I have heard that ropinrole has only been in trial tests for about 12 weeks. beyond that when augumentation is possible, this drug has not been tested. Has anyone suffered augmentation beyond 12 weeks of this drug.
PS: Augmentation means the symptoms become worse than the original base line symptom before taking the drug.
pflora
Absolutely
and me.... swapped to Tramadol since then I have got my life back 
Ropinirole is used to treat Parkinsns disease too. I thought it had been in use for years for PD at least.
it has been for years for Parkinson's. She is just saying the drug trials are too short, which they are. Ropinerole was approved for RLS in 2007.
I did the original trials for Glaxo many years ago and was given it before it was approved by NICE does not work as well now but still does work 2mg and one tramadol is what I take.
I've been on ropinorole for three years; 2mg plus one tramadol does the trick for me.
I took Ropinirole for 2years before having to increase the dosage to 4-6 mg. It then went into serious augmentation. I never felt so awful in my life! After that the Dr. put me on Mirapex, which for me has side effects that I don't like. Last week I saw a neurologist about this problem. He has put me back onto a higher dose of Levodopa. This drug worked so well for me for over 10 years but then stopped working altogether. Perhaps with a larger dose ( I don't have the amount in front of me ) it may work. Have not tried it yet.
the larger dose will make you augment faster. lowest dose possible hould be used and then see if you need to up. It sounds like that class of meds is not for you, as your doses are high (4 mgs highest approved for RLS) and your augmentation is recorded in your records. It may not be the right class of meds for you at all. I can't take any of them/ Doctors get "stuck" sometimes in their thinking.
Bambrick, i would try a lower dose of the Levodopa first, as you havent used it for a while it might reset itself and you can take it again at the lower dose. Its worth a try, before you go straight in with the higher dose...
i wonder if there is a recognised protocol on rotating/ increasing doseage of the various medications for the RLS that can be followed for optimum symptom control.
pflora
It has been in use for years and years. Ropinerole is well known MORE for augmentation, and it is hard for me to think of anyone except maybe a dozen people, in the last 14 yrs that has NOT experienced augnebtation. 4 mgs i the highest dose for RLS. I agree that drug trials are waaaay too short, but this drug has been tested and tested. FInally a 5 yr study came out on it that Glaxo SmithKline (drug company) had run, and they covered up some details like serious side effects. They just paid a record 3 billion dolllar fine in the US for covering up information that showed up in the long study/ But, all meds get that initial 12 week study before approval, which never is able to show what long term sde effects could happen, and they are NOT big enough. 20 people does not a study make. The 5 yr study followed over 4,000 people over 5 yrs. but, AFTER it was approved for the US market and the UK market, circa 2007 (approval in US for Ropinerole/Requip) It has been approved for Parkinson's for many years before that. I was caregiver to my father who had PD< as well as lots of other things, so I have studied those meds inside and out.
Thank you night dancer for sharing your experience with these drugs. I have the following link quite useful:
uptodate.com/contents/restl...
this is important so that I can keep a tab on what the GP suggests.
pflora
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