In the early therapy study, the most common adverse experience was nausea, which was related to the stimulation of dopamine receptors. Other adverse experiences that occurred less frequently included dizziness, somnolence and headaches. In the adjunctive therapy study, in patients already experiencing motor fluctuations, the most common adverse experience was dyskinesia. Other adverse experiences that occurred less frequently included nausea, dizziness and somnolence. All Parkinson's patients should be informed syncope or symptomatic hypotension may occur more frequently during initial treatment or with an increase in dose.
Hallucinations can occur at any time during the course of treatment.
Parkinson's disease, which affects between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Americans, is a chronic and progressive disorder which results from the death of nerve cells in a critical area of the brain called the substantia nigra. These nerve cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that plays an important role in motor movement control by transmitting signals between the substantia nigra and another critical area of the brain called the striatum. Dopamine depletion results in a patient's impaired ability to control motor movements. Requip is a second-generation dopamine agonist that works by mimicking the effects of dopamine. Any question regarding a medical diagnosis, treatment, referral, drug availability or pricing should be directed to either a licensed physician or to the product's manufacturer.