My Mom was officially diagnosed with Parkinson's. They started her on Requip, to see if she got any relief of her symptoms from that medication before starting her on something stronger that may benefit her more in the future. Does anyone here take it? Or taken it in the past? What was your dosage when you finally got some relief? How did it help you? With this medication you have to start so slowly on it.......a very low dose that you increase every week. She is finally at 1 mg. She started off at .25mg. The average dose is about 3 - 9mg. I have only noticed a few "very" slight improvements. Just wondered what everyone's experience was with this med.?
Thank you everyone.
Angel k
I'm not on requip but a similar drug mirapex.Both are agonists,and it is believed they act thru increasing dopamine recption in the brain.If requip doesn't work an alternative might be mirapex.Everyone reacts differently to any given drug so research and plain old fashioned experimentation become neccessary.There is some research that has shown that both requip and mirapex slow down progression of PD although this is hotly debated.I wish you and your mom well,and let us know how requip works.I hope some of the members on requip get back to you Ed
Ed
Angel, I have taken Requip since I was diagnosed with PD in 2001 --- so 4 years. You are correct that you increase (and decrease, if necessary) the dosage slowly. I initially took 4 mg/day. I've been taking 5 mg/day (2 mg when waken, 2 mg early afternoon, 1 mg evening) for 2.5 years. I understood the average dosage to be in the 9-24 mg/day range. 24 mg/day is the max.
My primary symptom is tremor on my right side. Requip helps. I still have some tremor, but prefer to keep my meds low so tolerate the slight tremor.
One of the common side effects of Requip that I notice is tiredness. It's a significant problem for some who then take other meds to offset that side effect of Requip. I have the yawns lasting 15-30 minutes about 20-40 minutes after taking the meds. My neuro/MDS had a patient fall asleep at the wheel when drove while taking Requip. As Ed said, meds/Requip affect different people differently. The side effects are the same - dif for dif folks.
Your mother is fortunate that she was started on a dopamine agonist - Requip, Mirapex, Permax - vs. Sinemet/Stalevo/Levadopa. Save the latter for later when maxed out on alternatives or they are no longer effective.
Hope this helps. Not sure I answered all your questions. If not, please let me know.
lizzy4451
Life is a dance. Don't sit it out. --- H. Jackson Brown
have taken requip for about
8 months now. My biggest complaint is a tremor in my left leg. Since I started requip, I don't have the tremor in my left arm, but still have it in my leg. I am so scared about
this as I know there is no cure for Parkinson's Disease. I have an appt. with my nurologist today as I haven't been there in a while. I also have an appt. with the Mayo Clinic at the end of the month for a second opinion. Good luck to you........................ and your mom.
Welcome to healing Well ,Wish you the best Margaret.You are correct no cure,but in most cases good control with medication.
I was DX with PD in 98,and currently I'm on stalevo and mirapex.These meds allow me to continue to work,albeit at a slower pace.I was scared to pieces when I got my first dx.Who wouldn't be,but time cured that and I look at it as a challenge to fight this,and not give in.Attitiude and exercise are the key I believe to a sucessful battle against PDSo hang in there and we will leave the light on for you in Healing well.Ed
Ed
I don't know how old or active your Mom is but I would warn anyone taking a D2 agonists to beware of the side effects at higher doses....especially mirapex. The only real difference between the requip and mirapex is the time release. One is a six hr. duration and one is an eight.
There are many useful and valid web sources regarding the problems and they should not be taken lightly.
http://www.pdf.org/Publications/newsletters/spring05/Gambling_Sex.cfm
Best of luck. Stay strong, be ready for a cure.
adding my 2 cents. it is thought thought D2 agonists stimulate dopamine receptors in the striatum.Mirapex has an 8-12 hr duration and requip 6 hr.For those unable to take mirapex requip is often an alternatve,and with the attention brought to bear on mirapex relative to compulsive gambling requip is the first choice of many.Ed
Hi Ed and thanks for adding some good, accurate info. My experience with mirapex was horrific. I think like yourself I was dx in 1998.
I started taking mirapex probably in 2001 I ramped up quickly after finishing a trial for resagaline (sp?) which is due out this fall. I strongly recommend it although my progression was slower back then, resagaline was very effective.
My ex-wife and I would occasionally go to Atlantic City and I would bet office superbowl pools but I would not (nor did my friends) consider me a "gambler".
In 2000 at atlantic city casinos we lost < $2,000; in 2001 < $8,000 but in 2002 I lost > $175,000. At that time I was taking mirapex at the highest doses of (I believe) 1.5 mg 4 / day. My wife divorced me and I lost my job.
Now I take requip and fluctuate doses between 4.0 and 5.0 mg @ 5 x as I consider other treatment. I have tried to come off requip because the behaviors are still a problem at 4.0+ mg with stalevo and increased straight levadopa treatment to offset but I get to weirded out over the involuntary movements.
As Most of us note everyone is different and these are meant only as my experience. I must also say low fat, no protein diets with fasts are key for me nothing works better after a day of fasting I am a non patient.
Stay strong be ready, Brian.
Brian,
sorry to hear you had a problem with compulsive gambling.For those on Mirapex it certainly bears watching,The age old question is the cure worse then the disease?For those that have had little problem with mirapex it has often given them good pD control.Every drug is diffferent with every individual,and seems like we are constantlychanging dosage time dosage amount and trying different drugs.We have to do the fine tuning,and keep our neurologist up to date on changes and reasons for changes.Ed
Ed
Has anyone experienced high anxiety and anger on Requip? My husband just started taking it yesterday and today he lost it over a tub that would not drain...accused me of doing something to it and told me to "get out". His car would not start due to extreme cold so after all that he took my car
Simonsali11,
I was diagnosed with Parkinsons and started treatment/meds in 2001. I have been taking Requip and Requip XL since then. I now take 24 mg/day of Requip XL -am close to maxing out. Requip has not caused me to have anxiety nor anger. I would say that the behaviors you are noticing are not typical side effects of Requip ... or other PD meds. I would strongly encourage you to talk to your husband's doctor. Requip or Mirapex, both dopamine agonists, can sometimes cause obsessive behaviors - especially regarding sex and gambling - not typically the behaviors you indicate.
Regarding Requip, I thought I read a post from you on another thread/topic indicating that your husband's doctor had told him PD was curable. Wow! That's news to me .... and simply isn't true. Comments like that from my doc/neuro/MDS would make me question his/her area of expertise. It never hurts to get a second opinion. (I may be mistaken about you posting this. If so, sorry.)
Best of luck!
lizzy4451
Parkinson's Disease Moderator
Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 2001. Meds: Requip XL 24mg
Life is a dance. Don't sit it out. ---- Jackson H. Brown