Ropinirole side effects

[Cailen]

I have RLS in legs and nervous tension in arms, insomnia, I have been prescribed ropinirole and taking for nearly 2 years.

has anyone side effects?

[Madlegs1]

Please check out " augmentation" .There is probably a pinned post somewhere on this page, or use the search icon.

Good luck.

[Joolsg]

Thousands and thousands suffer Augmentation on Ropinirole so, as Madlegs advises, read the pinned post so you know what to look out for. Also Impulse Control Disorder ( over eating, compulsive spending/ gambling, hypersexuality). Any doctor prescribing Ropinirole should clearly point out these risks.Before prescribing any meds, doctors should first have arranged a full panel ood test as many cases can be completely resolved by raising brain iron levels. Seru ferritin above 100 can also prevent/delay Augmentation.

Which country are you in? If UK, have a look at the NICE and NHS guidelines on RLS.

[Maureen133]

I take 4 a day,10oc,2oc6oc,10oc.i take 2 tramadol x2 at 10oc and 10oc.It helps a lot.

[Shaft1952]

Hi Cailen it is a good few years since I had ropinerole, so can't totally remember the side effects. The best place to look for side effects of RLS drugs are. It has a page with all medication prescribed & side effects rls-uk.org, you will also find lots of other information on rls. Hope this helps. Shakey52

[Michaelblue]

I have had RLS since the age of 18 I am now 90. Nothing has helped including Ropinerol and increased dosage. Earlier this year it got so bad I had no sleep day and night I was prescribed Quinine and then Pre gablin both caused increased problems and I started falling and was in dreadful pain . My partner (a retired nurse) finally got a GP to listen to her and stopped the quinine and pre gablin and started taking Amitriptyline 10mg . I now feel so much better I sleep well so my legs are still. I still have times when I cannot control the RLS but at least most nights I can sleep.

[Joolsg in reply to Michaelblue]

You're clearly in the 1% category for whom Amitriptyline doesn't worsen RLS. It made mine 2000% worse.Thank goodness your partner is looking out for you. Quinine is not used for RLS and can cause heart issues. Your GP clearly isn't knowledgeable.

Good to hear you're sleeping better.

[ziggypiggy in reply to Joolsg]

RLS is weird that way. It would be interesting if we had a poll where everyone listed the one medication that was the worst for RLS?

[Mattly]

People have mentioned augmentation. I've been on ropinirole for 4 years and have avoided it, possibly - though can't be certain - by following a simple regime: 1) Don't increase the dose (Still on 0.5mg per day) and 2) Take breaks from your Ropinirole now and again - a few days - to give your body some time away from it. You may struggle through those days, but its worth it to avoid augmentation.

In terms of side effects, if I've been on it continually for a while I can feel light headed and drowsy, and at its most extreme I get almost narcolepsy style moments where I drop off suddenly during the day, though fortunately not when I'm mentally engaged such as when driving or cooking.

[dklohrey]

Besides the eventual onslaught of augmentation (I was lucky. Was able to take ropinirole for over 20 years, though I did end up taking 3mg at the end of its effectiveness.), the only side effect I was aware of was impulse eating. Once I went off of it, I lost about 40 pounds over a three month period.

[Cailen]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the great replies, on this thread and others, I have finally managed to discuss with a GP and have been told to stop the Ropinirole, which I have been taking for over 3 years, and the doctor (GP) has put me on Pramipexole 88microgram tablets. This was in answer to my question that there must be something better now, an alternative to with improvement now to Ropinirole, anyone on the forum have experiences of this medication ?

I would just like to add that this was triggered by the ropinirole side effect I have experienced on and off during my time on this drug and I need to eliminate it as a cause to over eating, impulse control disorder.

Supplements magnesium, iron have not helped me at all with RLS and the insomnia that goes along with it, also ropinirole has never provided me with any great relief.

Triggers are in my case alcohol e.g. just a pint of beer at lunch time impacts me later in the evening and intensive exercise.

This disorder is extremely changeable and impact, triggers, relief are so person specific but madding to the sufferer.

Regards