Requip may cause you to fall asleep during normal daytime activities such as working, talking, eating, or driving. You may fall asleep suddenly, even after feeling alert. Tell your doctor if you have any problems with daytime sleepiness or drowsiness. If you are unsure of how this medicine will affect you, be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
You may have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or other intense urges while taking this medication. Talk with your doctor if you believe you have any intense or unusual urges while taking Requip.
Do not share this medication with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do. Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of Requip. Cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by ropinirole. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these other medicines.
Requip may cause hallucinations (the sensation of hearing or seeing something that is not there), most commonly among elderly people. Call your doctor if you experience hallucinations.
Do not stop using Requip or change your dose without first talking to your doctor. You may have side effects such as fever, muscle stiffness, and confusion if you stop the medication suddenly or if you change doses.
Some people taking medicines for Parkinson's disease have developed skin cancer (melanoma). However, people with Parkinson's disease may have a higher risk than most people for developing melanoma. Talk to your doctor about your specific risk and what skin symptoms to watch for. You may need to have regular skin examinations.
Before taking this medicine
You should not use Requip if you are allergic to ropinirole.
To make sure Requip is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
high or low blood pressure;
kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
heart disease, heart rhythm problems;
a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy, or other conditions that may cause daytime sleepiness; or
if you smoke.
People with Parkinson's disease may have a higher risk of skin cancer (melanoma). Talk to your doctor about this risk and what skin symptoms to watch for.
It is not known whether Requip will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
It is not known whether ropinirole passes into breast milk or if it could affect the nursing baby. Ropinirole may slow breast milk production. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.
Requip is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
How should I take Requip?
Take Requip exactly as it was prescribed for you. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
If you are taking immediate-release Requip tablets you should not take the extended-release tablets at the same time.
The dose and timing of Requip in treating Parkinson's disease is different from the dose and timing in treating RLS. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about the kind of ropinirole you receive at the pharmacy.
Requip can be taken with or without food. Take the medicine at the same time each day.
Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release Requip XL tablet. Swallow the tablet whole.
Call your doctor if you see part of the tablet in your stool. This is a sign that your body may not have absorbed all of the medicine.
If you are taking this medicine for RLS, tell your doctor if your symptoms get worse, if they occur in the morning or earlier than usual in the evening, or if you feel restless symptoms in your hands or arms.
It may take up to several weeks before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.
Do not stop using Requip suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.
