Requip (ropinirole)

[Zoop]

'Sup.

Hey I found out about something I though was interesting. A drug that was initially on the market a couple years ago for treating Parkinson's Disease, goes by the name "Requip," generic name is ropiniril, is now FDA approved for treatment of restless leg syndrome.

In case anyone doesn't know, restless leg syndrome (a dubious condition if you ask me - apologies to anyone who actually has it) is traditionally treated with a small bedtime dose of some kind of opiate, usually oxycodone or even methadone. I once though about trying to convince an MD that I had this condition, would be a good way to get scripted up for good dope on a maintenance basis.

Well, this relatively new drug drug ropiniril is both a dopamine agonist/stimulant type thing (hence the efficacy in treatment of PD) and also is a partial opiate receptor agonist, according to the prescribing info, available at -

http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_requip.pdf

It's not controlled, which makes it interesting to me.

[ontario_opiophile]

Yes that is pretty interesting. i don't know how you can call restless legs a syndrome lol. I don't agree with alot of this crap like ADHD or ADD either. I think ADD/ADHD doesnt exist. I think people who are diagnosed as having it just think differently than others and they are labeled hyperactive because they aren't like the majority of the kids in the way they think and operate. I was once diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and I still am but I think it's a bullshit diagnoses. All you have to do to get amphetamines is walk in and say you have ADD and they give you whatever you want. I think that should be a crime! Amphetamines are way worse than painkillers to me. Oh well. Sorry for talking about something else.

There are alot of potentially abusable drugs that could be synthesized from DXM. The possibilities to synthesize abusable morphinans and other synthetic opiates are endless. This Requip may have some value.

[Zoop]

AMEN, brutha. I agree with you on all that silly shit nowadays with "syndromes" and "disorders" and what not. Seems like everyone has some kinda disorder or something these days. Me, I'm just a garden variety depressive/dope fiend!

I do take zoloft and it seems to help with the bad moods. Whether I actually have an urgent need for that medicine is debatable, but it does help with my mood.

Yeah man, I totally agree with your opinion on ADD - 'cept I think there are a very small number of kids and adults who actually do have it. I mean, when it's bad it's BAD. These people are borderline retarded. In fact, that's what ADD used to be called - "minimal brain dysfunction" meaning that those people where sort of not the brightest bulb in the box if you know what I mean.

I also agree totally that amphetamines are WAY worse than opiates. They make you fucking crazy. And they are pumping these poor little unsuspecting kids with ritalin, adderall, dexedrine, and other stuff like it. I think that's bound to cause permanent brain damage in the long run.

If there's any drugs that really should be kept illegal, it's coke and speed.

[ontario_opiophile]

Yah you're right about the ADD/ADHD thing. There are people who do have it bad but they are semi-retarded. I think most people who are diagnosed are wrongly given med. I know that amphetamines can cause permanent damage because I have permanent brain damage from meth and dexedrine and adderall. I can't even take an adderall or dexedrine anymore or I go psychotic just from even 5-10mg. I can't even drink coffee anymore because it makes me psychotic. My brain was definitely changed by these drugs and I attribute some of my healh problems today to these drugs. I feel like i'm in a nightmare 24/7 i'm a really sick person and I randomly got very ill after stoppng these pills after 5 years of the prescriptions. And no it wasn't WD's, Wd's were awful but it's been more than 3 years since i've touched a stimulant of any kind besides caffeine and i still feel awful and sick and so bad that I need to be hospitalized all the time. I have a blood disorder and a type of cancer that randomly appeared after stopping those drugs, as well as what appears to be ulcerative collitis or crohns.. My doctor also diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, and I was PERFECTLY healthy up until the last year of my 5 years amphetamine binge.

Opiates are the only things that can actually give me any mental or physical relief from the pain I experience from the myriad of health problems and defects. i hate to say it but, if I hadn't gotten opiates I wouldn't be alive right now. When i'm clean off of them my health problems bog me down even more and make my life even worse so i'm never coming off of them or i'll just blow my brains out. It sucks to be so sick that you can't stand living. The opiates dont take the sickness away but they help me fight it and keep a healthy attitude through all of this and thats pretty fucking important.

I agree, coke and speed should stay illegal. Amphetamines and cocaine have severe psychological effects on people and if you use that stuff for long periods of time you will go insane, or die of a heart attack. I'm sure some people will say that they could function on speed for years and years but I really doubt that they could without experiencing permanent (bad) changes in their brain. I doubt anyone would argue that cocaine can be taken everyday for years without adverse effects so i wont even bother adressing that. Opiates seem to be highly safe for use over long periods of time. The only drawbacks are the effects on the liver. But opiates can be used safely for decades and even a lifetime if you use them right.

[DaOxyMan]

my good friend bob was diagnosed with 'restless leg syndrome' a few months back after BSing his doc a few times and now he's moved up to 3 perc 10's a day. Not too much but hell for 'restless leg syndrome'? I'd take that any day of the week!!! The reason i think he got the perc 10's though is that he has a high tolerance the doc's know about due to a motorcycling accident a couple years back but still, this restless leg bs may have its value in the world of opiate scripits...

[DaOxyMan]

IF this Requip is used for treating restless leg syndrome, which is also a symptom of w/d (sure you all knew that) it's prob really good for w/d's too eh?

[Zoop]

Ontario - in the words of former president Clinton "Ah feel yur payne" Stay away from those nasty stimulants. I think I am a little kooky from my amphetamine abuse a few years back too.

Oxyman - Yes, I think WD's cause restless leg syndrome too. From what I read restless legs is like, it's a lot like what I experience when in WD's. Can't sit still, feel like I wanna crawl out from under my skin. Maybe restless legs is a form of WD from those endogenous opiates (a.k.a endorphins), so people are actually in a state of WD from endorphin because their body doesn't make enough of it. That could be why opies treat it.

[bi11i]

Just noticed a commercial for this drug on TV. Commonly it seems that prescriptions for muscle relaxers ease restless legs, but not for a good, hard kick.

Has anyone had any experience in taking ropinirole (requip) while withdrawing?

[AceBeans]

Ontario - in the words of former president Clinton "Ah feel yur payne" Stay away from those nasty stimulants. I think I am a little kooky from my amphetamine abuse a few years back too.

Oxyman - Yes, I think WD's cause restless leg syndrome too. From what I read restless legs is like, it's a lot like what I experience when in WD's. Can't sit still, feel like I wanna crawl out from under my skin. Maybe restless legs is a form of WD from those endogenous opiates (a.k.a endorphins), so people are actually in a state of WD from endorphin because their body doesn't make enough of it. That could be why opies treat it.

Have you ever taken to much diphenhydramine before you goto bed and you still don't fall asleep? Your legs will get that feeling like you need to stretch them out but you can't do it and it's also very difficult to get comfrotable? Thats what restless leg syndrome feels like.

[Hammilton]

One night I was having trouble getting to sleep, just normal trouble so I took a benedryl or two. I had a glass of beer an hour or so before, and also amphetamine or methylphenidate a few hours before that. Holy shit! I couldn't believe how bad it got. When RLS is bad, its just "theres-nothing-in-the-world-like-this-bad bad, I mean, it was terrible. I never had so much trouble sleeping. My solution was to take 250mg of seroquel to just knock me out. It didn't work. I could not sleep one bit.

I think a lot of the sentiment about "bullshit syndromes" comes from lack of experience with them. Until you've felt it or known someone who has, it's really hard to understand how bad it can be. In terms of AD(H)D, it's over prescribed, I don't think there's much doubt, but ADD-dose amphetamine or its piperazine cousin, methylphenididate don't have many negative side effects; provided, of course, that the dose is properly titrated for the individual.

I have bipolar disorder and need my medications badly. Without Depakote, a sucidal depression or a bank-emptying credit-depleting mania could be just 3 days away- the quickest i've ever gone from unmedicated and normal sane to out of my mind manic. But, when I'm on depakote my concentration is fucking nil, and I'm out of energy, so I need an ADD medication like Adderall XR (20mg) or 36mg of Concerta. insta-release crap doesn't work for me cuz I really need it all day.

Everyone's bodies different though

[Curio]

Have you ever taken to much diphenhydramine before you goto bed and you still don't fall asleep? Your legs will get that feeling like you need to stretch them out but you can't do it and it's also very difficult to get comfrotable? Thats what restless leg syndrome feels like.
ugh, yeah, it's why I can't take tylenol pm or diphenhydramine to potentiate opies....oh sheesh, I remember taking some while in pain one night in my early 20s (before I knew my reactions to it), thinking it would help and it just made my legs go crawling but I was exhausted at the same f-ing time!