Health Library

Ropinirole (By mouth)

Ropinirole (roe-PIN-i-role)

Treats Parkinson disease and restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Brand Name(s):

Requip, Requip XL

When This Medicine Should Not Be Used:

How to Use This Medicine:

Tablet, Long Acting Tablet

• Take your medicine as directed. Your dose may need to be changed several times to find what works best for you.
• You may take this medicine with or without food. Taking this medicine with food may help reduce nausea.
• The extended-release tablets work differently from the regular tablets, even at the same dose. Do not switch from one form to the other unless your doctor tells you to.
• Swallow the extended-release tablet whole. Do not crush, break, or chew it.
• Read and follow the patient instructions that come with this medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
• Missed dose: Skip the missed dose, and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not use extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.
• Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid:

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

• Some medicines can affect how ropinirole works. Tell your doctor knows if you are using any of the following:
  • Ciprofloxacin, levodopa, metoclopramide, thiothixene
  • Birth control pills, or estrogen to treat menopausal symptoms
  • Phenothiazine medicine (including chlorpromazine, perphenazine, prochlorperazine, promethazine, thioridazine)
• Tell your doctor if you use anything else that makes you sleepy. Some examples are allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, and alcohol.
• Do not drink alcohol while you are using this medicine.

Warnings While Using This Medicine:

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney disease, liver disease, a sleep disorder, high or low blood pressure, heart disease, heart rhythm problems, lung disease, dyskinesia (trouble with muscle control), or a history of mental health problems. Tell your doctor if you smoke or drink alcohol.
• This medicine may cause the following problems:
  • High or low blood pressure
  • Hallucinations
  • Unusual changes in thoughts or behavior, including an urge to gamble, spend money, binge eat, or an increased sex drive
  • Increased risk for skin cancer, including melanoma
• This medicine may make you dizzy, drowsy, lightheaded, or faint. It may even cause you to fall asleep without warning while you drive, talk, or eat. Do not drive or do anything that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. Stand up slowly if you feel dizzy or lightheaded.
• Do not stop using this medicine suddenly. Your doctor will need to slowly decrease your dose before you stop it completely.
• Your doctor will check your progress and the effects of this medicine at regular visits. Keep all appointments.
• Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse. For RLS, the symptoms might get worse in the early morning, start earlier in the afternoon, or spread to your arms.
• Keep all medicine out of the reach of children. Never share your medicine with anyone.

Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine:

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

• Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
• Changes in vision
• Chest pain, trouble breathing, fast or slow heartbeat
• Extreme sleepiness or drowsiness
• Fever, sweating, confusion, muscle stiffness
• Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
• Skin changes or growths
• Twitching or muscle movements you cannot control (either new or worse than usual)
• Unusual changes in mood or behavior, behaviors you cannot control, seeing or hearing things that are not really there

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

• Headache
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation, stomach upset
• Tiredness

If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088

Last Updated: 9/6/2024