Requip and Nausea: What Users Say

• dai...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 14, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I had been on generic ropinirole for months, and because it was so effective, I tolerated severe nausea, nasal congestion, hiccups, and flushing because I was desperate to sleep. When I talked to my neurologist, he had me switch to the name brand based on side effects, and it was so bizarre. The drug works great and with zero side effects. He said the dosing range that generics are allowed to meet is much too large for some of the neurology drugs, and because pharmacy plans frequently switch which generic manufacturer they use, it is impossible to avoid dosage problems as well. The issue for me was also one of side effects from additives that were not in brand Requip but were in the generic. Hope this helps someone."

• Sta...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 10, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had severe refractory full body RLS for 10 years. My symptoms are 24/7 without medication. I was prescribed Requip, and it was one of the worst nights of my life! I was terribly nauseous and vomited all night. But even worse than that was the fact that it made my RLS much worse. I had the same results with Mirapex. My doctor tried me on several other meds. None of them worked, and some made the RLS worse like the Requip and Mirapex did. I ended up hurting my shoulder pretty badly, and my doctor prescribed Tramadol. Lo and behold, once it got into my system, the RLS was gone! I've been taking the Tramadol every 6 hours for 9 years now and am still symptom-free and doing great!"

• Jan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 22, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I started Requip 1 mg at bedtime. It worked great for 3-4 months. My Dr. increased the dosage so I now take 3 mg at bedtime. Again, it worked great for a few months, and then the symptoms reappeared. The Requip is better than nothing, but I was up pacing the floors when I should have been sleeping. My husband suggested acupuncture, and that has made a huge difference. I take the Requip 3 mg with 3 saltines to prevent nausea and vomiting. I have an acupuncture treatment every 2 weeks, and no problems when I go to bed."

• rai...
• February 28, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had restless legs syndrome for 20 years or so now. I have been taking Requip for almost the entire time it was diagnosed, and I have a severe case. In the past few months, I have experienced some nausea, dizziness, pain, and tiredness after my first dose in the morning. I did not realize this could be a side effect of the medication. I take 4mg, 3X a day. If I did not, I would never sleep, sit through a movie, or be able to focus on work. I will put up with the side effects."

• Dee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 5, 2020

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking Requip for probably 15 years for RLS. Then I was moved up to Requip XL, and I've been taking that just fine for probably another 8 years. And if you have restless leg syndrome, do you know what I'm talking about? There's no such thing as sleep, you just can't. I would rather go without my heart medication and have a heart attack than get no sleep and have a heart attack. Because my Requip works, I have to have the brand name. The ropinirole makes me very sick, sick to my stomach. I threw all my pills up, and that doesn't do any good. It also makes me sick to my stomach and nauseous all day, I don't want that either. So for the last four months, I have been trying to refill my Requip, and nobody seems to have it. Did they stop making the real thing? Please tell me they did not stop making Requip and all they have is ropinirole. It would be the end of me, I cannot find the real thing. I need the real thing!"

• Dee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 5, 2020

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking Requip for probably 15 years for RLS. Then I was moved up to Requip XL, and I've been taking that just fine for probably another 8 years. And if you have restless leg syndrome, do you know what I'm talking about? There's no such thing as sleep, you just can't. I would rather go without my heart medication and have a heart attack than get no sleep and have a heart attack. Because my Requip works, I have to have the brand name. The ropinirole makes me very sick, sick to my stomach. I threw all my pills up, and that doesn't do any good. It also makes me sick to my stomach and nauseous all day, I don't want that either. So for the last four months, I have been trying to refill my Requip, and nobody seems to have it. Did they stop making the real thing? Please tell me they did not stop making Requip and all they have is ropinirole. It would be the end of me, I cannot find the real thing. I need the real thing!"

• bla...
• February 21, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Let me first start by saying that Requip did work very well to control my restless legs syndrome. (I have terrible, uncontrollable leg movement/pain.) However, the side effects of the higher dosage made me very sick. Approximately one hour before bedtime, I had taken the pill. I began to feel extremely nauseous, with excruciating stomach cramps, chills, and my head started spinning. I could barely make it to the bathroom, where I immediately threw up. I found relief soon thereafter from the side effects. I continued having a mild stomach ache about 4 hours later. Requip should definitely be taken in a smaller dosage at first. Then move up gradually when you feel that the dosage isn't covering all your pains. I take Requip daily and have for 10 years for my RLS. Feel better!"

• Kat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 1, 2018

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Been on Requip, 1 mg for over ten years. The first 10 days or so, it was awful. Thought I would pass out. Kept stopping and starting again. Then, like magic, no more side effects and worked 90% of the time. Retired this year and switched to cheaper ropinirole, 2 mg, as the lower dose was useless! Nausea too. So, now it’s 8 months later and switched back to brand Requip. Some things are just not worth the cheaper price. Grateful I will sleep tonight!!"

• Sho...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 31, 2019

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Wonderful, especially the extended release. Generic makes me deathly nauseous. Requip is a miracle. Have had RLS since 10 years old. I am 63. Wocart stopped making generic that did not make me sick. Had to go to the brand name. Made me sick first 2 nights. Now the miracle for me."

• Drm...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 15, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "It works great for Restless Legs Syndrome. I can finally sleep at night. I'm 41, and the first time I experienced RLS, I was 8. I could just do without the side effects. I'm on 2 mg, and I think if it was upped, my side effects would worsen. I feel sick to my stomach. I vomit at times. I've had hallucinations. It makes me feel like my blood sugar is dropping, but it's not. Just makes my body not feel right. Thinking about finding something else without these side effects."

• Anonymous
• April 10, 2012

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I loved Requip the first 3 months with no side effects. I was on 0.5 mg. Then I started to have anxiety attacks, emotional meltdowns, fatigued muscles, hot flashes during nighttime, and nausea. I stopped the medicine and all my problems went away, unfortunately, my RLS came back."

• Tex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "After years of suffering with RLS and two especially bad nights, I finally went to the doctor, and he prescribed Requip. Last night was my first night taking it, and it did work. It made me extremely nauseated and gave me a massive headache, and I woke up every couple of hours. The third time I woke up, I took a diphenhydramine sleeping pill. That is important to know because generally, a sleeping pill would send the RLS through the roof, affecting even my arms. No RLS symptoms after I took the sleeping pill. My head still hurts, and I'm still a little nauseated, but my legs are not bothering me. Since it did cause a massive headache, I will try using it only when the RLS is active and see if that works better for me."

• Sjc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 20, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have tried several different medications over the past years. Some work at first, but later stop. Some have horrible side effects or just are not effective. I have found that Requip extended release works nearly all the time for me. I have to set a reminder on my phone and take it (2 mg) at 4:15 pm. Regular (not ext release) Requip made me nauseous."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 14, 2012

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had restless legs syndrome for much longer than anyone knew what it was. I was a kid in the '70s getting in trouble for 'squirming' at my desk. It tends to act up more with periods of activity. When my wife and I were dating, I was at the gym and riding a bike, and I would wake up in the middle of the night and do stretches and anything to try and make the feeling go away. Recently, it has become unbearable again for some reason, it is ten years after the last bad period. I have tried Lyrica, which did not seem to help, Neurontin, which helped some but was wiping me out with tiredness, and I just switched to Mirapex because I couldn't see that 1-2 mg a night was doing anything but making me nauseous."

• Dag...
• February 18, 2012

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had restless legs syndrome since before there was any medicine or before they put a name on it. I called it shaken leg syndrome. Then finally, my Dr. put me on Requip as soon as it came out. I went up to 4 mg quickly, but I had it all over my body, so I went out searching again online and found 'NATURE'S INVENTORY.' They have an oil for RLS, and it works for moderate or less. So I use the oil when I'm out and about because Requip makes me very tired. I only have to take 2 mg Requip as long as I use the oil, too. Other side effects with Requip are: sweating, nausea. I nibble on my pill over about 2 hours and have no side effects that way. I can't imagine life without Requip."

• Dot...
• February 22, 2013

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had restless legs syndrome for 5 years. I started Requip at 1 mg, now I am taking 2.5 mg. I have had morning sickness every day. Nothing else works. I am hoping the path will work. I am willing to try anything."

• kas...
• March 17, 2009

For Restless Legs Syndrome "After taking Mirapex for about a year, then developing horrible nausea and vomiting, my doctor switched me to Requip 0.5 mg at bedtime. This time, the relief from RLS only lasted about a week. After that, the nausea and vomiting returned with a vengeance, and I had to discontinue the medication immediately."

• Anonymous
• May 22, 2011

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Has anyone noticed that Requip XL has more side effects than regular Requip? My doctor has been giving me samples of Requip XL to take instead of my regular Requip (insurance will not pay for Requip XL). I take 6 mg per day and have taken it for many years. My dosage has been as much as 12 mg, but I have reduced the dosage to get down to 6 mg. I still have breakthrough restless legs even when I take my medicine on schedule, and sometimes when I do not take my medicine on time, I will have restless legs for hours after I take my dose. I am having severe nausea, vomiting, sweats, flushing, hot flashes, dizziness, tiredness, etc."

• Nic...
• December 5, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I was taking amitriptyline for years, but started losing memory, then I started losing time. With Alzheimer's strong in family history, I had to make a change to my medication. I tried Horizant, 300 mg for a while, then bumped up the mg to 600/night. It still wasn't helping. My legs got worse and worse. I was taking Benadryl just to sleep, and sometimes even that didn't work. Fed up with crying and writhing in pain, I called my doctor who put me back on Requip. 3 mg to start. It was terrible! Incredible nausea, vomiting, sweats, syncope.... worst night of my life! I thought I was going to die! Luckily, my fiancé is a medical assistant, otherwise, I probably wouldn't be able to write this."

• jen...
• November 29, 2008

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have chronic kidney disease that can cause RLS. It was wonderful at first when they started me on 0.5 mg. As side effects go, I got a nice relaxed feeling with nausea. Then I started to get the RLS again and had my dose upped twice. Now I take 2 mg of Requip with 1 mg Klonopin. Still can get a little restless. Still looking for the perfect pill. For those of you like me on dialysis, I don't think there is much hope but prayers. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2022

For Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "It did reduce my tremors the first day. However, it made me a little nauseous. I would have to lay down because of the drowsiness. It put me in a depressed mood. I will only take it on occasion for disabling tremor episodes. Because the side effects prevent me from being active, I don't consider this treatment a success."

• Anonymous
• April 3, 2009

For Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "This medication caused me severe nausea and vomiting."

• Jai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 26, 2015

For Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "I was given this med for RLS/PLM. This medication kept me up most of the night with a bucket to vomit into. Hummm.... Which to choose, RLS/PLM vs. severe nausea/vomiting?"