Requip's Patient Information

Requip is the brand name for the prescription drug ropinirole hydrochloride. Doctors commonly prescribe Requip for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Function

• Requip functions by increasing levels of dopamine within your brain. Patients with Parkinson's disease normally suffer from a shortage of this important neurotransmitter or brain chemical.

Effects

• Requip is used to treat the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease such as tremors and slow movements as well as a condition known as restless leg syndrome.

Time Frame

• Doctors typically prescribe Requip to be taken four times per day in patients with Parkinson's disease, reports RxList. For restless leg syndrome, doctors recommend the drug be taken once per day, usually one to three hours before bedtime to prevent twitching of your legs at night.

Risks

• Side effects associated with Requip include confusion, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness when rising from sitting to standing and weakness. Risks associated with Requip include falling asleep during daily activities, fainting and hallucinations, according to RxList.

Considerations

• Because its effects upon fetal development are unknown, doctors rarely prescribe Requip for use in pregnant women unless there is no safe alternative to treatment. If you have a history of trouble controlling your muscles, arrhythmia, high or low blood pressure, mental illness, sleep disorders and disease that affects your kidney, liver or lungs, it may not be safe for you to take Requip, warns the Mayo Clinic.