Makers of Mirapex 'Correction of Drug Information about Mirapex" (12/08)

“Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI), the company that makes the drug MIRAPEX would like to tell you about an important Warning Letter that was sent by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 29, 2008. In the Warning Letter, FDA told BIPI that two consumer-directed pharmacy printouts were misleading about how safe MIRAPEX is to use. You may have received a copy of these printouts. The print ad provides important safety information that FDA stated was left out of these printouts.


“There have been reports of impulse control disorders and compulsive behaviors in patient taking certain medicines including MIRAPEX. When taking MIRAPEX, if you or your family notice that you are experiencing new or increased gambling urges…”

http://www.ladieshomejournal-digital.com/ladieshomejournal/200905/?u1=coverleaf&pg=65

Mirapex on HowStuffWorks.com -'10 Weirdest Side Effects'

Mirapex was listed 3x's out of the 10.


Weird Side Effect 10: Amnesia   "This is the case for some users of Mirapex (generic name pramipexole)."

Weird Side Effect 6: Hallucinations   "Mirapex, along with its many other potential side effects, can also cause hallucinations."

Weird Side Effect 3: Compulsive Behavior  "Many patients taking Mirapex started noticing behavioral problems that they'd never experienced before."

http://health.howstuffworks.com/health-illness/treatment/medicine/medications/10-weird-prescription-drug-side-effect8.htm

FDA warning letter to makers of Mirpex to change misleading information (9/08)

The letter is dated 9/28/08. I started taking Mirapex 8/08.

Directly quoted from the letter:

"The two consumer-directed printouts (MRLS47260 and MRLS47262) are misleading because they present efficacy claims for Mirapex but fail, respectively, to either communicate any risk information for Mirapex (MRLS47260) or to communicate the important risks associated with the use of Mirapex (MRLS47262)."

http://www.mirapexvictims.com/FDA092008.pdf

The time between Belinda (2/09), completely stopping MIRAPEX (5/09) and today (9/09)

I can't say for sure how long after COMPLETELY discontinuing MIRAPEX in 5/09 it took for the overwhelmingly intense feelings to gamble to go away. Maybe a week, or two, or more. I don't remember. However I can say it didn't completely 'just go away' nor did I return to normal like I'd hoped.

Today I'm MIRAPEX free (or at least assume I am). Today I somewhat have my own mind back (or at least assume I do). But today I'm now fighting an ongoing gambling addiction. It seems like for most people in the MIRAPEX stories I've read that soon after they stopped taking MIRAPEX or lowered the dose their compulsion/obsession’s were simply gone. They were cured of their addictions and/or craziness. For me it was just the extreme intensity of the compulsion that was no longer there but a very strong desire to gamble remained.

Who I was before taking MIRAPEX?

Who I was while on MIRAPEX?

Before MIRAPEX there was little, if any real interest in the casino. Years previously I’d occasionally go to the casino for dinner or occasionally quickly stop in (when passing by on my way to work a weekend job 2000-2003) and throw a few dollars in a slot machine. When I say a few dollars I’m talking literally dollar bills. At the most, very most I spent on slots was 20.00. And if I ever did spend 20.00 - that was a HUGE amount for me to part with. While on MIRAPEX the compulsion to go to the casino was irrational and completely out of control. Getting to the casino (going out of my way to get there) and playing the slot machines was all I could think about. And it wasn't just a few dollars, or a quick stop in but it was literally feeding 5.00 bills, 10.00 bills, 20.00 dollar bills, 50.00 bills, 100.00 dollar bills into the slots and HOURS later.

Before MIRAPEX after I wasn't taking the drive to get to work passing the casino on the way, the casino seemed so far away (about 30 mns) and not a drive interesting me in the least especially to just go to the casino to gamble. It wasn't even a thought ONCE that I entertained. Dinner yes, but to gamble?? No way. While on MIRAPEX my heart would just be beating with excitement during the drive to the casino. I remember in the early days under its complete influence asking my youngest son in my crazed mania if his heart was just a beating too. I couldn't get there fast enough. Going to the casino soon became just a hop, skip and a jump even at those times when I was an hour+ away.

While on MIRAPEX as soon as I parked my car I would just book-it’ into the casino and sit right down and then proceed to sit and sit there for hours. In one instance on New Years Eve 09' I spent 23 hours sitting in front of one slot machine – ok two slot machines as I moved over to the next one at some point. On this particular ‘stop in for a few minutes’ after the 1st five hours there I wouldn't answer my phone anymore when the boyfriend tried to calling me - I was suppose be meeting him that evening. While he was worried sick - I ended up with a bladder infection. Before MIRAPEX if I would have started behaving in that manner I would have questioned my sanity the very first time, and can almost bet it would have been my last time too. Infact shortly before I started going to the casino, the time in between initially starting MIRAPEX and my first casino trip, I was lecturing my two youngest sons (18 & 20) about their going to the casino..."Its really not a place you want to hang out at sons, (in an area now believed to be somewhat unsafe and that they weren't raised that way)…and watch it so it doesn’t get out of hand.” I believe my youngest son feels a little guilty today as it was him who brought me to the casino the first time.

It wasn't me, it was the influence of a drug. I can now clearly see that.

And who am I today?

My thoughts since MIRAPEX has not all been about 'going to the casino' - (well kinda) but more recently its "How/when is this nightmare finally going to stop?" Today my heart doesn't so rapidly beat on the way to the casino but now beats ever rapidly when I leave - on the drive home - knowing how much money I just blew AGAIN, knowing that a week before, a month before, if I would have just stopped the further this part of my life would have been from me. Today when I park my car at the casino I'm not running in but take a few minutes to tell myself ..."Make this quick, if you can't - this has to be the last time..." Today I feel shame, not excitement.

But regardless of it all, in order for me to get past this and move on I need to accept responsibility for my actions TODAY and admit I now have a serious gambling problem. The bottom line is despite who or what caused it - the fact remains its here and hasn't just 'gone away.' I can choose to blame MIRAPEX and use it as a rationale why I'm still gambling but that isn't going to solve my problem even if there is some truth in it.

"Hi, my name is 'mirapexvictim' and I'm a gambling addict."

Today it isn't being under the influence of a drug, its me. I can now clearly see that – not really but it just sounds good and kinda flows with what I wrote above. Today is not who I was before MIRAPEX and today is not who I want to be.

How it all began to end with Mirapex (2/09)

Thank god for Belinda. God bless this woman - such a wealth of information on health, vitamins, skin care, RLS - she just knows it all. This woman is completely awesome. I connected up with her a few years ago when my middle son was getting married. I was all stressed out before the wedding and set-up an appointment for a massage. Believe I went to Belinda for 4 sessions during that time. Just loved her...she is the one that got me started on taking Fish Oil supplements...Just yesterday someone at work asked me why I take fish oil and for the life of me couldn't remember WHY I started only know HOW I started - Belinda.


I also don't know why I set-up another series of sessions with her in February of this year. I'm sure it was because of stress again (was DEEP into my gambling)...Whatever it was that got me there again was a total blessing. I know Belinda and her wealth of knowledge saved me from something that was well on the way of eventually absolutely destroying me.


How the subject of RLS came up between the two of us I don't recall...What I do recall is talking about my RLS and how this med "Mirapex" I was taking was great. She jokingly said..."So did you become a sex addict, a gambler, or a compulsive shopper?!?!" I was just in shock....



"What  -    did   -   you    -  just    -  say????"


She proceeded to tell me that, "Yeah, its some of the possible side effects - haven't you seen the commercials for it?" I watch very little TV.


It all immediately made sense in that very moment - there was no contemplating about whether there was a connection to my gambling and the drug. IT WAS THE CONNECTION. Before hearing this I had thought - don't know what I thought as I didn't understand WHY I kept going to the casino, WHY I couldn't stop, WHY I was so obsessed with it, WHY I was letting something like going to the casino destroy me when all through the years I fought so hard to get to the point in my life where I was. I thought it was just me. I thought maybe because I was always SO responsible during the years I was raising my sons that since the youngest had just turned 19…I thought it was just maybe a mid life crisis.


I left Belinda that day with a new set of orders for my RLS ..."Order 'Calm' off the Internet - cheaper than the health food stores" and to use lavender oil on my legs, "get some calcium tabs, eat a banana before bed with a glass of milk..." When I went to give her a tip she looked at me with sympathy and gestured to keep it. I told her - "No take it - I'll just be putting it into a slot machine." I went straight to the health food store (wasn't going to wait for it), purchased calcium tabs…then it was off to the casino.


The next day…while doing a search on the Internet… low and behold I wasn't the only one effected by this drug...I wasn't the only one who was a "gambling Mirapex victim." Found out the side effect was serious enough there were law suits going on about it. Later to find out that the lawsuits going on had to do with the fact THIS side effect was kept hidden from the consumers. I flushed the 14 pills down the toilet I had just picked up - remember looking at the bottle thinking "this is why??" I called my doctors office - left message with his assistant to tell him what happened to me. Excitedly told my boyfriend, my family, my friends..."Can you believe that it was a prescribed drug I've been taking that caused me this insanity?!"



I thought my nightmare was finally over.

How it all started with Mirapex (8/08)

I've suffered from Restless Leg Syndrome http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/restless-legs-syndrome/DS00191 for as long as I can remember. My mother also has been a suffer, and just recently found out my youngest son is starting with the symptoms. For years I just dealt with and accepted it as part of who I am -  not knowing it had a name, not knowing it was a medical condition.

My mother mentioned early in 08' she started taking a med that worked incredible for her RLS.  Believe she is on Requip. Previous to this her doctor prescribed her Vicodin which didn't always work. I initially gave Requip a try but it only lasted a week or two as it made me feel very lethegic the next day.  In June  08' on a plane trip out to Seattle Washington it become my final straw with dealing with my RLS. I went just about nuts on the plane - I was in the middle seat of three - kept having to get up and walk the aisle while apologizing to the poor gentlemen sitting next to me. I was finally sick of  dealing with my RLS... I thought maybe I could give Vicodin a try.


In August 08' during my yearly physcially I told  my doctor about my frustrations and the symptoms (which were on the severe side) and he wrote out the script for Mirapex (just shook his head at my Vicodin thoughts.) We talked about how I tend to react sensitively to meds (Requip being one of them) and that I'd start out on half of the recommended starting dose and work my way up and see how it goes. I even asked the pharmacist if cutting the med in half would be ok (which I stayed on that half dose for pretty much the entire time.)  I read the med side effects sheet the pharmacy gave me -  and don't recall reading anything about gambling, hypersexuality, or any other compulsive behaviors as a potential side effect. If those potential side effects had been listed I can't say I wouldn't have started the med but I would have KNOWN then without a doubt where the hell my obsession with gambling (and sweets) was coming from at 41 yrs of age. If I would have known  my new found fascination with the casino was directly linked to this drug, I would have stopped the med - immediately. However because I didn't get that chance to know,   I continued taking the med oblivious to what it was doing to me beyond  finding great relief to my RLS. I slowly  turned into someone I didn't know, the man I was dating  didn't know, and my family didn't know. I didn't know what was going on with me -  all I knew was..."Damn was it fun going to the casino...and damn if I couldn't stop..." I didn't hide it in the beginning as there was nothing to hide - infact I'd go into work (and to the boyfriend and family) and talk about the casino and this machine I loved playing..."Oh my gosh, the colors and the sounds, and all the wilds when they drop...it is SO MUCH FUN!"

I realize now the one thing I failed to do when I started the drug was to do research on it: If only I would have typed three simple words "Mirapex Side Effects" into a search engine...if only I had a computer at the time. If only I watched TV maybe I would have seen a commerical about it. 

If only I had just continued on dealing with my RLS as I had for years...If only.