Mirapex: A New Treatment Option for Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless legs syndrome, or RLS, is a chronic medical condition that is often poorly understood. People with RLS suffer from an uncontrollable urge to move their legs in order to relieve painful or "odd" sensations from within their body. RLS often interferes with someone's ability to get a good night's sleep, and it is estimated that as many as 9 million Americans are currently suffering from restless legs syndrome.

Until recently, there was only one prescription drug, called Requip, that was FDA-approved for treating the symptoms of restless legs syndrome. Although Requip has been a wonder drug for some people, others have found that it had intolerable side effects or just didn't work for them. Now, another prescription drug, which is called Mirapex and is manufactured by Boehringer-Ingelheim, has been approved by the Food & Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary RLS.

Interestingly enough, Mirapex was first used in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, as was Requip. These drugs are known as dopamine agonists, and work by activating dopamine receptors in the brain. Although they have a similar method of action, the two drugs are two distinct molecules, and they may work differently for different people.

Mirapex was proven superior to treatment with placebo in relieving the symptoms of RLS in multiple studies, which lead to its approval by the FDA. Also, studies have shown that Mirapex can provide sustained relief from RLS for a full 9 months, and perhaps even longer for some people. This gives Mirapex a treatment profile that is directly comparable to the earlier Requip.

As with all prescription drugs, there may be some side effects caused by Mirapex. The main side effect that most people experience is drowsiness, which is usually not a problem since Mirapex is generally taken in the evening before bed time. Some people may also experience feelings of faintness or dizziness upon standing when first starting treatment with Mirapex. These side effects are usually mild and generally get better over time.