Once upon a time, I bought a pair of shoes.

I bought a pair of shoes at 3 AM and when they arrived, I didn’t remember buying them.

At the time of this unfortunate shoe-purchasing incident, I’d been taking pramipexole for around 5 years. I’d had no side effects and had yet to experience any augmentation (that would come later).

Pramipexole seemed like a miracle cure for my out-of-control restless legs syndrome. I went from being on the verge of psychosis, due to being awake and twitchy almost 24/7, to feeling peaceful and rested. Words alone cannot articulate the bliss a restless legger feels when stillness descends.

So, imagine my distress when it gradually dawned on me I’d become one of the 17 to 25 per cent of people who developed impulsive-compulsive spectrum disorders as a result of taking the medication.

To continue reading please visit:

https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/living/impulse-control

Image and links courtesy of Health Union and Restless Legs Syndrome Health Info & Community (sleep-disorders.net)