Follow up and Requip questions

Use this section to discuss your experiences with prescription drugs, iron injections, and other medical interventions that involve the introduction of a drug or medicine into the body. Discuss side effects, successes, failures, published research, information about drug trials, and information about new medications being developed.

Important: Posts and information in this section are based on personal experiences and recommendations; they should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a healthcare provider.
Guest

requip

Post by Guest »

Has anyone else had a really bad reaction to requip..where you feel like your pretty much on speed and horrible panic attacks. My doctors took me off of this right away bc they thought I might be alergic. I'm so disapointed bc it sounds like ti has helped a lot of people.n Would I just get used to it? Let me know if anyone has had similar expereinces.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by ViewsAskew »

Ruby, you made me do some research! Here's what I found between the twoL

"However, it's abnormal to pause breathing during sleep for 10 seconds or more. When breathing completely stops for this long, we call it "apnea." When breathing continues, but is decreased to half of what it had been for 10 or more seconds, we call it "hypopnea."

Now, as I understand it, apnea/hypopnea ALSO causes arousals. Most of those arousals you had could have been related to the hypopnea. It seems crazy to me to change meds until you get the CPAP working and see what happens. Sure, it means another sleep study, but why change two or three things all at once and not know what had which effect!

Per the Requip, yes there are LOTS of side effects. But, remember that 80% of the people that take it have no or limited ones. So, your chances are great that you won't have problems. But, I don't think there is ANY evidence that it helps PLMD any better than Mirapex. Of course, it could help you, personally, better, so it might be worth trying. But, like the CPAP, you have to have another sleep study to see if it did.

That brings me back to my first conclusion. Get the CPAP. See what it does. If it doesn't help, start the Requip.

Of course, just my feeble-non-medical ideas, here.

Oh, and to the guest, Requip can cause palpitations, I know, as someone had those on the Yahoo board recently and it was the Requip (it is a listed side effect). At any rate, if you started out a .25 mg, only you can tell if it's worth it trying again (if this isn't a listed dangerous side effect). Some side effects do go away. Others don't. Mirapex is just as good as Requip, so if Requip doesn't work, please consider Mirapex.

Ann
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

CatMar51

Requip & Neurontin

Post by CatMar51 »

My doctor first gave me Neurontin to try. It didn't do anything. After seeing a commercial on tv for RLS I asked my doctor if he could give me a perscription for Requip. I started off with .25 mg to take before bedtime. It really didn't help and I was still getting the jerking of my legs while relaxing watching tv, going to a Broadway play, etc. My dr. gave me a new perscription for 50 mg to take 1 twice a day. Since I'm not inactive during the day I take one at 4 pm and the other at about 10 pm. It works like a charm and better yet, I haven't experienced any side effects. :D

mwade555@planetkc.com

starting requip

Post by mwade555@planetkc.com »

I started requip at .25 and had one nasty night with no benefit. After that, the side effects dropped off, but I was having afternoon problems and hadn't before. I upped the dosage to .50 and then to 1mg per the titration instructions. I did get total relief at this level, have NO afternoon problems now, and no side effects. I'm very pleased with it and hope it works for many moons!!

Mike

mwade555@planetkc.com

starting requip

Post by mwade555@planetkc.com »

PS. It is very important to take the requip a couple of hours before bedtime. Wish the doc had mentioned that, but luckily, someone on this site did!! Bears repeating.

Good luck to all,
Mike

Guest

Re: requip

Post by Guest »

kittymama wrote:
After taking it about two weeks, my elbows started aching and stiffening up at night, so much so that it would wake me up. I called the doctor twice to tell him this; both times, his nurse practicioners called me back to tell me that it wasn't a side effect of Requip and that I must have tendinitis.



So I'm not crazy to think that the swelling I experienced Saturday night might have been caused by Requip? I woke up Sunday morning that not only could I not put my rings on (including my wedding ring), but I could barely fasten my watch band, which is usually a little loose.

When I saw my Dr on Monday (my son had bronchitis), he asked how the Requip was working, as I'd only switched from Mirapex last week. I mentioned the swelling, and he was surprised, as it's not a listed side-effect. However, he made me promise that if it happened again to call and make an appt if it was a week-day or to call their emergency line on the weekend.

Unfortunately, while the Mirapex was mostly successful in subduing the RLS, it made me physically ill for months before we realized that was the trigger.

moreta in AZ

dursker

Re: requip

Post by dursker »

Hello all...I am new to this site but after reading some of your stories I feel at home, although not much better about my rls...I have been taking requip for about three months, after my primary care physician put me on it and it didn't work. I saw a nuerologist who insisted we try the drug again...I reluctantly said "ok." Now I am experiencing some rather unpleasant side effects that include headaches, nausea, non-stop heart palpitations while laying in bed, some diarrhea, dizziness, and others...and I have to increase the dosage gradually in order fo it to work at all now (up to 6 pills)...I am at my wits end! The RLS has been worse since surgery last year. Prior to the surgery I had it only occasionally but it is every night now...my RLS is in one leg only and it is on the left where the broken bone and resulting surgery happened...the only thing that worked to completely calm the symptoms was opiods...this is so frustating, especially since it was only periodically before the surgery...anyway, the requip isn't doing it for me and is reducing my quality of life greatly...ps-mirapex just doesn't agree with me either

Anonymous wrote:
kittymama wrote:
After taking it about two weeks, my elbows started aching and stiffening up at night, so much so that it would wake me up. I called the doctor twice to tell him this; both times, his nurse practicioners called me back to tell me that it wasn't a side effect of Requip and that I must have tendinitis.



So I'm not crazy to think that the swelling I experienced Saturday night might have been caused by Requip? I woke up Sunday morning that not only could I not put my rings on (including my wedding ring), but I could barely fasten my watch band, which is usually a little loose.

When I saw my Dr on Monday (my son had bronchitis), he asked how the Requip was working, as I'd only switched from Mirapex last week. I mentioned the swelling, and he was surprised, as it's not a listed side-effect. However, he made me promise that if it happened again to call and make an appt if it was a week-day or to call their emergency line on the weekend.

Unfortunately, while the Mirapex was mostly successful in subduing the RLS, it made me physically ill for months before we realized that was the trigger.

moreta in AZ

Guest

Post by Guest »

Fortunately for many individuals these dopamine agnoists medications have provided substantial relief!

Both the Mirapex and Requip stopped my RLS sensations, yet the side affects were unbearable. Dursker, I too had heart palpitations, headaches, and my mind would continuely be on high alert, so after a few nights I was unable to sleep. Increasing the dose made the side affects worse, decreasing the dose the RLS came back.

Dursker, Look in the sticky posts for new to RLS, print out the Mayo Clinic Algorithm and take this to your doctor. Opiods can be helpful to RLS sufferers with little or no side affects.

It is also a good idea to read through the sticky posts about medications you may unwittingly be taking which aggravate RLS. The more you learn, the better you will be able to discuss proper treatment with your doctor. If they are unwilling to work with you, find one who will!

Rowing alongside the others, Hazel

Joann

Post by Joann »

I have had RLS for most of my life, although it has gotten worse as I have gotten older. I started taking Requip and at first I thought it was going to help, but lately it hasn't helped at all. Plus I seem to have the condition throughout the whole day instead of only at night. I can't sit still for any length of time, my legs ache and it feels like I just want to crawl out of my skin. I spend much of my time in the evening standing up or walking around. It has gotten so bad that I almost go into a panic if I think I will have to sit confined to one spot for any length of time. I didn't take a pill one night and I felt like I was having a panic attack. Also, I get so uncomfortable at night that I end up going to bed by 9pm and I can't sleep much past 4 in the morning, if you want to call what I get while flopping around in bed sleep.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I have an appointment to see my doctor soon, so hopefully we can get something figured out.

ViewsAskew
Moderator
Posts: 16571
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 6:37 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by ViewsAskew »

Joann, this really sounds like augmentation to me. Of course, just my opinion, but it's important to learn as much about this as you can, as your doctor may not know as much as he/she should.

Please read the following:

General info about the drugs we take - important to know
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1068

A definition of augmentation and othe terms is here:
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=549

A recent thread about augmentation:
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1508& ... gmentation

Somewhere is this thread, there is at least one long post on augmentation:
http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=1360& ... gmentation

I know this is not a short, quick answer, but I don't think I'm capable of those :lol: Hope you find some help in all of this.

Ann
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest

Managing Your RLS

Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

lyndarae
Posts: 620
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:55 pm
Location: pocatello,Idaho

Post by lyndarae »

requip, did not work for me at all I too felt like I was on speed and panic attacks...........................now I started taking it right after I got sober so I dont know if that was part of withdrawl or the requip. But I stopped taking it and with time I stopped having the panic attacks~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lyndarae

carolynsuetoo
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 1:16 am
Location: Porterville CA

Requip side effects

Post by carolynsuetoo »

I have had similar side effects. When first trying Requip, the doctor gave me the packet that slowly increased the dosage over two weeks. Great results at first, no RLS. Into the next week I had problems sleeping, something that I am sure is a form of sleep apnea, and noticed that my blood pressure was high. Being scared, I stopped Requip and my hormone Femhrt imediately. Blood pressure lowered somewhat, went to my doctor. After I got settled on Blood Pressure medication, we added the Requip again only stayed on the lowest dosage. I am happy with what is going on right now, although I am still having sleep apnea, so now I am in the middle of having sleep studies done.

I was having those vivid dreams that you spoke of. It was very disturbing, I can't explain. I think that my sleep was out of wack and I am having sleep apnea. It's surprising what sleep deprivation can do to us. I still have not ruled out that Requiq is somewhat responsible for the sleep apnea. I went back to my hormone Femhrt only for a couple of days, because the sleep apnea increased.

mary 6820
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2021 3:15 am

Re: Follow up and Requip questions

Post by mary 6820 »

I had bad reactions to Requip twice. The first time was 4 years ago when I first moved to South Dakota; I went to the doctor to set up care and she told me I was taking too high a dose of Mirapex and she would like to try Requip. I took one dose and I was like having a panic attack; I looked up the med to see side affects and found that the med should not be taken if you are a smoker and I was a heavy smoker at the time; I ended up in the hospital with left side heart failure. The second time was last week- Mirapex had become ineffective so my present doctor said he would like to try Requip with Gabapentin as we both thought the previous problem was due to my smoking; two days later I notified him it was not helping so he doubled the dose. I ended up having a panic attack while having a Doppler test and the Requip was stopped and I was started on Sinemet 6 days ago.

Rustsmith
Moderator
Posts: 6476
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Follow up and Requip questions

Post by Rustsmith »

Mary, Sinemet is not a drug that should be continuously used to treat RLS. It will cause augmentation to occur very quickly, especially since it sounds like you may have previously augmented on Mirapex. If you are not familiar with the term augmentation, it is a side effect of long term use of a dopamine med (like Mirapex, Requip and Sinemet) to treat RLS. It seems to become ineffective and requires a higher dose just to return to where you where. The dose gets higher and higher and your RLS gets worse and worse when the med becomes ineffective. Pretty soon you are bumping up against the max dose for that drug. Did your doctor mention anything about trying the Neupro patch. It can be rather expensive and causes skin irritation to some, but also works a bit better than pills for those who have augmented on one dopamine med already.

Also, did your doctor request blood work to check on your iron levels? If so, do you know what your ferritin level is? Low ferritin can be an RLS trigger and can reduce the time before augmentation occurs. If your iron is just a little low, oral iron supplements might help but can take a while to have an effect. Better yet would be an iron IV, but it can be difficult to get these in many areas because local doctors don't understand how beneficial these can be for many RLS patients.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

Yankiwi
Posts: 548
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:20 am
Location: West Coast, South Island, New Zealand

Re: Follow up and Requip questions

Post by Yankiwi »

Sinemet is excelent for rare occasional use such as a concert or plane or car trip but I agree with Rustsmith that it should not be used for continuous use. I found out the hard way decades ago when my GP didn't know about augmentation.

Post Reply