Requip Information and Uses

Requip

Requip Overview

Requip (generic: ropinirole) is a prescription medication used to treat Restless Legs Syndrome and Parkinson's disease. Requip belongs to a group of drugs called dopamine agonists, which work by binding to dopamine receptors in the brain, helping to control movement.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken with or without food. For restless legs syndrome, one tablet is taken once a day before bedtime. For Parkinson's disease, Requip is taken three times a day.

Common side effects of Requip include nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how Requip affects you.

Uses of Requip

Requip is a prescription medicine to treat Restless Legs Syndrome and Parkinson's disease.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Side Effects of Requip

Restless Legs Syndrome

Most people who take Requip tolerate it well. The most commonly reported side effects in people taking Requip for RLS are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and drowsiness or sleepiness. You should be careful until you know if Requip affects your ability to remain alert while doing normal daily activities, and you should watch for the development of significant daytime sleepiness or episodes of falling asleep. It is possible that you could fall asleep while doing normal activities such as driving a car, doing physical tasks, or using hazardous machinery while taking Requip. Your chances of falling asleep while doing normal activities while taking Requip are greater if you are taking other medicines that cause drowsiness.
When you start taking Requip or when you increase your dose, you may feel dizzy, nauseated, sweaty or faint, when first standing up from sitting or lying down. Therefore, do not stand up quickly after sitting or lying down, particularly if you have been sitting or lying down for a long period of time. Take a minute sitting on the edge of the bed or chair before you get up.
Hallucinations (unreal sounds, visions, or sensations) have been reported in patients taking Requip. These were uncommon in patients taking Requip for RLS. The risk is greater in patients with Parkinson's disease who are elderly, taking Requip with L-dopa, or taking higher doses of Requip than recommended for RLS.

Parkinson's Disease

Most people who take Requip tolerate it well. The most commonly reported side effects in people taking Requip are nausea, headache, dizziness, drowsiness or sleepiness.
You should be careful until you know if Requip affects your ability to remain alert while doing normal daily activities, and you should watch for the development of significant daytime sleepiness or episodes of falling asleep. It is possible that you could fall asleep while doing normal activities such as driving a car, doing physical tasks, or using hazardous machinery while taking Requip. Your chances of falling asleep while doing normal activities while taking Requip are greater if you are taking other medicines that cause drowsiness.
When you start taking Requip or when you increase your dose, you may feel dizzy, nauseated, sweaty or faint, when first standing up from sitting or lying down. Therefore, do not stand up quickly after sitting or lying down, particularly if you have been sitting or lying down for a long period of time. Take a minute sitting on the edge of the bed or chair before you get up.
Hallucinations (unreal visions, sounds, or sensations) have been reported in patients taking Requip. The risk is greater in patients with Parkinson's disease who are elderly, taking Requip with L-dopa, or taking higher amounts of Requip.
If you are taking L-dopa for Parkinson's disease, Requip may make some of the side effects of L-dopa worse. Requip may cause uncontrolled sudden movements or make such movements you already have worse or more frequent.

Some patients taking Requip get urges to behave in a way unusual for them. Examples of this are an unusual urge to gamble or increased sexual urges and behaviors. If you notice or your family notices that you are developing any unusual behaviors, talk to your healthcare provider.

This is not a complete list of side effects and should not take the place of discussions with your healthcare providers. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you a more complete list of possible side effects.

Requip Interactions

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

other dopamine antagonists (such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes and metoclopramide)
estrogens
ciprofloxacin

This is not a complete list of Requip drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Requip Precautions

Restless Legs Syndrome

Patients with RLS should take Requip differently than patients with Parkinson's disease. A lower dose of Requip is generally needed for patients with RLS, and is taken once daily before bedtime.
There are known side effects of Requip. If you fall asleep or feel very sleepy while doing normal activities such as driving, faint, feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up from sitting or lying down, you should talk with your doctor.
Before starting Requip, be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines that make you drowsy.

Unusual urges: Some patients taking Requip or Requip XL get urges to behave in a way unusual for them. Examples of this are an unusual urge to gamble or increased sexual urges and behaviors. If you notice or your family notices that you are developing any unusual behaviors, talk to your healthcare provider.

You should not take Requip if you are allergic to the active ingredient ropinirole or to any of the inactive ingredients.

Parkinson's Disease

Patients with Parkinson's disease should take Requip differently than patients with Restless Legs Syndrome. For Parkinson's disease, a higher dose of Requip is generally needed, and is taken more frequently throughout the day.
There are known side effects of Requip.
If you fall asleep or feel very sleepy while doing normal activities such as driving, faint, feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up from sitting or lying down, you should talk with your doctor.
Hallucinations (unreal visions, sounds, or sensations) have been reported in patients taking Requip. The risk is greater in patients with Parkinson's disease who are elderly, taking Requip with L-dopa or taking higher doses of Requip. If these occur, you should discuss them with your doctor.
Requip may make some of the side effects of L-dopa worse. Requip may cause uncontrolled sudden movements or make such movements you already have worse or more frequent. You should notify your doctor in such a case as dosage adjustments to your anti-Parkinson’s medications may be necessary.
Before starting Requip, be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines that make you drowsy.

You should not take Requip if you are allergic to the active ingredient ropinirole or to any of the inactive ingredients.

Requip Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Requip there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Requip.

Inform MD

Be sure to tell your doctor if:

you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
you are breastfeeding.
you have daytime sleepiness from a sleep disorder other than RLS or have unexpected sleepiness or periods of sleep while taking Requip.
you are taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medicines. Some of these medicines may increase your chances of getting side effects while taking Requip.
you start or stop taking other medicines while you are taking Requip. This may increase your chances of getting side effects.
you start or stop smoking while you are taking Requip. Smoking may decrease the treatment effect of Requip.
you feel dizzy, nauseated, sweaty, or faint when you stand up from sitting or lying down.
you drink alcoholic beverages. This may increase your chances of becoming drowsy or sleepy while taking Requip.

Requip and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Requip will harm your unborn baby.

Requip and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Requip is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

Requip Usage

Restless Legs Syndrome

Be sure to take Requip exactly as directed by your doctor or healthcare provider.
The usual way to take Requip is once in the evening, 1 to 3 hours before bedtime.
Your doctor will start you on a low dose of Requip. Your doctor may change the dose until you are taking the amount of medicine that is right for you to control your symptoms.
If you miss your dose, do not double your next dose. Take only your usual dose 1 to 3 hours before your next bedtime.
Contact your doctor, if you stop taking Requip for any reason. Do not restart without consulting your doctor.
You can take Requip with or without food. Taking Requip with food may decrease the chances of feeling nauseated.

Parkinson's Disease

Be sure to take your Requip exactly as directed by your doctor or healthcare provider.
Three times a day is the usual way to take Requip for Parkinson's disease.
Your doctor will start you on a low dose of Requip. Your doctor will change the dose until you are taking the right amount of medicine to control your symptoms. It may take several weeks before you reach a dose that controls your symptoms.
If you miss a dose, do not double your next dose.
Contact your doctor, if you stop taking Requip for any reason. Do not restart without consulting your doctor.
Your doctor may prescribe Requip alone or add Requip to medicine that you are already taking for Parkinson's disease.
You can take Requip with or without food. Taking Requip with food may decrease the chances of feeling nauseated.

Requip Dosage

Dosing for Restless Legs Syndrome

The recommended adult starting dosage for RLS is 0.25 mg once daily, 1 to 3 hours before bedtime. After 2 days, the dosage can be increased to 0.5 mg once daily and to 1 mg once daily at the end of the first week of dosing, then increased by 0.5 mg weekly as needed to achieve efficacy. For RLS, the safety and effectiveness of doses greater than 4 mg once daily have not been established.

Dosing for Parkinson's Disease

The recommended starting dose for Parkinson’s disease is 0.25 mg 3 times daily. Based on individual patient response, dosage should then be gradually increased. After week 4, if necessary, daily dosage may be increased by 1.5 mg/day on a weekly basis up to a dose of 9 mg/day, and then by up to 3 mg/day weekly to a total dose of 24 mg/day. Doses greater than 24 mg/day have not been tested in clinical trials.

Requip Overdose

If you take too much Requip, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Forms of Requip

Requip tablets are available in the following strengths: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, and 5 mg.

Active ingredient: ropinirole hydrochloride

Inactive ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose 2910 (3 MPA.S), polyethylene glycol 400, polysorbate 80 (0.25 mg), titanium dioxide, ferric oxide yellow (0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg), ferric oxide red (0.5 mg, 2 mg) idigotindisulfonate sodium (0.5 mg, 1 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg), FD&C blue No. 2 (0.5 mg, 1 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg), FD&C yellow No. 6 (3 mg, 4 mg), aluminum oxide (3 mg), cochineal (3 mg), talc (5 mg).

Other Requirements

Studies of people with Parkinson’s disease show that they may be at an increased risk of developing melanoma, a form of skin cancer, when compared to people without Parkinson’s disease. It is not known if this problem is associated with Parkinson’s disease or the medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Requip is one of the medicines used to treat Parkinson’s disease, therefore, patients being treated with Requip should have periodic skin examinations.
Take Requip exactly as your doctor prescribes it.
Do not share Requip with other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have.
Keep Requip out of the reach of children.
Store Requip at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Keep Requip in a tightly closed container.