have been using Requip for 6 months

[Carol Bucciarelli]

I had been someone who had restless legs around 5 or 6 times per month. Upon beginning Requip I found that I became extremely nauseated and also got a headache.(I began with 1/2 mg. and now sometimes use 1 mg) This side effect has continued throughout my use. The restless legs did go away so that I slept well, but I began to dread the time when I would take it because I would feel unwell for over an hour. Upon trying to stop the medication, I had episodes of several hours of SEVERE restless legs which continued until I took Requip. Now I feel locked into taking this medication and would willingly return to my few episodes of restless legs (mild) per months rather than this daily time of feeling unwell. Any thoughts?

[Linda Gibson]

I had a similar experience with Mirapex and was recently given a trial of requip to try instead. I had extreme problems from taking the smaller starting dose and ended up taking my mirapex half-way through the night. I wonder how to taper off...

[Helen Granger]

I have been on Requip for 4 months for Parkinson's. My condition has gone from a slight hand tremor in Dec. to now having severe acid indigestion amd cramps in my right foot and into my knees that I can no longer drive and somedays can barely walk. I have just taken myself off all medication and hoping that my body will return to its normal state. Also, in the last 4 months I have lost 20 pounds.

[laura kubica]

I have been taking Requip for 2 months now and it is a miracle!!!
I had been plaged with restless legs at least 20 times a month, up until 2:30 in the morning. With starting the trial package 2 months ago, it has been heaven since the first night. My only side effect has been some dizziness. But I haven't had a bad night sleep since. Thank you REQUIP!

[Janie]

I have had restless leg syndrome for about 25 years, but was only diagnosed about 15 years ago - and this was by a tech in a clinic! Anyway, my doctor put me on Sinemet. It, literally, saved my life! My case was so severe, that I rarely slept, nor could I sit for more than 45 minutes without being miserable. I got stuck on a 4-seater airplane for 2 hours and wanted to jump out of the window because I was so miserable.

Sinemet, which in generic form is carbadopa/levodopa, is wonderful. I have had NO side effects. At first I took two 25-100 MG Tablets, one around dinner time, and one at bedtime. It worked from the very first night. Now I usually wait until my legs start their "thing" in the evening to take any. If I don't sit around for a long time in the evening, I only take one shortly before I go to bed.

If I go to the theater or on an airplane, I always take one about 15 minutes before. If I am going to be stuck in a meeting for an hour or more, I take one before I go in. THIS STUFF IS WONDERFUL! Like I said, I have had NO side effects, and have been taking this for at least 15 years.

I meet a lot of people who have restless leg syndrome, but they don't even know what it is. My son and my daughter both have it. My son refuses to take anything because he is afraid he will get hooked on it and will have to take larger doses in the future. I have not found this to be true at all. My daughter takes one only on nights when she has to. My son says that, when his feet get too warm at night, he knows he will end up with an attack. I feel that the warm feet are the first sign of an attack.

Anyway, I highly recommend Sinemet (carbadopa/levodopa in 25/100 MG). I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience with this drug. REQUIP SCARES ME. THEY LIST TOO MANY SIDE EFFECTS.
So ... ask your doctor about Sinemet! Hopefully, you can have the same results I have had.

Janie

[Patty - Toronto Canada]

My husband took requip for about 6 months. It did nothing for his restless leg syndrome, which now some Dr's say he never had. Now he has a nerve problem, you cannot see it from the outside but he "jumps" inside on all his limbs. He has been tested for Parkinson at the Mayo Clinic in Florida and he has none of these "nerve" diseases. Has anyone experienced this kind of thing from Requip. He stopped Requip a year ago. thanks.

[Barry New Hampshire]

I started taking requip in may of 2001.I gradually built up to 25 milligrams.I developed a real bad gambling problem,but i never associated it with the requip.I stopped taking the drug at the advice of my doctor,in middle of august.Also my eyesight seems to be getting back to normal.Well i have slowed down a real lot on the gambling,but it came about 6 months to late as i have to make the hardest decision of my life.I will most likely have to file bankruptcy.My advice is do not let anyone you know or care about start taking this drug.its long term affects far outweigh its short term effectiveness

[richard]

Helen Granger wrote:

I have been on Requip for 4 months for Parkinson's. My condition has gone from a slight hand tremor in Dec. to now having severe acid indigestion amd cramps in my right foot and into my knees that I can no longer drive and somedays can barely walk. I have just taken myself off all medication and hoping that my body will return to its normal state. Also, in the last 4 months I have lost 20 pounds.

My mother-in-law has been taking requip about the same time with similar results. We have talked her into stopping the drug which she has to do over a period of time.Stopping the drug suddenly apparently brings on other side effects.She is seeing a holistic Dr. this week.I did extensive research on this drug and have studied the trial results.If you look at the drug co. trial results ,the drug sounds great but on the independent studies results told a different story. In these studies only 13% of the people showed improvement.9% showed improvement with a placebo.That tells me that the drug is total inefective.Now in my research I found a natural herb made in India from a bean.It is pure L-dopa extract from mucuna prurien.They have been treating parkinsons in India with it for hundreds of years.We just got this so I don't have results on it but it sound good and no side affects.I will let you know how it works.If you wonder why you havn't heard of this its because a few years ago the drug industry lobyied congress to pass a law that states only drugs can cure disease .So if a company finds a natural remedy that you can grow in your back yard and they advertise it they can be shut down and arrested for selling drugs without a lisence.

[Chris-Wichita]

I took requip for several months for RLS. It caused severe compulsive problems. Most of it was a very strong sexual desire which pretty much took over my thought process. I have been off it for several months and have had no additional
problems. I have started using valerian root and it has helped some.

[lisa maki]

I have been taking requip since last September (1mg before bed) with no side effects. My problem is that in the past 2 to 3 months I notice "break through" that even happen during the day. I am not too sure if I should ask my doctor to increase the dosage or not. Some of the other statements I have read scares me into asking but I don't like what is currently going on with my legs. Any advise?

[Anne]

Has anybody had the "compulsive gambling side effect from taking Requip???? My husband has been takin Requip since 2005 and the gambling has progressively gotten worse. He tried to cover it up for a long time - I suspected it but tried to give him the benefit of the doubt..until he started making cash withdrawals at the Casinos.

The doctor has been contacted and is gradually reducing the doseage. How long does it take to get this out of the system????....does the gambling need ever go away?????
Would appreciate any comments you might have.

[Danny]

You say you don't have any problems as far as side effects with Sinemet now, but the problem with that drug is long term use, it actually ends up causing the movements that you are trying to control with this drug. It is called Rebound, or Augmentation, take a closer look into this before you use a drug that is not approved for RLS.

[Danny]

Janie wrote:

I have had restless leg syndrome for about 25 years, but was only diagnosed about 15 years ago - and this was by a tech in a clinic! Anyway, my doctor put me on Sinemet. It, literally, saved my life! My case was so severe, that I rarely slept, nor could I sit for more than 45 minutes without being miserable. I got stuck on a 4-seater airplane for 2 hours and wanted to jump out of the window because I was so miserable.
Sinemet, which in generic form is carbadopa/levodopa, is wonderful. I have had NO side effects. At first I took two 25-100 MG Tablets, one around dinner time, and one at bedtime. It worked from the very first night. Now I usually wait until my legs start their "thing" in the evening to take any. If I don't sit around for a long time in the evening, I only take one shortly before I go to bed.
If I go to the theater or on an airplane, I always take one about 15 minutes before. If I am going to be stuck in a meeting for an hour or more, I take one before I go in. THIS STUFF IS WONDERFUL! Like I said, I have had NO side effects, and have been taking this for at least 15 years.
I meet a lot of people who have restless leg syndrome, but they don't even know what it is. My son and my daughter both have it. My son refuses to take anything because he is afraid he will get hooked on it and will have to take larger doses in the future. I have not found this to be true at all. My daughter takes one only on nights when she has to. My son says that, when his feet get too warm at night, he knows he will end up with an attack. I feel that the warm feet are the first sign of an attack.
Anyway, I highly recommend Sinemet (carbadopa/levodopa in 25/100 MG). I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience with this drug. REQUIP SCARES ME. THEY LIST TOO MANY SIDE EFFECTS.
So ... ask your doctor about Sinemet! Hopefully, you can have the same results I have had.
Janie

You say you don't have any problems as far as side effects with Sinemet now, but the problem with that drug is long term use, it actually ends up causing the movements that you are trying to control with this drug. It is called Rebound, or Augmentation, take a closer look into this before you use a drug that is not approved for RLS.

[jodi]

I have had restless legs for about 20 yrs. now.It makes me so angry when people say its all in your head. It is a terrible thing to have . I probably would have commited suicide by now if it weren't for requip as I have restless legs every day.I have no side effects at all from it the only thing that I don't like is that it takes 2 hrs to take effect and only lasts 6 hrs. thats 1 mg , I am now on the generic 2 mg.I find it hard to believe that it causes gamblling addiction.

[Charles]

I first started on Miraprex about 4 years ago, then switched to Requip about 3 years ago. I consider it a major quality of life improvement! I have developed a resistance over time, I now take 2mg before bed and 1 mg 3 times during the day because my RLS affects me during the day as well. My experience has been that the 2mg makes me sleepy, so I don't like taking it during the day. Walgreens just told me the generic has just come out, so I look forward to less prescription bills. I was never a big gambler and have had no compuslsions toward that.
My only addiction problem has always been with food, and I don't think the Requip has made that better or worse. I also take Cymbalta anti-depressant - I don't know if that might offset some of the requip compulsion side effects or not.
I consider Requip a miracle drug.

[Paula]

I have been on Requip for about 2 years and love it. It made a dramatic difference in my quality of life. I had episodes every day. I can't sit still in a movie or meeting. I can't wear jeans because they feel too restricting on my legs.
Requip changed that so that it only bothers me about 2 times a month. I have had no addiction or compulsion issues. I don't drink, gamble, smoke,or anything else.
I got the generic from TEVA Phamacuticals this month and it isn't working. I am back to a wiggly tired mess.
Now I will have to pay much more for the real stuff with my insurance since a generic is available.
Watch out for the generics.

[bitfrmtick]

my RLS, fibro, cfs, pre-parkinson,MS, splitends syndrome etc... has all been undignosed lyme disease and co-infections...years and years of mis-dgnosis's. My rls was not just in my legs.. but i was still dignosed ??? theres no test. No medications ultimatly helped for very long. Antibiotics are waning ALL my symptoms as the months go by- Infectious disease - not many Lyme literate doc's left on planet earth - demand western blots and physically get the results yourself and research- you have to advocate for yourself- especially where entire family's are concerned, and parkinsons....

[andres]

i have had pins and needles in imy my right foot and little finger for close on 2 years.it is constant and extremely painful.it keeps me awake most of the night and it feels like a glove is is squeezing my foot and baby finger on my left hand.i live in perth australia.please can someone make a suggestion which could take away this constant burning feeling i suffer from????

[Bob in England]

I use a superior extract from the mucuna bean/L-Dopa, it has been great, improved my sleep quality and mood tremendously, you can read about it on the net, I persoanlly buy mine through ebay.co.uk, it is cheap and seems to have no nasty side effects for me, maybe if you are outside the UK you can locate this high strength extract or look for the seller brainfoods on ebay.co.uk. I am a genuine buyer from this person not the seller and have no other association other than purchase from them, can do you no harm to check it out. Best wishes BOB (UK)

[RJordan]

Have you noticed any side affects from not taking it anymore? I take .25 once daily, but if I miss a few days, Help me. I have severe muscle spasms that bring tears and sweating. Truly awful.....
Anyone else.....

Helen Granger wrote:

I have been on Requip for 4 months for Parkinson's. My condition has gone from a slight hand tremor in Dec. to now having severe acid indigestion amd cramps in my right foot and into my knees that I can no longer drive and somedays can barely walk. I have just taken myself off all medication and hoping that my body will return to its normal state. Also, in the last 4 months I have lost 20 pounds.