What is Ropinirole?

Ropinirole has some of the same effects as a chemical called dopamine, which occurs naturally in your body. Low levels of dopamine in the brain are associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Ropinirole is used to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as stiffness, tremors, muscle spasms, and poor muscle control. Ropinirole is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS).
Ropinirole may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about Ropinirole?

Ropinirole may cause you to fall asleep during normal daytime activities such as working, talking, eating, or driving. You may fall asleep suddenly, even after feeling alert. Tell your doctor if you have any problems with daytime sleepiness or drowsiness. If you are unsure of how this medicine will affect you, be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
You may have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or other intense urges while taking this medication. Talk with your doctor if you believe you have any intense or unusual urges while taking ropinirole.
Do not share this medication with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do.
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of ropinirole.
Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by ropinirole. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these other medicines.
Ropinirole may cause hallucinations (the sensation of hearing or seeing something that is not there), most commonly among elderly people. Call your doctor if you experience hallucinations.
Do not stop using ropinirole or change your dose without first talking to your doctor. You may have side effects such as fever, muscle stiffness, and confusion if you stop the medication suddenly or if you change doses.
Some people taking medicines for Parkinson’s disease have developed skin cancer (melanoma). However, people with Parkinson’s disease may have a higher risk than most people for developing melanoma. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk and what skin symptoms to watch for. You may need to have regular skin exams.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Ropinirole?

heart disease
high or low blood pressure
mental illness or compulsive behaviors
kidney disease
liver disease; or
if you smoke

You may have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or other intense urges while taking ropinirole. It is not known whether the medicine actually causes this effect. Talk with your doctor if you believe you have any intense or unusual urges while taking ropinirole.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether ropinirole is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether ropinirole passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Ropinirole may reduce breast milk production. Do not take ropinirole without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Ropinirole may cause hallucinations (the sensation of hearing or seeing something that is not there), most commonly among elderly people. Call your doctor if you experience hallucinations.
Some people taking medicines for Parkinson’s disease have developed skin cancer (melanoma). However, people with Parkinson’s disease may have a higher risk than most people for developing melanoma. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk and what skin symptoms to watch for. You may need to have regular skin exams.

Ropinirole Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Ropinirole?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

feeling like you might pass out
fever, stiff muscles, confusion, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats (especially if you stop taking ropinirole or use a lower dose)
hallucinations
tremors (uncontrolled shaking); or
tight feeling in your chest, trouble breathing

Call your doctor promptly if you fall asleep during a daily activity, if you faint, or if you have hallucinations (hearing or seeing something that is not there). Your doctor may want you to stop taking ropinirole, or take a lower dose.
Less serious side effects may occur, such as:

mild nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or loss of appetite
worsened RLS symptoms early in the morning
diarrhea or constipation
dry mouth, sweating
headache
dizziness, drowsiness
sleep problems (insomnia); or
agitation or anxiety

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ropinirole Interactions

What other drugs affect Ropinirole?

Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by ropinirole. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these other medicines, or any other Parkinson’s medications..
Before taking ropinirole, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

levodopa
ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
fluvoxamine (Luvox)
metoclopramide (Reglan)
omeprazole (Prilosec)
a medication used to treat nausea and vomiting or mental illness, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), thioridazine (Mellaril), promazine (Sparine), trifluoperazine (Stelazine), thiothixene (Navane), or haloperidol (Haldol); or
an estrogen such as Premarin, Prempro, Estratest, Ogen, Estraderm, Climara, Vivelle, estradiol, and others

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with ropinirole. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Ropinirole?

Ropinirole can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
Avoid smoking, which can make ropinirole less effective.
Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of ropinirole.
Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Get up slowly and steady yourself to prevent a fall.

Ropinirole Dosage

How should I take Ropinirole?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
The dose and timing of ropinirole in treating Parkinson’s disease is different from the dose and timing in treating RLS.
You may receive ropinirole in a starting kit that has each pill marked with the day you should take it. Do not mix these pills up because they each contain different amounts of ropinirole. The pills must be taken in order so that you gradually receive higher doses of the medication.
You may have a brief increase in side effects whenever your dose is changed.
Ropinirole can be taken with or without food. Taking the medicine with food may help prevent nausea, which is a common side effect of ropinirole.
It may take several weeks or months of using this medicine before your symptoms improve. For best results, keep using the medication as directed.
Do not stop taking ropinirole suddenly or change your doses, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as fever, muscle stiffness, and confusion. Talk to your doctor about how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication.
Do not share this medication with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do.
Store ropinirole at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I overdose on Ropinirole?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.
Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, weakness, fainting, agitation, confusion, hallucinations, muscle twitching, tingly feeling, and chest pain.

What happens if I miss a dose of Ropinirole?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Sourced from everydayhealth.com

Ropinirole