount of dopamine releasing nerve cells. This then, in turn, activates several dopamine receptors. In Parkinson’s disease, the neurons deteriorate and cause the receptors to no longer properly receive dopamine signals. This then causes the basal ganglia to no longer have the ability to regulate body movement efficiently and causes motor functions to suffer.

One long term effect of pramipexole is an overall feeling of tiredness. Also patients that are put on Mirapex as a medication can be put at risk for getting orthostatic hypotension. This is where a person’s blood pressure suddenly drops very low when they stand up. This can cause a person to have a sense of dizziness and feel lightheaded. Mirapex can also cause a person to experience hallucinations.

Pramipexole is an agonist for dopamine receptors in the brain. It directly stimulates the dopamine receptors that are underfunctioning because of Parkinson’s disease. This then, in turn, helps to restore the dopamine signals needed to the proper level and help the basal ganglia to again function properly.

If the symptoms of Mirapex become too much the patient should slowly get off the drug. It is highly discouraged that the patient stops taking it cold turkey. They are encouraged to take less and less of the drug a little at a time. If the drug is misused, it is recommended cutting back on the dosage. Most likely with misusage, the person is going to experience extreme sleepiness, especially if Mirapex is being taking with other medicine for colds and narcotic pain medicines. Again they should slowly work their way off the drug a little at a time, and hopefully they should return back to normal.

http://www.rxlist.com/mirapex-drug.htm
http://www.drugs.com/mtm/pramipexole.html
http://www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands_split.jsp?pg=/ppdocs/us/common/dorlands/dorland/nine/100012758.htm