Your healthcare provider will follow Mirapex dosing guidelines based on how you respond to Mirapex, how well your kidneys function, other medications you are already taking, and other factors. The drug comes in tablet form and is taken one to three times daily. Your Mirapex dosage is usually low to begin with and then slowly increased in order to reduce the risk of side effects.
Mirapex Dosage: An IntroductionThe dose of Mirapex® (pramipexole dihydrochloride) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- How you respond to Mirapex (especially if you develop bothersome side effects)
- How well your kidneys function
- Other medications you are taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
Mirapex Dosage for Restless Legs SyndromeThe starting dose of Mirapex for treating restless legs syndrome (RLS) is Mirapex 0.125 mg once daily, taken two to three hours before bedtime. After four to seven days, your healthcare provider may increase the dose to Mirapex 0.25 mg once daily if your RLS symptoms are still bothersome. If necessary, your healthcare provider may further increase your dose to Mirapex 0.75 mg after another four to seven days.
If you have kidney disease, your healthcare provider should wait 14 days between dose increases, instead of the usual four to seven days.
Previously, it was thought that it was unnecessary to slowly taper down the dose when stopping Mirapex for RLS (that it could be stopped "cold turkey"). However, one study showed that suddenly stopping Mirapex can cause RLS symptoms to "rebound" and become worse than they were originally. In order to prevent or lessen this effect, your healthcare provider may have you stop the medication gradually, rather than abruptly.