Does Ropinirol cause weight gain?

[Notlikinthis]

I have been on ropinirol for about 5 years. My scrip is 1 mg and I take 2 every evening, sometimes I'll take one more if the RLS gets particularly bad. Recently I discovered the gaba supplement which really seems to help. Ideally, I'd like to wean off the ropinirol and just take gaba.

During the last 5 years my weight has steadily climbed and my eating habits have not changed. When I diet the weight just does not come off, even with added exercise. If I over do the exercise, then my RLS kicks up even worse. I'm just wondering if the ropinirol is the culprit. I want off this stuff and not take any scripts at all.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[Micafe]

Hi!.

The fact that no one else has replied to you tells me it hasn't happened to anyone. My weight is very stable, but I avoid eating fattening food. Have you had your thyroid checked?

[Munroist]

Hi Notlikinthis, I have never taken ropirinole so I can’t comment there but I notice you mention a “GABA” supplement - is this pregabalin or gabapentin? If so then these drugs have weight gain listed as a recognised potential side-effect and I have seen some people report this. However I took pregabalin for just under a year and I did see a very slight weight increase despite an increase in activity, but I wasn’t particularly disciplined with my eating and I suspect I could have done something about it if I’d put my mind to it. I found pregabalin very useful to help me adjust to some of the effects of a back problem as it reduced the symptoms and lowered anxiety, but in the end I decided to come off it and which I did very slowly as is the recommendation for most drugs, and I’m pleased I did. When I stopped taking it the weight didn’t suddenly roll off and it took several months of careful eating to do that so for me I don’t think the drug had a significant effect on my weight.

[Notlikinthis in reply to Munroist]

Actually what I'm taking is gaba, a nutritional supplement, not a pharmaceutical. Gaba is short for Gamma Aminobutyric Acid. It supposedly promotes relaxation. I take it before the RLS starts and it seems to help. I have also taken it when the twitches have started and it helps too.

[Munroist in reply to Notlikinthis]

Ok, sorry, got that wrong then :-). Interesting though, I will look into it thanks.

[Ranjits]

I am taking Rotingine patch’s now before I was taking premipoxle these patch’s 1 mg seem is not helping I think may be I need more please tell me if any body knows about these patch’s still my rls sometime kicking badly

[Joolsg in reply to Ranjits]

Look up augmentation. You were on pramipexole & presumably switched to the rotigitone patch because the pramipexole wasn’t working.

All Dopamine agonists cause augmentation eventually. Read the pinned post (top right) & wstch Dr Early in the video on the main page of RLS UK website.

The only solution is to get off the patch very slowly. It can be done by cutting the patch even though the leaflets say you cannot cut them.

Once off the patch other meds like pregabalin, Gabapentin or low dose opioids are alternatives.

Start taking them about 4 weeks before the last dose of the patch.

[Eryl]

The thing causing your rls is probably the same thing causing your weight gain. Ie, a high carb diet. Too many carbs raise blood sugar resulting in high insulin levels which can cause inflammation in the nerves leading to rls. When your blood sugar is high insulin triggers the cells in your body to use it up to keep it within the normal range. If you're not active and your muscles are burning it, the sugar turns to glycogen and is stored in muscles and the liver as a reserve source for when your blood sugar goes too low. The glycogen storage does have a limit and when your body can't store any more the liver starts making the building blocks for fat resulting in weight gain.

[Notlikinthis in reply to Eryl]

I am already on a low carb eating regimen. I noticed that the rls was worse when I ate sugary stuff or too many carbs, so I put myself on the low carbs quite awhile ago. That helped, but I still get bad bouts of it and I'm still trying to figure out what triggers it. Thanks for your input!

[dklohrey]

I was on ropinirole for about 20 years, eventually reaching 3 mg every night. I have recently gotten off of it completely and now rely on gabapentin, though I am still trying to determine the best dosage. I am currently on 600 mg and have little if any daytime symptoms. I can even drive without my legs kicking. I am even able to sit down and watch tv at night and even to watch tv in bed without any symptoms. I take gabapentin about 8 o'clock at night. I start getting some symptoms around 10 o'clock which keep me up until about 1:00. This is when I call up YouTube on the tv and watch outdoor camping (how to build a log cabin in the wilderness or listen to videos of the countryside, accompanied by the sounds of rain. It really does seem to help, taking my mind off of the jerking of my legs). I suspect I will end up at 900 mg of gabapentin which seems to be the norm for rls. Now to your question. I had steady weight gain while on ropinirole. I could look at a piece of cake and gain a pound. I have been amazed since I got off of ropinirole. Even with covid restrictions and the holidays I have been able to lose weight, which I had desired for some time. I even spoil myself on occasion with some holiday deserts with no repercussions. Its amazing. So, yes, in my case, ropinirole resulted in weight gain and difficulty taking it off.

[Notlikinthis]

Thank you! They put me on gabapentin at first then kept upping the dosage because it would quit working. It was leaving me feeling loopy and tired all the time so I quit. I want to quit the ropinirol too

[mmb8083]

gained 10 lbs in first week I was in this horrible medication. Have since augmented and am glad to be off. Weight has come off too

[Craftyfox]

I have been wondering if Ropinirole causes weight gain as I have gained about 25lbs since I started taking it approximately 10years ago. I am currently taking 6mgER in afternoon and 1-2mg in am. I crave carbs now but I used to be able to control it now not so much. My case has been cited as one of the worst ever seen. My legs even jumped under anesthesia in surgery! I also take Lyrica 25mg 3xday.