Kathy - I am a 63 year old female diagnosed in l984. I am into my fifth week of Mirapex and I am finally feeling better. Used to have stiffness and slowness for three or four hours during the afternoon. Now, I had stiffness for 30 minutes yesterday, none the day before. My dr. said it would take 4 - l2 weeks to become theraputically effective, that you would feel worse before you felt better, that it would be a gradual change for the better. I'm glad I didn't abandon Mirapex, which I also did in my third week. Hang in there, if you can. Edie