What Is Ropinirole Used For?

What is ropinirole used for? This dopamine agonist is generally used for treating restless legs syndrome and Parkinson's disease. It has proven to be effective in treating people with moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome, early Parkinson's symptoms, and decreasing late symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Ropinirole is also used for treating fibromyalgia at times, although this is considered an off-label use.

Ropinirole HCl

What Is Ropinirole Used for? -- An Overview

Ropinirole hydrochloride (also just called ropinirole) has been licensed to treat several conditions. Ropinirole is typically used for:

Ropinirole is sold under the brand name Requip^®.

Parkinson's Disease

Ropinirole has been approved to treat idiopathic Parkinson's symptoms. The drug was shown to be effective in treating early Parkinson's symptoms in those people taking no other Parkinson's medications. Ropinirole has also been shown to decrease late symptoms of Parkinson's disease in those taking levodopa. Ropinirole does not slow down the progression of Parkinson's disease or affect its prognosis.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Ropinirole is also used to treat people with moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome. It is the first medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of this condition.

How Does Ropinirole Work?

Ropinirole is part of a class of drugs called dopamine agonists. Dopamine resides in the part of the brain that coordinates muscle movement. When there is less dopamine in this area, muscles tend to become stiff and rigid. Ropinirole helps increase the amount of dopamine in your brain, "fooling" your nervous system into thinking that it has more dopamine than it really does. This helps reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's and RLS.

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