When Is It Prescribed?

Requip (ropinerole) is prescribed to treat the stiffness, tremors, spasms, and poor muscle control of Parkinson's disease.

Low levels of dopamine in the brain are associated with Parkinson's disease. This medication has some of the same effects as the natural occurring chemical dopamine in your body.

This medication may also be prescribed for purposes other than what’s listed above.

When Will My Medication Start to Work?

Requip (ropinerole) is usually started with low doses and increased gradually. Follow your prescribing doctor's or therapist's instructions.

It may be several weeks or months until you see the benefits of this medication. Always follow your physician's or therapist's recommendations on how to take this medication.

Are There Any Drug Interactions?

Before taking Requip (ropinerole), tell your doctor or therapist if you are taking any of the following medications:

• Any medication used to treat mania, schizophrenia, other psychiatric conditions, or nausea and vomiting, such as Thorazine (chloropromazine), Prolixin (fluphenazine), Serentil (mesoridazine), Trilafon (perphenazine), Mellaril (thioridazine), Sparine (promazine), Navane (thiothixene), or Haldol (haloperidol)

• An estrogen (Premarin, Prempro, Estratest, Ogen, Estraderm, Climara, Vivelle, estradiol, and others)

You may require special monitoring or a dosage adjustment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.

Do not take other medications without first talking with your doctor or therapist.

Alcohol, sleep aids, antihistamines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and other medications that cause drowsiness may increase the drowsiness typically caused by Requip (ropinerole).

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Issues

If you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding, discuss the potential risks of this or any medication with your doctor.

Other Important Information

Stop taking Requip (ropinerole) and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing, closing of your throat, swelling of your lips, tongue or face, or hives.

You may not be able to take this medication, or you may require a lower dose or special monitoring during therapy if you have kidney disease.

Hallucinations may be more likely to occur in individuals over 65 years old. Notify your doctor or therapist immediately if you experience hallucinations.

In addition to the information listed above, there may be other important issues or precautions related to this medication. For further information, you can ask your prescribing doctor or therapist.

Side-Effect Information

Only some people will experience side-effects -- and no one experiences them in exactly the same way. If you should experience any side effects, contact your doctor or therapist right away and continue taking your medication until otherwise advised.

The following list may not contain all of the side-effects and risks associated with this medication:

Most common side-effects

Nausea
Most people who experience this side-effect notice that it disappears in a few weeks. To reduce or eliminate nausea, eat several small meals per day instead of three big ones, or try snacking on dry toast or crackers.

Infrequent side-effects

Dizziness
If you feel dizzy when you sit or stand up quickly, there are some precautions that you can take to avoid injury. Get up very slowly from a laying or sitting position and make sure you have something to hold onto as you get up. Then, wait a moment or two before you start walking.

Drowsiness
When you first begin taking Requip, you may feel drowsy all of the time, even if you've had a good night's sleep. You might move around more slowly, be less coordinated, and nod off more. Be sure not to drive a car or operate other heavy machinery while you are feeling drowsy. Talk to your doctor if this side-effect disrupts your daily routine.

Headache
Your medication can cause headaches, which often fade as your body adjusts to the medication. If you experience headaches, and they're disruptive, talk to your doctor or therapist before you take any pain medications. He or she can let you know which medications are safe to take with Requip (ropinerole).

Dyskinesia
These are involuntary movements of the face, neck and extremities. These movements are not tremors but are twitching, nodding and jerking. To reduce or eliminate this side-effect, your doctor or therapist may need to reduce or prescribe other types of drugs that block dopamine.

Rare side-effects/Risks

Hypotension
Hypotension is abnormally low blood pressure. Temporary hypotension may result in a simple faint. This medication should be used with particular caution in people with known cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, or conditions associated with hypotension.

Hallucinations
Hallucinations occur when a person senses things that aren't really there. The most commonly experienced hallucination is hearing voices. People also have hallucinations where they see, feel, smell or taste something that is not there. If you are experiencing hallucinations, contact your doctor or therapist right away.