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Bob: Your account of the sleep attacks is very clear and explicit. I am so glad that you decided to put it in the list mail, because it shoul leave no doubt in anyone's mind about the nature of these attacks - they are sudden, unpredictable, and unstoppable. There are considerable arguments about whether attacks like yours do occur or not - and it is necessary for such information to get channeled to the right places. Have you notified 1) your neurologist and 2) the drug company? Some clinicians argue that sleep disturbances and sleepiness are common in Parkinsonism and treatment with any drugs, including l-dopa, pergolide, mirapex, or ropinirole. Your account separates that drowsiness from the sleep attacks like yours which Drs. Frucht and Fahn from Columbia described in 1999. The truth is that sleep attacks like yours had NOT ever been described with treatment of PD until ropinirole and pramipexole were released. Although rare, these attacks are potentially dangerous - and your warnings are well expressed. Thank you. Jorge Romero, MD ----- Original Message ----- From: "bob and janine" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 12:31 PM Subject: Re: Mirapex and sleep attacks > another comment regarding sleep attacks and mirapex - I normally drove in > excess of 50,000 per year on my job, with many very long days, no sleep etc. > I NEVER had any problems staying awake or knowing when it was time to pull > over, until I went on Mirapex. I fell asleep driving 3 different times - > with no warning that I knew of. I discovered I can feel the sleep attacks > coming on, but they don't feel like fatigue. I am not real sure how to > describe them, but if you are on Mirapex, and feel the LEAST BIT sleepy, > pull over immediately - don't think "It's only 3 miles home" etc., because > if you have the attack, it will be soon. Generally now, if I pull over, I > will wait 10 min - it seems like waiting a few minutes is all it takes to > get over this, and then I am fine for the next several hours. > I would suggest caution with this, I had no problems for 5 months after I > went on Mirapex, and then had the sleep attacks for the next several months. > I "think" I'm over them now, but I don't take any chances either > bob aka tex