REQUIP (ROPINIROLE)

What is Requip?

Requip or generic Ropinirole is a dopamine agonist that your doctor may prescribe to help reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This is a progressive impairment that occurs from the deterioration of nerve cells in a certain of your brain. As the disease advances, you will begin to have trouble with your central nervous system as some of your motor skills will begin to fail. Early symptoms include shaking, slow movements, and trouble walking. The generic alternative is not manufactured by the same company that makes the brand product.

How Requip Can Help Reduce Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

When taken as directed, Requip is an immediate-release drug that will dissolve quickly and travel in your bloodstream to your brain. Here, it works by imitating the effects of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that relays signals between nerve cells. Your brain needs these chemicals to help your body run smoothly and they also affect moods, sleep, and concentration.

Conditions Treated by Requip

If there is a lack of dopamine in certain areas of your brain and you begin to have movement problems, tremors, and stiffness in your muscles, you may have Parkinson’s disease. Taking Requip or Ropinirole generic as directed can alleviate the symptoms by mimicking the activity of the dopamine you are lacking. Requip can be taken by itself or with Levodopa to treat Parkinson’s disease, especially when Levodopa alone is no longer controlling Parkinson’s symptoms.

Immediate-release Requip is also approved for treating restless leg syndrome, or RLS. This is a recognized neurological disorder that can cause uncomfortable sensations in your legs that makes you feel like you must move them around to make it stop. It is believed that a dopamine imbalance is the cause of RLS and taking Requip can improve your symptoms. RLS is most common in women and older adults. Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and an iron deficiency are believed to be triggers for RLS.

Before You Take Requip

To determine if Requip is safe for you, tell your doctor about other medical conditions or allergies you have and list any current OTC or Rx medications you take, including herbal remedies and dietary or vitamin supplements. If you have young onset Parkinson’s disease (21-40 years old) and are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are nursing a baby, ask your doctor about any risks of taking Requip.

Precautions for Requip

Requip may affect your ability to remain alert while doing daily activities; some patients have reported suddenly falling asleep. Inform your doctor if you experience daytime drowsiness and restrict activities that require you to be awake and alert until you know how Requip affects you. Requip may cause unusual changes in behavior that include the urge to gamble or increased sex drive. Any behavioral changes should be reported to your doctor.

Possible Side Effects of Requip

• Become dizzy or weak
• Confusion
• Hallucinations
• Nausea or vomiting

Requip (Ropinirole Hydrochloride)