Ropinirole and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Lin...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 1, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had RLS for perhaps 35 years or so. It would start and stop. But about 5 years ago, I started on 0.25 mg of ropinirole. It takes an hour to work, so I took it at about 8 PM. But over the years, the dosage crept up to 0.50 mg once at 4:30 PM and once at 6:30 PM, and I was good for the night. Some nausea and some sleepiness, which were okay. Then the two pills turned into an additional pill of 0.5 mg in the middle of the night. Still okay. But then, about 6 months ago, my doctor sent me to an RLS sleep specialist. What a nightmare this began. The specialist tells me that I will just continue to take more and more, and eventually augmentation would start. This site will not let me finish my story."

• BAR...
• April 19, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Knew I had something wrong with me, didn't know for the longest time that it was RLS! Doctor tried 1 or 2 other pills, worked for a minute, then stopped! Started Requip some years ago, there was a side effect adjustment to be sure! I discovered that the '3 hours before bedtime' was too long for me, and then once I took a pill, could not eat or drink, not even water, or I would throw up. Now I take a pill (4 MG) every night immediately before I get into bed, and per sleep studies, I have gone from 39 leg movements per hour to zero! And help me if I don't take a pill before bed, there will be no sleep if that happens! I always carry some in my purse in case I get stuck somewhere and need to spend the night! Thanks, Requip!"

• Anonymous
• May 22, 2011

Ropinirole 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

Ropinirole 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."

• Bag...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 6, 2019

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I'm on 4 mg. It works, but I have terrible side effects from it. However, RLS is incurable and is worse, so I still need to take it. 45 minutes after taking it, I get nausea, fever chills, and body aches. It makes me tired, which is fine by me."

• Jwr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Unfortunately, I couldn't handle this medication for even a week. I was on 0.25 mg once a day (at night). I was plagued by nausea that would last ALL day. I developed moderate muscle cramping, and I had extreme daytime sleepiness that not even caffeine could help with (400 mg of caffeine not helping fatigue is more than unusual). I fell asleep in the bathtub while taking a bath. When I woke up, my head was nearly fully submerged, the water line was literally at my mouth. Unfortunately, I had to discontinue. The nausea was the worst part. Feeling like I want to puke all day long is terrible. It might work for other people, but this med is definitely NOT for me."

• jen...
• November 29, 2008

Ropinirole 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."

• Lau...
• January 2, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I am 34 and have had restless legs syndrome since I can remember, back probably to 3 and 4 years old. I started in 2006 when it was still brand, and the nausea took some getting used to but generally went away within 2 weeks or so. I stopped it after a year and was placed back on it last winter. I don't know if it's something about the generic or what, but the nausea this time has been horrible, to the point I have actually vomited and have to be ready to get in bed and fall asleep before the nausea kicks in. The thing is, it WORKS. I am prescribed 1 mg but can only really tolerate 0.5. I wonder if going back to brand will help."

• Kas...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 18, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Was officially prescribed codeine for restless leg syndrome. The first night I slept like a well-fed and burped baby. Awesome, but it didn't last. Was then prescribed ropinirole 0.25 mg at night. Worked well, but 2 years later, the dosage has had to be increased to 2 mg. Works well, but I'm experiencing awful nausea, loss of appetite, and the thought of food makes me want to vomit. I hope this will pass."

• Sun...
• January 6, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I'm 61 and started getting RLS symptoms during my 30s, starting as just tingling and progressing over the years into full-blown leg kicking. It would start every evening while watching TV, or any time I was sitting for more than an hour -- in the movie, on an airplane, etc. Previous doc had me on Klonopin, but current doc said (generic) Requip is better as the side effects for long-term use are supposedly less. I've been on 0.25 mg for only two months, but the kicking seldom even starts now. I even forgot to take it one night. I have noticed some insomnia, but that isn't new for me. I've been taking Benadryl at night; that seems to help. I've not had any nausea or other symptoms. Fingers crossed that I don't have to keep upping the dose."

• R66...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "First time to take ropinirole for RLS. Took 1 2 mg tablet at 9:45 pm. 30 minutes later I nauseated, a cold sweat, dizzy, and disoriented. Thought I needed to go to ER. I vomited a couple of times and felt better in about one hour. Will not use again."

• ber...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 19, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Works very well as long as you take it before onset in the evenings. Only undesired side effects are that it takes 1 to 2 hours before kicking in, and 1 pill only works for 4 hours for me. I can only tolerate 1 pill at a time (2 mg) as I definitely regurgitate 2 at once. Even with 1 pill, I get nauseated for 10 minutes. But not sick."

• Dia...
• April 6, 2015

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had RLS for about 9 years and finally decided to try medication. I took 2 mg of Ropinirole about an hour before my regular bedtime. I ended up falling asleep on the couch about 30 minutes after taking the pill. When I tried to get up to go to bed, I was nauseous, dizzy, and having cold sweats. I felt so sick. I was up much of the night with those same symptoms. It was awful. It is now the next day, and I am still not feeling completely well. Needless to say, I will not be taking Ropinirole again!"

• Ell...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2018

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I started with one and increased weekly until I was taking four. I had so many side effects - queasy all day, I developed an oniony odor, and my urine was so strong that I developed a UTI, made food and beverages taste bad, face broke out, symptoms worsened, and had a strange reaction after drinking a small glass of wine. Cutting back to one has helped and no noticeable side effects."

• Anonymous
• October 13, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I took Requip 4 mg one time, and it was terrible! Within 30 minutes, I was very nauseated. By 3 am, I was throwing up. I felt so fatigued all day. I felt like I did when I would go out and tie one on (been out drinking). I won't take this medication again."

• Gdj...
• March 21, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Absolutely terrible! Have had RLS for years now, probably since I was 16. It has gotten worse this past year, so I asked my doctor to help. He put me on this medication at 1 mg and told me to take half a pill for 2 weeks. First night I took it 20 minutes after a meal. Not even 10 minutes later, I was tired but getting extremely nauseated. Ended up on the bathroom floor vomiting, cold sweats, shaking, and in and out of consciousness until I finally came to at 2 in the morning and was having heart palpitations with a pulse at 120. Went straight to the ER, and even their strongest nausea medication did not help. Both my fiancé and I missed work for 2 days because he had to take care of me. I felt like I was dying."

• Eca...
• October 11, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "This medication made me very, very ill. Nausea to the point of vomiting -- within a half hour of taking it -- completely congested sinuses, watery eyes, extreme sleepiness (had to nap for three hours), and an overall horrible flu-like malaise. It did stop my RLS; however, the side effects are not worth the horrendous illness I feel. I was to take 2 mg, 3X a day, when needed. Tried this therapy for a month or more. Cannot tolerate the illness. Going back to clonazepam, as needed. No side effects, except a little fatigue, but better that than this miserable, sickening feeling."

• jan...
• September 3, 2011

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had restless leg syndrome my entire life. I spent years in a state of sleep deprivation until I started taking this medication. I have been taking it for about 5 years and plan to continue taking it indefinitely. I still suffer from some discomfort during the day, but if I stay active, it isn't too bad. I usually take 0.25 mg in the late afternoon and 1 mg with my dinner. Yes, my stomach gets a little queasy, and yes, I get sleepy. These side effects are manageable and well worth the great benefits that a good night's sleep brings to my life."

• Fra...
• January 31, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have had RLS for many years. I started out taking Mirapex, and it worked for a while but then stopped being effective. I went a year with nothing. I would pace the floors all hours of the night. I thought I was the only one that experienced it in my upper extremities until reading some of these blogs. It gets really bad in my arms, shoulders, and neck. I work for a pain doctor and talked with her about my symptoms. She started me on Voltaren gel, which is amazing, but I end up putting it on my entire body, making me feel sticky and using so much that I was getting 10 huge tubes a month. About a week ago, I started on 1 mg of Requip. It has helped, but I feel like I need a higher dose. I experienced nausea once."

• KRL...
• January 7, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking ropinirole since April, and while it works well to relieve my RLS symptoms, it still makes me sick about 50% of the time. The first night I took the whole 1 mg pill and became violently ill. Cold sweats, nausea, vomiting. I then started cutting the pill in half, making sure I ate a piece of bread with it and waiting until at least 2 hours after I had taken my nightly (necessary) melatonin and sleep aid capsule. That seemed to work, but I soon found out it was hit or miss. I have been awakened several times now, sometimes within an hour, sometimes a full 5 or 6 hours after taking it, with shaking, sweating, and horrible nausea. So now I only take it when I am absolutely positive the RLS is going to be relentless."

• KRL...
• January 7, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking ropinirole since April, and while it works well to relieve my RLS symptoms, it still makes me sick about 50% of the time. The first night I took the whole 1 mg pill and became violently ill. Cold sweats, nausea, vomiting. I then started cutting the pill in half, making sure I ate a piece of bread with it and waiting until at least 2 hours after I had taken my nightly (necessary) melatonin and sleep aid capsule. That seemed to work, but I soon found out it was hit or miss. I have been awakened several times now, sometimes within an hour, sometimes a full 5 or 6 hours after taking it, with shaking, sweating, and horrible nausea. So now I only take it when I am absolutely positive the RLS is going to be relentless."

• KRL...
• January 7, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I have been taking ropinirole since April, and while it works well to relieve my RLS symptoms, it still makes me sick about 50% of the time. The first night I took the whole 1 mg pill and became violently ill. Cold sweats, nausea, vomiting. I then started cutting the pill in half, making sure I ate a piece of bread with it and waiting until at least 2 hours after I had taken my nightly (necessary) melatonin and sleep aid capsule. That seemed to work, but I soon found out it was hit or miss. I have been awakened several times now, sometimes within an hour, sometimes a full 5 or 6 hours after taking it, with shaking, sweating, and horrible nausea. So now I only take it when I am absolutely positive the RLS is going to be relentless."

• all...
• March 13, 2012

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I've been taking ropinirole for just over a month. The only side effects I had were nausea after taking the initial dose. I also suffered brief nausea when the doctor doubled my dose after 28 days. I think it is relieving my restless legs syndrome, but so far, it has not alleviated all of the discomfort in my legs. I still suffer from aching legs at night, which I assume is part of the same condition."

• alm...
• July 15, 2011

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Have suffered with restless legs syndrome for years. This medication allowed my legs to relax enough that I can get to sleep. Negative effects are nausea and that it can take up to an hour to set in. Nausea can be controlled by dosage. Sometimes it has no effect and I have to wait an hour to take another one. My wife has also noticed after a few hours it wears off and I'm tossing and turning in my sleep again. It works but I'm looking for something that works better."

• Jer...
• February 3, 2012

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Have had restless legs syndrome for many years and usually was able to 'deal' with it but reached a point where it was unbearable. Gabapentin made me very dizzy, so my Dr. prescribed Ropinirole, lowest dose. After two weeks, I developed horrible side effects: dizziness, feeling I was going to faint, nausea would wake me up at night, my body felt flush, and my skin turned reddish. Stopped taking it, and still after a week without, am still experiencing these side effects."