Mirapex vs. Neurontin

• Are Mirapex and Neurontin the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Mirapex?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Neurontin?
• What Is Mirapex?
• What Is Neurontin?
• What Drugs Interact with Mirapex?
• What Drugs Interact with Neurontin?
• How Should Mirapex Be Taken?
• How Should Neurontin Be Taken?

Mirapex (pramipexole) and Neurontin (gabapentin) are used to treat restless legs syndrome.

Mirapex is also used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Neurontin is used off-label to treat restless legs syndrome. Neurontin is also used alone or in combination with other medications to treat seizures caused by epilepsy in adults and children who are at least 12 years old. Neurontin is also used to treat nerve pain caused by shingles (herpes zoster).

Mirapex and Neurontin belong to different drug classes. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist and Neurontin is an anti-epileptic medication.

Side effects of Mirapex and Neurontin that are similar include dizziness, drowsiness, blurred or double vision, and memory problems (amnesia or forgetfulness).

Side effects of Mirapex that are different from Neurontin include nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, stomach pain, constipation, headache, spinning sensation, swelling in hands and feet, appetite or weight changes, sleep problems (insomnia or unusual dreams), confusion or thinking problems, impotence, loss of interest in sex, and trouble having an orgasm.

Side effects of Neurontin that are different from Mirapex include unsteadiness, lack of coordination, difficulty speaking, viral infections, tremors, fever, unusual eye movements, jerky movements, mood or behavior changes, depression, and anxiety.

Both Mirapex and Neurontin may interact with narcotics.

Mirapex may also interact with alcohol, other drugs that make you drowsy (sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety or seizures), cimetidine, metoclopramide, and medicines to treat mental illness.

Neurontin may also interact with naproxen.

Do not stop using Mirapex suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Mirapex include:

• dizziness when standing (postural hypotension)
• nausea
• dry mouth
• stomach pain
• vomiting
• constipation
• headache
• dizziness
• spinning sensation
• drowsiness
• swelling in your hands and feet
• appetite or weight changes
• blurred vision
• sleep problems (insomnia or unusual dreams)
• memory problems (amnesia)
• forgetfulness
  confusion or thinking problems
• swelling in your hands or feet
• impotence
• loss of interest in sex, or
• trouble having an orgasm

Common side effects of Neurontin include:

• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• unsteadiness,
• memory loss,
• lack of coordination,
• difficulty speaking,
• viral infections,
• tremors,
• double vision,
• fever,
• unusual eye movements, and
• jerky movements.

Mirapex (pramipexole) is a dopamine agonist medication used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and restless legs syndrome.

Neurontin is a prescription medicine used to treat:

• Restless legs syndrome.
• Pain from damaged nerves (postherpetic pain) that follows healing of shingles (a painful rash that comes after a herpes zoster infection) in adults.
• Partial seizures when taken together with other medicines in adults and children 3 years of age and older with seizures.

Mirapex may interact with cold or allergy medicines, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety, other medicines for Parkinson's disease, medicine to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, or medicine to treat psychiatric disorders.

Mirapex may also interact with amantadine, cimetidine, diltiazem, ranitidine, quinidine, quinine, triamterene, verapamil, promethazine, and levodopa.

Do Not take Neurontin if you are allergic to gabapentin or any of the other ingredients in Neurontin. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Neurontin.

Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy or dizzy while taking Neurontin without first talking with your healthcare provider. Taking Neurontin with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Neurontin affects you. Neurontin can slow your thinking and motor skills.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Taking Neurontin with certain other medicines can cause side effects or affect how well they work. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider.

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Mirapex is taken in tablet form three times per day.

Take Neurontin exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Neurontin to take.

Do not change your dose of Neurontin without talking to your healthcare provider.

If you take Neurontin tablets and break a tablet in half, the unused half of the tablet should be taken at your next scheduled dose. Half tablets not used within 28 days of breaking should be thrown away. Take Neurontin capsules with water.

Neurontin tablets can be taken with or without food. If you take an antacid containing aluminum and magnesium, such as Maalox®, Mylanta®, Gelusil®, Gaviscon®, or Di-Gel®, you should wait at least 2 hours before taking your next dose of Neurontin.

If you take too much Neurontin, call your healthcare provider or your local Poison Control Center right away at 1-800-222-1222.