Prescription medication · Dopamine Agonist
pramipexole
Also sold as Mirapex. This medicine treats Parkinson's disease.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 14,399
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 2
- InteractionsFew interactions
- $0.04
- Generic price (NADAC)
What the data shows
pramipexole (Mirapex) is a prescription Dopamine Agonist, reported less often than most tracked drugs (14,399 FDA reports), with 2 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
pramipexole (Mirapex) is a prescription Dopamine Agonist. This medicine treats Parkinson's disease.
Pramipexole extended-release tablets help treat Parkinson's disease. It belongs to a class of drugs called dopamine agonists.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.04/unit
Generic Available
Yes (13 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
This medicine treats Parkinson's disease.
Common side effects
Feeling sleepy, Feeling sick to your stomach, Constipation
Key warnings
Pramipexole can make you fall asleep suddenly, even during normal daily activities.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from pramipexole's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Pramipexole works by acting like dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical that helps control movement. By mimicking dopamine, this medicine helps reduce Parkinson's symptoms.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 14,399 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for pramipexole, by number of reports
- Fall
Fall
1,066 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
1,043 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
832 reports
- Pain
Pain
795 reports
- Condition Aggravated
Condition Aggravated
788 reports
- Hallucination
Hallucination
754 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
734 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
710 reports
- Dyskinesia
Dyskinesia
643 reports
- Gait Disturbance
Gait Disturbance
642 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for pramipexole each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where pramipexole sits
pramipexole has more FDA adverse-event reports than 47% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is pramipexole; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 14,399 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
14,399
Reports Mentioning Death
1,206
8.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
5,034
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | FALL | 1,066 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 1,043 |
| 4 | NAUSEA | 832 |
| 5 | PAIN | 795 |
| 6 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 788 |
| 7 | HALLUCINATION | 754 |
| 9 | DIZZINESS | 734 |
| 10 | DYSPNOEA | 710 |
| 11 | DYSKINESIA | 643 |
| 12 | GAIT DISTURBANCE | 642 |
| 13 | HEADACHE | 593 |
| 14 | TREMOR | 576 |
| 15 | DEATH | 565 |
| 16 | INSOMNIA | 563 |
| 17 | ASTHENIA | 533 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Pramipexole can make you fall asleep suddenly, even during normal daily activities. Tell your doctor if this happens. Pramipexole can also cause compulsive behaviors like gambling or overeating. Watch for these changes and tell your doctor if they occur.
Known Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Dopamine antagonists: May diminish the effectiveness of pramipexole (7.1). 7.1 Dopamine Antagonists Since pramipexole is a dopamine agonist, it is possible that dopamine antagonists, such as the neuroleptics (phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes) or metoclopramide, may diminish the effectiveness of pramipexole dihydrochloride extended-release tablets.
Mechanism: Pramipexole works by acting like dopamine in the brain, while dopamine antagonists block those same spots. Because they work against each other, the antagonist can stop pramipexole from working correctly.
7.1 Dopamine Antagonists Since pramipexole is a dopamine agonist, it is possible that dopamine antagonists, such as the neuroleptics (phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes) or metoclopramide, may diminish the effectiveness of pramipexole dihydrochloride extended-release tablets.
Mechanism: Metoclopramide blocks the same receptors that pramipexole is trying to activate. This prevents pramipexole from doing its job effectively.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I cut the tablet in half?
What should I do if I feel dizzy?
Can I drink alcohol while taking this medicine?
How long does it take for this medicine to work?
What if I start having hallucinations?
Can I drive while taking this medicine?
What should I do if I develop new or worsening uncontrolled movements?
Is it okay to suddenly stop taking this medicine?
What if I have kidney problems?
Can this medicine affect my blood pressure?
What are the common side effects of pramipexole?
Does pramipexole interact with other medications?
What drug class is pramipexole?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for pramipexole?
Related Medications in Dopamine Agonist
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Adderall XR is a stimulant medicine.
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aripiprazole
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Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems.
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for pramipexole: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 14,399.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 8.38%.
- doxazosin Δ 0.01 pts · 27,049 reports · Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blocker 8.39%death share
- lamotrigine Δ 0.02 pts · 127,196 reports · Anticonvulsant 8.40%death share
- glimepiride Δ 0.03 pts · 37,936 reports · Sulfonylurea 8.40%death share
- clindamycin Δ 0.05 pts · 27,449 reports · Lincosamide Antibiotic 8.33%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for pramipexole
The FDA label for pramipexole (sold under brand names such as Mirapex) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Dopamine Agonist class. This medicine treats Parkinson's disease. Official labeling lists 12 commonly reported side effects, including Feeling sleepy, Feeling sick to your stomach, Constipation.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 14,399 voluntary reports. The database also lists 2 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.04.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: August 31, 2021
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages