Undesirable effects reported are listed below by system organ class and frequency.
Frequencies are defined as: very common (≥1/10), common (≥1/100 to <1/10), uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100), rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000) very rare (<1/10,000), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).
Use of ropinirole in Parkinson's disease
Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
Immune system disorders
Not known: Hypersensitivity reactions (including urticaria, angioedema, rash, pruritus).
Psychiatric disorders
Common: hallucinations.
Uncommon: psychotic reactions (other than hallucinations) including delirium, delusion and paranoia.
Not known: aggression*, dopamine dysregulation syndrome, mania (see section 4.4.), impulse control disorders** (see section 4.4.).
* Aggression has been associated with psychotic reactions as well as compulsive symptoms.
** Impulse control disorders: pathological gambling, increased libido, hypersexuality, aggression, compulsive spending or buying, binge eating, and compulsive eating can occur in patients treated with dopamine agonists including Ropinirole (see section 4.4).
Use in adjunct therapy studies:
Common: confusion.
Nervous system disorders
Very common: somnolence
Common: dizziness (including vertigo).
Uncommon: sudden onset of sleep, excessive daytime somnolence.
Ropinirole is associated with somnolence and has been associated uncommonly with excessive daytime somnolence and sudden sleep onset episodes.
Use in monotherapy studies:
Very common: syncope.
Use in adjunct therapy studies:
Very common: dyskinesia. In patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, dyskinesias can occur during the initial titration of ropinirole. In clinical trials it was shown that a reduction of the levodopa dose may ameliorate dyskinesia (see section 4.2).
Vascular disorders
Uncommon: postural hypotension, hypotension.
postural hypotension or hypotension is rarely severe.
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders
Uncommon: hiccups
Gastrointestinal disorders
Very common: nausea.
Common: heartburn.
Use in monotherapy studies:
Common: vomiting, abdominal pain.
Hepatobiliary disorders
Not known: hepatic reactions, mainly increased liver enzymes.
Reproductive system and breast disorders
Not known: spontaneous penile erection
General disorders
Use in monotherapy studies:
Common: Oedema peripheral (including leg oedema)
Not known: Dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome (including apathy, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sweating and pain).
Dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome
Non-motor adverse effects may occur when tapering or discontinuing dopamine agonists including ropinirole (see section 4.4).
Use of ropinirole in Restless Legs Syndrome
In Restless Legs Syndrome clinical trials the most common adverse drug reaction was nausea (approximately 30% of patients). Undesirable effects were normally mild to moderate and experienced at the start of therapy or on increase of dose and few patients withdrew from the clinical studies due to undesirable effects.
Table 2 lists the adverse drug reactions reported for ropinirole in the 12-week clinical trials at ≥1.0% above the placebo rate or those reported uncommonly but known to be associated with ropinirole.
Table 2 Adverse drug reactions reported in 12-week Restless Legs Syndrome clinical trials (ropinirole n=309, placebo n=307) and other clinical trials*
| Psychiatric disorders |
| Common | Nervousness |
| Uncommon | Confusion |
| Uncommon | *Hallucinations |
| Nervous system disorders |
| Common | Syncope, somnolence, dizziness (including vertigo) |
| Common | *Augmentation, Early morning rebound (see section 4.4) |
| Vascular disorders |
| Uncommon | Postural hypotension, hypotension |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Very common | Vomiting, nausea |
| Common | Abdominal pain |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Common | Fatigue |
Post marketing reports
Psychiatric disorders: Dopamine dysregulation syndrome (frequency not known).
Dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome (frequency not known)
Including apathy, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sweating and pain. Non-motor adverse effects may occur when tapering or discontinuing dopamine agonists including ropinirole (see section 4.4).
Management of undesirable effects
Dose reduction should be considered if patients experience significant undesirable effects. If the undesirable effect abates, gradual up-titration can be re-instituted. Anti-nausea medicinal products that are not centrally active dopamine antagonists, such as domperidone, may be used, if required.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in Google play or Apple App store.