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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SalArmy4me on March 2, 2001, at 9:20:26
Mirapex is a dopamine agonist that is most often used for Parkinson's Disease. But, it has been shown in two studies to have antidepressant properties in non-Parkinson's patients.
First, the background: I have treatment-resistant depression with painful flashbacks and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Mirapex started working for me in a little less than a week (possibly because I got up to 6 mg per day in two days' time)! I found out that it needs to be taken about every 5 hours, otherwise I relapse. I have no side-effects from it (thank God).
Here are some advantages of Mirapex:
--It has a benign side-effect profile, with most patients reporting nausea as the main side-effect. But that side-effect may have been from the levodopa that the Parkinsons' patients were also taking during the clinical trials.
--Mirapex is definitely less expensive than Prozac or Wellbutrin. 100 of the 1.5 mg Mirapex tablets costs $80 on insurance at the largest HMO in the US. Prozac and Paxil are definitely more costly.
--It has few anticholinergic effects.
--It is not known to cause sexual dysfunction.
--Though it probably has to be taken three times a day, so does Neurontin, Wellbutrin IR, Effexor IR, and Visken.
--Mirapex has two studies done on it in non-Parkinsons' patients--one for unipolar depression and the other for bipolar disorder.
--It has minimal drug interactions as compared to Tricylcics Antidepressants or MAOI's (& RIMA's).Thus, if it works for you, its a good deal. Its the only thing that works for me...
-Studies on Medline:
2. Pramipexole augmentation in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression: a retrospective chart review Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2000 Sep;12(3):137-40. [Record as supplied by publisher] PMID: 10984002
3:
Maj J, Rogoz Z.
Related Articles
Synergistic effect of pramipexole and sertraline in the forced swimming test. Pol J Pharmacol. 1999 Nov-Dec;51(6):471-5.
PMID: 10817524
4: Corrigan MH, Denahan AQ, Wright CE, Ragual RJ, Evans DL. Related Articles Comparison of pramipexole, fluoxetine, and placebo in patients with major depression. Depress Anxiety. 2000;11(2):58-65. PMID: 10812530
5: DeBattista C, Solvason HB, Breen JA, Schatzberg AF. Related Articles Pramipexole augmentation of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of depression. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000 Apr;20(2):274-5. No abstract available. PMID: 10770475
6:
Goldberg JF, Frye MA, Dunn RT.
Related Articles
Pramipexole in refractory bipolar depression.
Am J Psychiatry. 1999 May;156(5):798. No abstract available.
PMID: 10327923
7:
Bennett JP, Piercey MF.
Related Articles
Pramipexole--a new dopamine agonist for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Sci. 1999 Feb 1;163(1):25-31. Review.
PMID: 10223406
8: Piercey MF. Related Articles Pharmacology of pramipexole, a dopamine D3-preferring agonist useful in treating Parkinson's disease. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1998 May-Jun;21(3):141-51. Review. PMID: 9617505
9:
Willner P.
Related Articles
The mesolimbic dopamine system as a target for rapid antidepressant action. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 1997 Jul;12 Suppl 3:S7-14. Review.
PMID: 9347387
Posted by katrina on March 2, 2001, at 10:34:00
In reply to The Advantage of Mirapex vs other meds, posted by SalArmy4me on March 2, 2001, at 9:20:26
> Mirapex is a dopamine agonist that is most often used for Parkinson's Disease. But, it has been shown in two studies to have antidepressant properties in non-Parkinson's patients.
>
> First, the background: I have treatment-resistant depression with painful flashbacks and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Mirapex started working for me in a little less than a week (possibly because I got up to 6 mg per day in two days' time)! I found out that it needs to be taken about every 5 hours, otherwise I relapse. I have no side-effects from it (thank God).
>
> Here are some advantages of Mirapex:
>
> --It has a benign side-effect profile, with most patients reporting nausea as the main side-effect. But that side-effect may have been from the levodopa that the Parkinsons' patients were also taking during the clinical trials.
> --Mirapex is definitely less expensive than Prozac or Wellbutrin. 100 of the 1.5 mg Mirapex tablets costs $80 on insurance at the largest HMO in the US. Prozac and Paxil are definitely more costly.
> --It has few anticholinergic effects.
> --It is not known to cause sexual dysfunction.
> --Though it probably has to be taken three times a day, so does Neurontin, Wellbutrin IR, Effexor IR, and Visken.
> --Mirapex has two studies done on it in non-Parkinsons' patients--one for unipolar depression and the other for bipolar disorder.
> --It has minimal drug interactions as compared to Tricylcics Antidepressants or MAOI's (& RIMA's).
>
> Thus, if it works for you, its a good deal. Its the only thing that works for me...
>
> -Studies on Medline:
> 2. Pramipexole augmentation in the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression: a retrospective chart review Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2000 Sep;12(3):137-40. [Record as supplied by publisher] PMID: 10984002
> 3:
> Maj J, Rogoz Z.
> Related Articles
> Synergistic effect of pramipexole and sertraline in the forced swimming test. Pol J Pharmacol. 1999 Nov-Dec;51(6):471-5.
> PMID: 10817524
> 4: Corrigan MH, Denahan AQ, Wright CE, Ragual RJ, Evans DL. Related Articles Comparison of pramipexole, fluoxetine, and placebo in patients with major depression. Depress Anxiety. 2000;11(2):58-65. PMID: 10812530
> 5: DeBattista C, Solvason HB, Breen JA, Schatzberg AF. Related Articles Pramipexole augmentation of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of depression. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000 Apr;20(2):274-5. No abstract available. PMID: 10770475
> 6:
> Goldberg JF, Frye MA, Dunn RT.
> Related Articles
> Pramipexole in refractory bipolar depression.
> Am J Psychiatry. 1999 May;156(5):798. No abstract available.
> PMID: 10327923
> 7:
> Bennett JP, Piercey MF.
> Related Articles
> Pramipexole--a new dopamine agonist for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. J Neurol Sci. 1999 Feb 1;163(1):25-31. Review.
> PMID: 10223406
> 8: Piercey MF. Related Articles Pharmacology of pramipexole, a dopamine D3-preferring agonist useful in treating Parkinson's disease. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1998 May-Jun;21(3):141-51. Review. PMID: 9617505
> 9:
> Willner P.
> Related Articles
> The mesolimbic dopamine system as a target for rapid antidepressant action. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 1997 Jul;12 Suppl 3:S7-14. Review.
> PMID: 9347387Can it be taken with zoloft (50mg) and zyprexa 2.5mgs??
Posted by SalArmy4me on March 2, 2001, at 13:03:19
In reply to Re: The Advantage of Mirapex vs other meds, posted by katrina on March 2, 2001, at 10:34:00
It can be taken with just about anything, except for metocloperamide. Oh--its the equivalent of drinking a cup of coffee.
Posted by dj on March 2, 2001, at 14:44:43
In reply to Re: The Advantage of Mirapex vs other meds, posted by katrina on March 2, 2001, at 10:34:00
>Mirapex started working for me in a little less than a week (possibly because I got up to 6 mg per day in two days' time)! I found out that it needs to be taken about every 5 hours, otherwise >I relapse. I have no side-effects from it
This would seem to indicate that you are currently using Mirapex yet above you stated to me that you are currently using: "BuSpar and Lamictal" What gives?
Posted by SalArmy4me on March 4, 2001, at 18:21:53
In reply to Re: The Advantage of Mirapex vs other meds, posted by dj on March 2, 2001, at 14:44:43
The answer is that I'm on them all! Effexor/Wellbutrin/Remeron/Ludiomil/BuSpar/Lamictal. I dropped Mirapex and Requip because they were making me jumpy.
> >Mirapex started working for me in a little less than a week (possibly because I got up to 6 mg per day in two days' time)! I found out that it needs to be taken about every 5 hours, otherwise >I relapse. I have no side-effects from it
>
> This would seem to indicate that you are currently using Mirapex yet above you stated to me that you are currently using: "BuSpar and Lamictal" What gives?
This is the end of the thread.
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