I had my GP’s “Clinical Pharmacist” phone me today. He is very concerned that they get me taking the right dose of this Ropinirole Parkinson’s drug. I’m to take 3 a day on week 1, then 6 a day on week 2 & then 9 a day on week 3. Then increasing the dose from there if I am able to tolerate the drug. Sounds a lot of fun doesn’t it?
I would say that what troubles me most about my Atypical Parkinson’s is the [extreme] fatigue I feel. I have had to give up golf completely & have taken up indoor bowls. I had my first one hour lesson on Saturday & it left me physically shattered. I also have swollen feet & a numb left leg that makes walking strange.
Now two of the possible side effects of taking Ropinirole, which I haven’t taken yet,
are swollen feet & fatigue. Of course they are.
So how will these pills help my most worrying symptoms ? What is Ropinirole supposed to do for me?
I listened to a 1 hour lecture on Fatigue & Tiredness in Parkinson’s on Youtube. The conclusion was that if you have fatigue & are tired, it might be down to Parkinson’s or it might be something else !!! That’s an hour of my life I will never get back.
I’ve been really knackered all day & am sitting on my bed as I type.
Oh well there are many others worse off than me.
I hope my ramblings are of interest to some.
Best wishes
Steve2
Regarding the “an hour of my life I’ll never get back again,” get in the queue, been there, done that. Have so many T shirts I could start a small boutique.
I do know the problem regarding the fatigue is, simply because PD our muscles now have to work much harder to achieve the same result.
And yes there are many others worse off than us, but many better off, so, I just hassle about myself and occasionally, for a minute of two, explain very succinctly to the ether what I think of the way my rugby/soccer/etc team is playing, then all is good again.
B-)
Have a stunning day.
Sleeping is a very common thing I believe. My husband (74) sleeps for 12-13 hrs through the night and at least 3 x naps throughout the day ; he is not interested in doing anything really - which is quite annoying - and very demanding of my time.
Took my first Ropinirole pill for Parkinson’s 5 hours ago. Was watching TV & came over really tired. So I lay on my bed & fell into the deepest of sleeps. I have extreme fatigue but struggle to sleep. I was amazed that I got such a strong reaction to my first pill.
A little worrying that I will be increasing this dose to 9 pills a day within 2 weeks.
I also have a very slight headache.
If anyone is interested I will publish my reactions to the Ropinirole pill going forward.
I would add the “fatigue” I have impacts greatly on the quality of my life.
Well another 4 days medication without any mishap & I think my legs feel better.
Although, whether I’m just having a good day or a positive reaction to the medication
I will never know. How is a 69 year old supposed to feel?
Yes it was just a good day as my feet & legs feel at their worst ever today. I am due to see my Neurologist tomorrow with my 3 months follow up & have a few questions lined up for him.
I have been taking Requip, (ropinerol), in fairly large doses since early 2009, so nearly 15 years, starting at a low dosage and building up over a number of weeks to around 16mg per day.
I did not suffer from faitigue, slept quite well, and hardly ever fell asleep during the day, for quite a number of year’s really , compared to some , but a house move ,late in 2013 led to difficulty in walking( i had to buy a walker which i use daily even now ) followed by a visit to the Consultant early in 2014 When he increased the dosage of Ropinerol to 20mg a day, and added Madopar to the mix!
I am currently taking 24 Mg of Requip XL ( slow release ) as well as 550 Mg of Madopar during the day and 100 Madopar CR ( slow release) at night.
I now occasionally suffer from fatigue, and i can almost guarantee that five minutes after my favourite program ( the one I have especially been wanting to see ) comes on the TV, I will be fast asleep !
Whilst driving, I do not present any Parkinson’s symptoms, so fatigue/ tiredness
( thankfully ) do not apply , but after a journey, and sat at home - sleep comes quickly .
