Ropinirole has a long list of potential side effects, easy to find in the web and already posted in a couple threads here. (The only thing that seems missing is "you may sprout a second head from your right hip")

I wonder which/how many are commonly encountered by people with PD, and if there are any know practices/techniques/products to ameliorate them.

I am currently taking a training-wheel level daily dose of 3 x 1.0 mg ropinirole, and the annoyance du jour is what I can best describe as a "Stuffy Head".
Congestion that begins around my nose (sinuses?) then around my eyes, then the forehead until my whole head feels fill with some sticky fluid.
Sometimes comes and goes, some times it stays for most of the day.
Seems to clear up a bit if I am outside and moving.
I found a couple of references to something like this from people treated for restless legs, but not for PD ...

Rob.

Levo Carb has the same effect on me.

does the Ropinirole relieve your pd symptoms? any other side affects? it sure made me sleepy which is why i decided to not take agonists.
3mg, i think, is the minimum effective dose, i could be wrong. what does your neuro say?
i'm not taking it but i know a few people that have taken it for years and they seem to tolerate it.

http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_requip.pdf
scroll down to respiratory system, minor increase in problems with requip vs placebo

There is something about the agonists that I don't like. It is mostly subjective, but there is something. I just can't put my finger on it, as they say. I took it for about six years, worked up to way too much (>30 mg/day), started to get Dk, and quit cold turkey with no problems (switching to levo/cardo). But it left me exhausted and very sensitive to light. I just don't trust it. -Rick

I believe it reduces the tremors - I wake up, tired, weak, still sleepy, but cannot blame only the ropinirole as I'm taking other medication. The stuffy head, I believe I can.

Will see my neurologist later this week. 1 month between appointments...

Rob.

agonists have their side affects for sure and usually don't offer as good a symptom relief as C/L but i'm not going to discourage anyone from trying/adding them. if they work with tolerable side affects then there is something to be said for taking an agonist 3 times a day with reduced wearing off vs every 2-3 hrs with C/L or stalevo and waking up every morning off.

i've just met too many people in +59 with diagnosis 10+ years doing ok on C/L plus an agonist, most of the time with COMTAN, some in parkinson's spinning classes, to totally discount the value of an agonist in increasing ON times.

my only other advice is to be proactive with your neuro and remember, you need him a lot more than he/she needs you and this will unfortunately accelerate with all the new patients being enrolled into healthcare plans. they likely aren"t going to call and ask how you are and assume you'll call if you have questions/problems.

i suggest you join a pd support group, you may not feel like you need/want support but gleaning just 1 piece of valuable info from a meeting can more than compensate for a 1hr meeting once a month. i waited far too long in joining a group, possibly because i was hiding my pd but now that insurance companies can't discriminate against you that reason is obsolete.

i suggest you buy a used copy of THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE TREATMENT BOOK by AHLSKOG. it's a starting point that will help evaluate what you read on the net and on message boards.

finally, research the other alternative which is carbidopa/levodopa so if you really don't like agonists you can feel comfortable with this option if your neuro suggests it. some neuros i've spoken to say pd'ers that progress the slowest seem to exercise, socialize and live healthy lives and that requires taking medication imho.

Right - Some times seems the calls are ignored, I have sent faxes a couple of times. Why no doctor provides an email?


This is the support group - did not find anything nearby, will search again.

Didn't know of alternatives until recently. (From this forum and the web)

Rob.

Visit to my neurologist came and passed.

My main issues, increasing weakness/fatigue and constant sinuses/head congestion symptoms.
She (we?) is getting me off requip/ropinirole, The congestion is getting better as I reduce ropi's dose, (hopefully not just a coincidence,) the fatigue keeps getting worse.
A shinny little box of Neuropro patches is waiting for its turn to throw side effects at me. (The list is as ugly as ropinirole's)

Any comments on this transition? (Ropinirole->Neuropro)

Rob.

Ropinirole is the most gawd awful medication that I have ever ingested