Ater 8 years of taking (alongside Madopar) the dopamine agonist Mirapexin CR, and despite being fortunate enough not to have suffered any serious side effects, my surgery has decided to change the Mirapexin to a new drug called Pipexus. They freely admit that it is on cost grounds as Pipexus costs half as much as Mirapexin.
Whilst I am all for anything that can help the finances of our NHS, I’m puzzled as to why a search for Pipexus on this site should draw a blank. Has anyone even heard of it?
Hi Jelly_Baby - it’s a new one on me that is, never heard of it. Is it the manufacturers name that has changed only or is it the name if the actual medication! I would check with your Parkinsons Nurse if I were you, or you could chance taking it, but if you get any side effects or if you feel that your PD is getting worse don’t hesitate to question it with your GP and Parkinsons Nurse, or Neurologist
Some of the medication changes are difficult to understand. I have read of people finding that different makes of the same drug seem to have different effects.
My latest prescription of Sinemet plus looks different from the first one = the tablets are now round and yellow whereas previously they were oval and yellow. Haven’t noticed anything different effect-wise so far, but it does make you think.
It probably adds to the stress which isn’t good for any of us.
Good luck
Audrey (Knine)
Thank you Shefinn and Knine, but I seem to have hijacked Jelly_Baby’s username. I’m Lily.
When the surgery rang me to tell me of the change, they said they had contacted Parkinson’s uk and that they had said that hat Pipexus was not generic and therefore likely to be safe. I then contacted Parkinson’s myself and was told that Pipexus could be a new company taking over from one that had closed, so there could be a slight difference in the content.
Hi Lily - just see how you go on them and note any changes to your PD then take it from there, ie., speak to your Neurologist if you are not happy, or your PD Nurse.
Hi Audrey (knine) - hope they don’t change my sinimet, got enough to put up with them changing suppliers of Ropinirole! Pain in the but!
The manufacturers of Pipexus claim more or less exactly the same bio equivalence to Mirapexin, so should have the same effect. As they say, this is 50% cheaper.
Only time will tell whether these claims are true.
I must say, I agree with Shefinn, definitely contact your GP if you have any reservations about your medication. I see that you’ve already spoken to one of our advisers, however, please feel free to give us another call if you have any more questions and do keep us posted on this.
Thank you all for your excellent advice and sorry for my delay in replying but I have been figuring out how to reply using this site!
I intend to keep a careful log of my symptoms whilst on Pipexus, and this will start in a couple of weeks as I am away at present. I will report my findings to this forum. Mike - you seem to have some knowledge of the medication - is there anything else you can tell me?
Hello,I’m quite newly diagnosed with PD,I’m on Pipexus,it’s for the restless legs I used to get severely before going on Pipexus in January this year,when I was diagnosed,Pipexus is a form of Pramipexole,which I’m also taking,my restless legs have almost gone but I get resting tremors in my right arm and also my feet and ankles,it kind of drives you mad,but have to put up with it.
Hello,I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in January 2018,at first I was on Safinamide and Pramipexole,then after a month they put me on Pipexus,I have to take it 2 to3 hours before bedtime ,up to hey it’s doing a decent job of keeping my tremors down to virtually nil,I think pipexus is all right,bye.
Well, I’ve given Pipexus roughly 3 weeks and I haven’t noticed any difference between that and Mirapexin so far. The only disadvantage I can think of is that the Pipexus tablets are harder to swallow, being round and deep, whereas Mirapexin are slim and bullet shaped.
