I’ve been a member here for a little while but have never gotten around to posting until now.
It’s currently 2am. I’m up for work in 4 hours and my RLS is terrible. I was prescribed ropinerole a month or so ago but tonight is the first I’ve taken it.
My RLS seems to be triggered by hormones around my time of the month. 2 thirds of the month I’m almost normal. By the time I got a GP appointment last month it was at the end of my period.
So my question is - how long does the ropinerole take to kick in? I had to take a day off work last month which is unheard of for me and I can’t afford to again this month.
Thanks in advance
Written by
LianneC
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I would second the comment about iron. Get your serum ferritin checked and get the actual figure not just that you are ‘normal’ which can be as low as 20. With rls you need to be getting levels to over 100. Low iron can trigger rls and can make existing rls worse.
If you take ropinerole it usually works straight away. It is usually very effective initially but you should ideally take it an hour or more before you go to bed. Take the lowest dose (maybe about 0.5mg - you might have to cut tablets in half). In your shoes I would not go above 1mg. Once it stops working at that dose I would reduce and eliminate the drug for a while and use something else such as pregabalin or tramadol.
I agree wholeheartedly with the two comments above. As you say you only get RLS during your period, then indeed iron is a first and foremost suspect. Please head involuntarydancer’s details re iron/ferritin. And because of the intermittent nature ropinirole may work very well. Just don’t use it the days you don’t need it. It take currently 0,25mg pills of ropinirole - they are available at that low dose.
I thought you may like to read this six year old thread that was put on the forum. At least after viewing it, you will see that you are not alone with the feeling that your symptoms are being triggered by hormones around the time of your period.
Before I was given ropinerole my iron was checked but I was only told it was normal. I’ll ask on Monday when I’m back what the levels were - good advice.
Nothing has changed in my lifestyle, diet etc. I’ve always suffered RLS during my period but never to the point where I lost lots of sleep or missed work.
I’ll take the ropinerole earlier tonight as it did eventually kick in last night.
I have to take it in two doses starting at least three hours before bed, then two hours, more or less. If you leave it much later you don't have a snowball's chance in hell. Then you will waken, and be tempted to take more - it will take two hours to work and you'll be miserable.
Take it early, and do not be tempted to increase your dose before you read all about the problems down the line. They are not inconsiderable.
I am trying to find the courage to taper off because the side-effects are totally unacceptable to me.
The side effects that I experience are even worse sleep quality - 'Insomnia' is listed as the most common neurological side effect.
Then there is the compulsive behaviour, a very major side-effect, which is a really serious issue. In my case, it is compulsive shopping, which is odd as I really do not like shopping.
Malls make me want to puke! It has eaten into my savings dangerously, savings that were carefully built up for my next accommodation. I was not warned of this and blamed myself for my ludicrous behaviour until I discovered the source - but it still feels shameful and blameworthy.
Other compulsions may include gambling and sex. This is all in the package insert if they gave you one. I did not get one.
There are heartbreaking stories of suicides following compulsive gambling as a result of dopamine agonists in which the person had totally destroyed the family fortune.
A very dangerous side -effect from which I do not suffer, but others on this site do, is sudden daytime somnolence. So you may fall asleep at the wheel of you car without warning.
Well, Lianne, first you get mad-as-hell, then you get miserable, then you pick yourself up and start fighting for your life, which is what I am doing now.
When you aak for the exact numbers of your iron levels, ask specifically for ferritin. The Johns Hopkins RLS website has good ( the best) info on iron in relation to RLS:
Hi. Was scrolling through and saw your question. Requip is the brand, Ropinerole is the generic. Mirapex is the brand, Pramipexole the generic. The former is a dopamine agonist and the latter is a dopamergic antiparkinsonism agent. Have no idea what the difference is.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Help with Gabapentin please
Stressed
Appointment with neurologist 
I took krantom for rls and now I want to stop but worried about withdrawal 
