Requip vs. Neupro

• Are Requip and Neupro the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Requip?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Neupro?
• What Is Requip?
• What Is Neupro?
• What Drugs Interact with Requip?
• What Drugs Interact with Neupro?
• How Should Requip Be Taken?
• How Should Neupro Be Taken?

Requip (ropinirole) and Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) are non-ergoline dopamine agonisst used to treat signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Requip and Neupro are also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS).

The brand name Neupro is discontinued, but generic versions may be available.

Side effects of Requip and Neupro that are similar include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, sweating, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, sleep problems (insomnia), weakness, lightheadedness, or blurred vision or vision problems.

Side effects of Requip that are different from Neupro include stomach pain, worsened RLS symptoms early in the morning, constipation, dry mouth, agitation, anxiety, flushing, chest pain, leg swelling, high or low blood pressure, fainting, muscle spasm, numbness, spinning sensation, abdominal pain, indigestion, gas, palpitations, fast heart rate, sore throat, or urinary tract infection (UTI).

Side effects of Neupro that are different from Requip include weight gain, patch application site reactions (swelling, redness, or itching), urinating more than usual, runny nose, tiredness, sleepiness, or swelling in your hands or feet.

Both Requip and Neupro may interact with alcohol or other drugs that make you sleepy (sleeping pills, narcotics, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures).

Requip may also interact with levodopa, ciprofloxacin, fluvoxamine, metoclopramide, omeprazole, medications used to treat nausea and vomiting, medications used to treat mental illness, or estrogen.

Withdrawal symptoms may occur if you suddenly stop taking Requip.

Common side effects of Requip include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach pain,
• loss of appetite,
• worsened RLS symptoms early in the morning,
• diarrhea,
• constipation,
• dry mouth,
• sweating,
• headache,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• agitation,
• anxiety,
• flushing,
• weakness,
• chest pain,
• leg swelling,
• high or low blood pressure,
• lightheadedness or fainting,
• muscle spasm,
• numbness,
• spinning sensation,
• abdominal pain,
• indigestion,
• gas,
• palpitations,
• fast heart rate,
• sore throat,
• urinary tract infection, or
• vision problems.

Common side effects of Neupro include:

• weight gain,
• patch application site reactions (swelling, redness, or itching),
• urinating more than usual,
• runny nose,
• diarrhea,
• loss of appetite,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• dizziness,
• lightheadedness,
• tiredness,
• weakness,
• drowsiness,
• sleepiness,
• headache,
• trouble sleeping (insomnia),
• blurred vision,
• increased sweating, or
• swelling in your hands or feet.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Neupro including:

• mental/mood changes (such as confusion, agitation, depression, hallucinations),
• severe dizziness,
• fainting,
• unusual strong urges (such as increased gambling, increased sexual urges),
• unusual weight gain,
• fast heartbeat, or
• new or worsening uncontrolled movements.

Requip (ropinirole) is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as stiffness, tremors, muscle spasms, and poor muscle control. Requip is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS). Requip is available in generic form.

Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system) is a non-ergoline dopamine agonist used to treat early signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The brand name Neupro is discontinued, but generic versions may be available.

Requip may interact with levodopa, ciprofloxacin, fluvoxamine, metoclopramide, omeprazole, medication used to treat nausea and vomiting or mental illness, or estrogen. Tell your doctor all medications you use. During pregnancy, Requip should be used only if prescribed. It is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Requip may reduce breast milk production. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding. Withdrawal symptoms such as fever, muscle stiffness, and confusion may occur if you stop the medication suddenly or if you change doses.

Neupro may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety). Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Neupro may be harmful to a fetus. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. This drug may pass into breast milk and could harm a nursing baby. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

The recommended dose of Requip is 40 to 320 mcg twice daily for adults and 40 to 80 mcg twice daily for children. If you are also using a bronchodilator, use it first before using the beclomethasone inhaler. There may be other drugs that can interact with Requip.

Neupro is applied once a day. The adhesive side of the transdermal system should be applied to clean, dry, intact healthy skin on the front of the abdomen, thigh, hip, flank, shoulder, or upper arm. The transdermal system should be applied at approximately the same time every day, at a convenient time for the patient.