Ropinerol, is it bad or good?

[Sanmass]

Hi, I'm new to this website but have suffered from rls for years. I take 3 x 2.5mg of ropinerole at night before bed, sometimes it helps, sometimes not. I have been reading the posts regarding this drug, is there something better I can take?

[Madlegs1]

I'm sure someone with greater knowledge will come to your aid - but I think you are on quite a high dose.

Yes- there are loads of alternatives - check out - rlshelp.org - for a comprehensive review of medications.

You also need to keep an eye on your food and med intake - triggers such as alcohol, salt , raising agents , antihistamines etc.

Good luck.

[Sanmass]

Sorry I posted dosage wrong, it is 3 x 0.25mg I take.

[Hidden in reply to Sanmass]

Oh heck, and i have just written a essay for you thinking you were on a very high dose.. lol So, that is .75mgs just below the 1mg. The rest of what i have said in my other comment applies, worse symptoms etc. ?

[Hidden]

You are on a high dose of Ropinerole. The old highest dose was 4mgs so you are taking even more than the old dosage. The new recommended dose is now 1mg. Do you feel that the Ropinerole is making your RLS worse, are your symptoms coming earlier in day or evening. Those are signs that its Augmentation. If you are wanting to come off the Ropinerole, then you will need to take a strong pain med because you will have withdrawals from all that dopamine and you will need to wean down very slowly usually most take Tramadol as a pain med. There are other meds to take other than dopamine meds, they are the pain meds like Tramadol or Gabapentin, Lyrica or even a low dose of a opiate and maybe Gabapentin, two low doses of two meds can work better. See your doctor and discuss it all with him/her.

[Sanmass in reply to Hidden]

Sorry for the confusion, thank you for your reply, yes my symptoms are worse, I can't even sit down during the day and they start. I will go see my doctor and see what she suggests. Thanks again for your help.

[terrilynn35]

I suffered augmentation on .50 mg ropinirole my drs solution was to increase the dose to 1 mg. Thank goodness I did my research and weaned myself off completely. My rls is controlled now with iron bisglycinate for low ferritin and kratom for the occasional nights when I do get rls. Not for everyone but working well for me .

[Hidden]

It is terrible but can be good if very closely monitored, well for a while anyway.

Please, PLEASE read and reread the side-effects and have someone who knows you well read them and keep a wee eye on you. Many have had their lives ruined by this drug.

A big problem like all drugs is the dose keeps needing increased and at that carry on sooner or later augmentation sets in. When I was on a DA at the start it was great - the RLS was away and all was sweet. Then my thoughts became quite disturbed as the doses were increased and I still get shivers when I think of how I felt.

Read up on augmentation and remember when the time comes WITHDRAW SLOWLY - most Drs do not seem to know this and if you withdraw quickly you can have a terrible time that could last years!

As Madlegs1 says there are alternatives and they are much better imho. In saying that I use the Neupro patch now without the dire thought disturbance......for now!

[Karenaco]

Hi, I'm new to this site too, but having been suffering with RLS for over 30 years. I am only recently (1 month) on Ropinerol. My GP prescribed it in doses of 0.25mg for 2 nights, 0.5mg for 4 nights and 1mg for 7 nights. It was hell for the first 4 days and nights (no sleep at all). My RLS was the worst it's ever been, very voilent spasms. Due to lack of sleep, my GP gave me sleeping tablets for 1 week only. They helped (with the sleep) I am now on 1 - 1.25mg every evening and my RLs is much improved. How long this will last I don't know but you can only try. Good luck and I hope it improves. Really do know how you feel

[scafftag in reply to Karenaco]

My GP swapped me over from pramipexole because of weight gain to ropinarole (0.25 mg for 2 nights, etc, as with you). I had 2 days where I twitched solidly for 15 hrs each day, no sleep at all, even without the pramipexole I never had more than 6 hrs; I also note the small print says that for some, ropinarole can make things worse. So I've gone back to the pramipexole, and will just have to live with being obese, unless something else works! Going to look at ferratin levels.

[Windwalker]

It is good if it works and bad if it doesn't. I take 4 2mg time released tablets every 24 hours, spaced through out. I asked a doctor at Mayo Clinic Arizona, if the med I take to stay as comfortable as possible, is killing me, in the long run. He didn't want to answer, but finally said yes, but we are all dying from the other factor--TIME---.

If taking ropinirole keeps you comfortable and it doesn't cause your compulsive habits to flare up, take it until Augmentation sets in hen you will have to find a way to get off it, not ''cold turkey'' (opiates for a short time) then try it again. You are mostly on your own, because there is precious little published for doctor to study and prescribe. Everything they give you is''off label''. They want all the data to support anything they do to keep the black hearted lawyers at bay.

[Sanmass]

Thank you for all your replies, I do not have any compulsive habits at the moment. What is it that is so bad about Ropinerole? Would I be better coming off it and take Tramadol instead? Thank you

[Hidden in reply to Sanmass]

In my opinion yes, much less troublesome and very effective for most, be aware Drs aren't always keen on prescribing it as they reckon it will turn us all in to heroin addicts!

[mantel]

Having changed from Ropinerol to Tramadol and Lyrica I would say yes come of it. It worked really well for me for 15 years and then stopped keeping the rls at bay. My GP suggested increasing the amount from 0.50 mg to 0.75mg but after reading the problems others on here had doing that I came off altogether. You sound like you are augmenting and the only way to deal with that is to get off the drug causing it. Good luck!