Requip has been reported to cause people to fall asleep without warning during daily activities. Some of these events have happened as late as one year after treatment with Requip began. If this does occur, you should discuss your options with your healthcare provider.
Requip may cause fainting, lightheadedness, or dizziness. This is more common when moving from a sitting or lying down position to standing up. This is also especially true for people with blood vessel or heart disease (cardiovascular disease) when first starting Requip or when changing dosages. Therefore, do not stand up quickly after sitting or lying down, particularly if you have been sitting or lying down for long periods of time. Take a minute to sit on the edge of the bed or chair before you get up.
Requip has been reported to cause people to experience hallucinations (mostly in people with Parkinson's who are taking Requip). This side effect was rare in people taking Requip for restless legs syndrome. This side effect is also more common in the elderly or those taking Requip in combination with levodopa.
For people with Parkinson's, Requip may worsen some side effects of levodopa. For example, Requip may cause uncontrolled sudden movements or make such movements that you already have worse or more frequent. Decreasing the dose of L-dopa may improve this side effect.
Studies have shown that people with Parkinson's disease are at a higher risk of developing melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer. It is not known whether this is caused by the Parkinson's disease itself or the Parkinson's medications. Therefore, people being treated with Requip should have regular skin exams by a healthcare provider and learn how to perform self skin exams.
A small number of people taking Parkinson's medicines, including Requip, have developed a problem with gambling. It is not known if this is because of the medicine or something else. If you or your family notice that you have an unusual urge to gamble, make sure to talk with your healthcare provider.
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