Ropinirole

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Ropinirole

Ropinirole (marketed as Requip®) is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. It is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and is also the only medication in the United States with an FDA-approved indication for the treatment of restless legs syndrome.

Dosing

Requip is available in various preparations, ranging from the .25mg tablet to the 5mg tablet. The primary reason for such is dose titration. This implies that the person taking ReQuip has to closely interact and communicate with the Personal Care Physician with regard to how much should actually be taken by the patient.

For Restless Legs Syndrome or RLS, the maximum recommended dose is 4mg per day, taken 1 to 3 hours before bedtime.

For Parkinson's Disease or PD, the maximum recommended dose is 24mg per day, taken in three separate doses spread throughout the day.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Week 1
- Day 1-2 0.25mg
- Day 3-7 0.5mg
Week 2 1mg
Week 3 1.5mg
Week 4 2mg
Week 5 2.5mg
Week 6 3mg
Week 7 4mg

Parkison's Disease

Mechanism

Ropinirole binds to D3 receptors, acting as an agonist.

Controversies

Restless legs syndrome is a syndrome which is believed by some to have been fabricated by pharmaceutical companies and the studies they fund in order to make the American people think they need more medication. It has been aggressively marketed through television commercials which use vague wording to convince people they may have this disorder.

External links

Requip for RLS
Requip for PD
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic2/ropinirole_cp.htm

Dopamine agonists