This belongs to the group of medicines known as dopaminergic drugs.

Requip is used alongside other medicines to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

The cause of Parkinson's disease is still unknown but it's symptoms of tremor, stiffness and slow movement are due to there being less of a chemical called dopamine in the brain. Requip increases the effect of dopamine in the brain and so relieves these symptoms.

Requip is available in tablet form.

It is also sometimes known as: Requip. You may notice the use of any of these names on the packaging of your medicine.

Why is this drug prescribed?

Requip tablets contain the active ingredient ropinirole, which is a type of drug called a dopamine agonist. Ropinirole works by mimicking the activity of a substance in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is a substance known as a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are found in the brain and nervous system and are involved in transmitting messages between nerves. These messages allow the normal functioning of the body. The neurotransmitter dopamine is known to be reduced or absent in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease, and this is thought to be the cause of the disease symptoms. Dopamine normally transmits messages by stimulating specific receptor sites in the brain. Ropinirole works by stimulating these same receptor sites. This produces the same effects as dopamine, and acts as a dopamine substitute. In this way ropinirole helps to restore the dopamine activity in the brain, which helps reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Ropinirole can be used by itself or in conjunction with levodopa to treat Parkinson's disease, and is particularly useful in people for whom levodopa alone is no longer providing adequate control of symptoms. Ropinirole can cause a drop in blood pressure when you first start treatment, and this may cause dizziness or fainting. To minimise the chance of this and other side effects, the dose of ropinirole is increased slowly when treatment is started. Follow the instructions given by your doctor or pharmacist.

Treatments

* Parkinson's disease.

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Nausea and vomiting * Sleepiness * Difficulty performing voluntary movements, resulting in jerky or involuntary movements or muscle twitches * Dizziness * Low blood pressure * Fainting * Abdominal pain * Indigestion * Confusion * False perceptions of things that are not really there * Swelling of the legs and ankles due to excess fluid retention * Suddenly falling asleep * Paranoia or delusions * Inability to resist impulses to gambling * Increased sex drive and excessive interest or involvement in sexual activity