Ropinirole and Muscle Spasms: What Users Say

• Rop...
• June 23, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Started ropinirole 0.5 mg before bedtime in 2012. Now, 4 years later, I have finally determined, by process of elimination of other contributing factors, that this drug was causing SEVERE muscle spasms/cramps over my entire body - from my face to my feet. Additionally, the addictive qualities affected me by eating habits. I found myself returning to the kitchen after a meal, on average, 4 times for a snack. This translates to overweight!! I began tapering off this nasty chemical and am losing weight, and within 3 days, my muscle issues are nearly gone... after 4 years of pain & suffering & lack of sleep due to muscle/leg cramps. This info is NOT provided with the prescription, internet searches show this is considered rare (1%)."

• Pha...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 5, 2015

Ropinirole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been on Requip for about 6 years and have a severe case of RLS. My leg spasms have worn out many sheets. I would have to say I have a love/hate relationship with Requip. I take a 5 mg tablet 1 hour before bed. Almost like clockwork, 22 to 25 minutes later, I feel miserable with a constant feeling of the need to puke, but I don't. I have always had insomnia, which got worse on Requip. I have been able to address the insomnia with trazodone, and it works well. I have read others' posts, and I think I am going to talk with my doctor about spreading it out in 3 different times to take it. In the past 6 months, I have begun to have twitching in my arms, shoulders, and wrists."

• Tex...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2016

Ropinirole for Restless Legs Syndrome "I haven't taken my first dose yet, but hoping it works. My RLS occurs mostly during the day, and at times also includes my arms. Since I have a problem with chronic pain, I'm on Norco 10/325 every 6 hrs, Gabapentin 300-900 mg 3 times a day, and had been on Diazepam (Valium) 5 mg every 4-6 hrs as needed for muscle spasms. Well, one day I got so desperate that I took one of each of my meds and the symptoms stopped after about 45 minutes! I was so excited as I would often have 3-4 episodes a day, not every day thank goodness! Then, my pain management doctor stopped the Diazepam! Really made it harder to control the RLS when it would start. I finally upped my dose of Gabapentin, which seemed to help. Still need some Diazepam to work."

• fly...
• November 11, 2008

For Parkinson's Disease "Sinemet worked great for many years, but eventually, I started to have dyskinesia from it. I was able to lower my dosage of Sinemet by adding Requip. Now I have the same drug benefit without the side effects from using high doses of Sinemet alone."

• Aki...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 24, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I've had RLS since kindergarten, where teachers would tell me to 'please sit still for 5 minutes!!!' I grew up not sleeping a lot, but it became extremely bad when I went to study at my university. I had a period of a bit more than 2 years where I slept roughly 1.5 to 2 hours a night. I was a zombie, and I have almost no recollection of that time period. I also would have violent 'spasms' during sleep (to the point that I even punched a hole in the wall above my bed). I now know that I suffered from PMDS and RLS. The doctor first started me on 1 mg, but I quickly increased to 4 mg. This helped for a few months. Now I am using ropinirole 2 mg retard. This works most of the time, but some nights I get an 'attack' and don't sleep. Word count limit."

• KSJ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 27, 2022

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Not only restless legs but whole body jerks. After being put on numerous meds, I started having restless leg syndrome, so Cogentin was added to my nightly meds. It got worse to the point my back was having... the only way I know to explain it is-major muscle spasm so tight it would pull my shoulders together and arch my back so hard I was afraid I was going to 'throw my back out.' Called Dr. and he added Ropinirole (Requip). It worked wonders! No more hard spasms. I do still have restless leg symptoms 2-3 times a week, but I can deal with that compared to what I was going through in the beginning. It does scare me being on so many meds and would love to wean off when the time is right. But for now, this works."

• Sun...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 11, 2021

Ropinirole for Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "I have been taking Requip XL (ropinirole) for about 4 years now, and it has helped me tremendously. I take it at night so that I can go to sleep, otherwise, the RLS tends to keep me wide awake for a long time. Once I do take the medication, I give it about 15 minutes, and then it makes it where I can lay down and go on to sleep. If I did not have this, I would not be able to sleep at all. The only thing I am experiencing right now is that I had to have total knee replacement, and with this surgery, I do seem to be having more spasms from the surgery, so it is taking longer to take effect than normal, otherwise, I have not had any issues."

• pea...
• August 13, 2011

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had restless legs syndrome for approximately 8 yrs. At first, I did not know what it was. It would get so bad that if I tried to suppress my leg movements, my arms, hands, and head would start to shake (jerk). A friend who has RLS told me I had RLS also. I went to the doctor, and he did not do any tests, just my symptoms. He started me out on Requip 0.25 mg that did not work. He kept increasing the dose till I had some relief. Then my symptoms started showing back up mid-day. So then I was to take 1 in the morning (1 mg) and 1 at night. Then it went to my present dose of 1 in the a.m. and 2 in the p.m. of the 1 mg tablet. He has since prescribed more tablets per month, and I take 1 to 2 tabs in the a.m. and 2 tabs at night. That doesn't always work."

• slb...
• July 24, 2013

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I took this for restless leg syndrome, and I had terrible involuntary muscle spasms and leg and arm movement. I had to go to the ER. It was terrible."