Why is this medication prescribed?
Ropinirole is used alone or together with other medications to treat Parkinson's disease. It works by improving your ability to move and helps decrease shakiness (tremor), stiffness, slowed movement, and unsteadiness. It may also decrease the number of episodes of not being able to move ("on-off syndrome").
Furthermore, this medication is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS). It may improve your sleep by decreasing the urge to move your legs, and at the same time decrease the unpleasant feelings in the legs.
Mechanism of Action:
Ropinirole is an agonist at both dopamine D2-receptors and D3-receptors (D3>D2). Although affinity of ropinirole is higher at D3-receptors than at D2-receptors, the relevance of binding at D3-receptors in Parkinson's disease is unknown. It is believed, however, that the efficacy of ropinirole is due to stimulation of post-synaptic D2-receptors within the caudate-putamen in the brain. Ropinirole is also an agonist at peripheral dopamine D2-receptors - domperidone (an antagonist at D2-receptors) prevents the orthostatic response to ropinirole.
The precise mechanism of action of ropinirole as a treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) is unknown, however, neuropharmacological evidence suggests primary dopaminergic system involvement. Positron emission tomographic (PET) studies suggest that a mild striatal presynaptic dopaminergic dysfunction may be involved in the pathogenesis of RLS.
Dosage and using this medicine
What special precautions should I follow?
What should I do if I forget a dose?
What side effects can this medication cause?