Chemical formula: C₁₀H₁₇N₃S Molecular mass: 211.327 g/mol PubChem compound: 119570
Pramipexole interacts in the following cases:
The elimination of pramipexole is dependent on renal function. The following dose schedule is suggested for initiation of therapy:
Patients with a creatinine clearance above 50 ml/min require no reduction in daily dose or dosing frequency.
In patients with a creatinine clearance between 20 and 50 ml/min, the initial daily dose of pramipexole should be administered in two divided doses, starting at 0.088 mg of base (0.125 mg of salt) twice a day (0.176 mg of base/0.25 mg of salt daily). A maximum daily dose of 1.57 mg pramipexole base (2.25 mg of salt) should not be exceeded.
In patients with a creatinine clearance less than 20 ml/min, the daily dose of pramipexole should be administered in a single dose, starting at 0.088 mg of base (0.125 mg of salt) daily. A maximum daily dose of 1.1 mg pramipexole base (1.5 mg of salt) should not be exceeded.
If renal function declines during maintenance therapy the pramipexole daily dose should be reduced by the same percentage as the decline in creatinine clearance, i.e. if creatinine clearance declines by 30%, then the pramipexole daily dose should be reduced by 30%. The daily dose can be administered in two divided doses if creatinine clearance is between 20 and 50 ml/min and as a single daily dose if creatinine clearance is less than 20 ml/min.
Co-administration of antipsychotic medicinal products with pramipexole should be avoided, e.g. if antagonistic effects can be expected.
Because of possible additive effects, caution should be advised when patients are taking other sedating medicinal products or alcohol in combination with pramipexole.
No studies on the effect on human fertility have been conducted. In animal studies, pramipexole affected oestrous cycles and reduced female fertility as expected for a dopamine agonist. However, these studies did not indicate direct or indirect harmful effects with respect to male fertility.
Cimetidine reduced the renal clearance of pramipexole by approximately 34%, presumably by inhibition of the cationic secretory transport system of the renal tubules. Therefore, medicinal products that are inhibitors of this active renal elimination pathway or are eliminated by this pathway, such as cimetidine, amantadine, mexiletine, zidovudine, cisplatin, quinine, and procainamide, may interact with pramipexole resulting in reduced clearance of pramipexole. Reduction of the pramipexole dose should be considered when these medicinal products are administered concomitantly with pramipexole.
When pramipexole is given in combination with levodopa, it is recommended that the dose of levodopa is reduced and the dose of other anti-parkinsonian medicinal products is kept constant while increasing the dose of pramipexole.
Axial dystonia including antecollis, camptocormia and pleurothotonus (Pisa Syndrome) has occasionally been reported in patients with Parkinson’s disease following initiation or incremental dose increase of pramipexole. Although dystonia may be a symptom of Parkinson’s disease, the symptoms in these patients have improved after reduction or withdrawal of pramipexole. If dystonia occurs, the dopaminergic medication regimen should be reviewed and an adjustment in the dose of pramipexole considered.
Patients should be regularly monitored for the development of mania and delirium. Patients and carers should be made aware that mania and delirium can occur in patients treated with pramipexole. Dose reduction/tapered discontinuation should be considered if such symptoms develop.
In case of severe cardiovascular disease, care should be taken. It is recommended to monitor blood pressure, especially at the beginning of treatment, due to the general risk of postural hypotension associated with dopaminergic therapy.
The effect on pregnancy and lactation has not been investigated in humans. Pramipexole was not teratogenic in rats and rabbits, but was embryotoxic in the rat at maternotoxic doses. Pramipexole should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary, i.e. if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the foetus.
As pramipexole treatment inhibits secretion of prolactin in humans, inhibition of lactation is expected. The excretion of pramipexole into breast milk has not been studied in women. In rats, the concentration of active substance-related radioactivity was higher in breast milk than in plasma. In the absence of human data, pramipexole should not be used during breast-feeding. However, if its use is unavoidable, breast-feeding should be discontinued.
No studies on the effect on human fertility have been conducted. In animal studies, pramipexole affected oestrous cycles and reduced female fertility as expected for a dopamine agonist. However, these studies did not indicate direct or indirect harmful effects with respect to male fertility.
Pramipexole can have a major influence on the ability to drive and use machines.
Hallucinations or somnolence can occur.
Patients being treated with pramipexole and presenting with somnolence and/or sudden sleep episodes must be informed to refrain from driving or engaging in activities where impaired alertness may put themselves or others at risk of serious injury or death (e.g. operating machines) until such recurrent episodes and somnolence have resolved.
Based on the analysis of pooled placebo-controlled trials, comprising a total of 1,923 patients on pramipexole and 1,354 patients on placebo, adverse drug reactions were frequently reported for both groups. 63% of patients on pramipexole and 52% of patients on placebo reported at least one adverse drug reaction.
The majority of adverse drug reactions usually start early in therapy and most tend to disappear even as therapy is continued.
Within the system organ classes, adverse reactions are listed under headings of frequency (number of patients expected to experience the reaction), using the following categories: very common (≥1/10); common (≥1/100 to <1/10); uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100); rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000); very rare (<1/10,000); not known (cannot be estimated from the available data). Parkinson’s disease, most common adverse reactions The most commonly (≥5%) reported adverse drug reactions in patients with
frequent with pramipexole treatment than with placebo were nausea, dyskinesia, hypotension, dizziness, somnolence, insomnia, constipation, hallucination, headache and fatigue. The incidence of somnolence is increased at doses higher than 1.5 mg pramipexole salt per day. A more frequent adverse drug reaction in combination with levodopa was dyskinesia. Hypotension may occur at the beginning of treatment, especially if pramipexole is titrated too fast.
Uncommon: pneumonia
Uncommon: inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion1
Common: insomnia hallucinations abnormal dreams confusion, behavioural symptoms of impulse control disorders and compulsions
Uncommon: compulsive shopping, pathological gambling, restlessness, hypersexuality, delusion, libido disorder, paranoia, delirium, binge eating1, hyperphagia1
Rare: mania
Very common: somnolence, dizziness, dyskinesia
Common: headache
Uncommon: sudden onset of sleep, amnesia, hyperkinesia, syncope
Common: visual impairment including diplopia, vision blurred, visual acuity reduced
Uncommon: cardiac failure1
Common: hypotension
Uncommon: dyspnoea, hiccups
Very common: nausea
Common: constipation, vomiting
Uncommon: hypersensitivity, pruritus, rash
Common: fatigue, peripheral oedema
Not known: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome including apathy, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sweating and pain
Common: weight decrease including decreased appetite
Uncommon: weight increase
1 This side effect has been observed in post-marketing experience. With 95% certainty, the frequency category is not greater than uncommon, but might be lower. A precise frequency estimation is not possible as the side effect did not occur in a clinical trial database of 2,762 patients with Parkinson’s Disease treated with pramipexole.
The most commonly (≥5%) reported adverse drug reactions in patients with Restless Legs Syndrome treated with pramipexole were nausea, headache, dizziness and fatigue. Nausea and fatigue were more often reported in female patients treated with pramipexole (20.8% and 10.5%, respectively) compared to males (6.7% and 7.3%, respectively).
Uncommon: pneumonia1
Uncommon: inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion1
Common: insomnia, abnormal dreams
Uncommon: restlessness, confusion, hallucinations, libido disorder, delusion1, hyperphagia1, paranoia1, mania1, delirium1, behavioural symptoms of impulse control disorders and compulsions1 (such as: compulsive shopping, pathological gambling, hypersexuality, binge eating)
Common: headache, dizziness, somnolance
Uncommon: sudden onset of sleep, syncope, dyskinesia, amnesia1, hyperkinesia1
Uncommon: visual impairment including visual acuity reduced, diplopia, vision blurred
Uncommon: cardiac failure1
Uncommon: hypotension
Uncommon: dyspnoea, hiccups
Very common: nausea
Common: constipation, vomiting
Uncommon: hypersensitivity pruritus, rash
Common: fatigue
Uncommon: peripheral oedema
Not known: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome including apathy, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sweating and pain
Uncommon: weight decrease including decreased appetite, weight increase
1 This side effect has been observed in post-marketing experience. With 95% certainty, the frequency category is not greater than uncommon, but might be lower. A precise frequency estimation is not possible as the side effect did not occur in a clinical trial database of 1,395 patients with Restless Legs Syndrome treated with pramipexole
Pramipexole is commonly associated with somnolence and has been associated uncommonly with excessive daytime somnolence and sudden sleep onset episodes.
Pramipexole may uncommonly be associated with libido disorders (increased or decreased).
Pathological gambling, increased libido, hypersexuality, compulsive spending or buying, binge eating and compulsive eating can occur in patients treated with dopamine agonists including pramipexole.
In a cross-sectional, retrospective screening and case-control study including 3,090 Parkinson’s disease patients, 13.6% of all patients receiving dopaminergic or non-dopaminergic treatment had symptoms of an impulse control disorder during the past six months. Manifestations observed include pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, binge eating, and compulsive sexual behaviour (hypersexuality). Possible independent risk factors for impulse control disorders included dopaminergic treatments and higher doses of dopaminergic treatment, younger age (≤65 years), not being married and self-reported family history of gambling behaviours.
Non-motor adverse effects may occur when tapering or discontinuing dopamine agonists including pramipexole. Symptoms include apathy, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sweating and pain.
In clinical studies and post-marketing experience cardiac failure has been reported in patients with pramipexole. In a pharmacoepidemiological study pramipexole use was associated with an increased risk of cardiac failure compared with non-use of pramipexole (observed risk ratio 1.86; 95% CI, 1.21-2.85).
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