What is Mirapex?

Mirapex (pramipexole) is a prescription "dopamine agonist" medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease. Mirapex may be used alone, or in combination with levodopa or other medicines that treat Parkinson's.

Parkinson's disease is a motor system disorder that has four primary symptoms: tremor (trembling), rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural instability (imbalance). Parkinson's disease is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce a chemical called dopamine.

Recently, physicians have also prescribed Mirapex to treat Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), a condition that causes unpleasant sensations, discomfort, and restlessness in the legs. RLS may be the result of dopamine level changes, but the exact cause is still unknown. Low doses of Mirapex seem to be effective in controlling RLS symptoms in some patients.

Mirapex is manufactured by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and is distributed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mirapex was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997.

Mirapex's Suggested Link to Compulsive Behavior

There have been recent reports of Parkinson's disease and RLS patients experiencing out-of-control, compulsive urges while being treated with Mirapex or other dopamine agonist medicines. Among the behaviors that have been reported are cases of pathological gambling, hypersexuality (increased sexual thoughts, feelings, or behavior), and compulsive eating.

Mirapex's prescribing information has been changed to describe these reported cases. Mirapex's prescribing information states that the incidence of compulsive behavior has been low and that they are generally reversible upon dose reduction or treatment discontinuation. The suggested link between Mirapex use and compulsive behavior is still under examination.

Mirapex Precautions

Elderly patients should exercise caution and discuss the risks of Mirapex use with their healthcare professional. Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there) may be especially likely to occur in elderly patients, since they are usually more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of Mirapex.