Ropinirole: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Ropinirole is a nonergot dopamine agonist sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for parkinson disease. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Nonergot Dopamine Agonist
- Treats (across its forms)
- Parkinson Disease
- Available as
- Tablet · Tablet, extended release
- Sold as
- 3 products — Requip, Requip XL and Ropinirole Hydrochloride
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Half-life
- about 6 hours
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $2 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How ropinirole is dosed
From the FDA label for Ropinirole Hydrochloride (application ANDA204022). Other ropinirole products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Ropinirole tablets can be taken with or without food. ( 2.1 ) Retitration of ropinirole hydrochloride may be warranted if therapy is interrupted. ( 2.1 ) Parkinson’s Disease: The recommended starting dose is 0.25 mg taken three times daily; titrate to a maximum daily dose of 24 mg. (2.2) Renal Impairment: The maximum recommended dose is 18 mg/day in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. (2.2) Restless Legs Syndrome : The recommended starting dose is 0.25 mg once daily, 1 to 3 hours before bedtime, titrate to a maximum recommended dose of 4 mg daily. (2.3) Renal Impairment: The maximum recommended dose is 3 mg/day in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. (2.3) 2.1 General Dosing Recommendations Ropinirole tablets can be taken with or without food [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . If a significant interruption in therapy with ropinirole hydrochloride has occurred, retitration of therapy may be warranted. 2.2 Dosing for Parkinson’s Disease The recommended starting dose of ropinirole hydrochloride for Parkinson’s disease is 0.25 mg 3 times daily. Based on individual patient therapeutic response and tolerability, if necessary, the dose should then be titrated with weekly increments as described in Table 1. After Week 4, if necessary, the daily dose may be increased by 1.5 mg/day on a weekly basis up to a dose of 9 mg/day, and then by up to 3…
Ropinirole side effects
The following adverse reactions are described in more detail in other sections of the label: Hypersensitivity [see Contraindications (4) ] Falling asleep during activities of daily living and somnolence [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Syncope [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Hypotension/orthostatic hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Hallucinations/psychotic-like behavior [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Dyskinesia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Impulse control/compulsive behaviors [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Withdrawal-emergent hyperpyrexia and confusion [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Withdrawal Symptoms [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Augmentation and early-morning rebound in RLS [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] Fibrotic complications [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10) ] Retinal pathology [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11) ] Most common adverse reactions (incidence with ropinirole hydrochloride at least 5% greater than placebo) in the respective indications were: Early PD: Nausea, somnolence, dizziness, syncope, asthenic condition, viral infection, leg edema, vomiting, and dyspepsia. (6.1) Advanced PD: Dyskinesia, somnolence, nausea, dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, sweating, and headache. (6.1) RLS: Nausea, vomiting, somnolence, dizziness, and asthenic condition. (6.1) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE…
Who shouldn’t take ropinirole
Ropinirole tablets are contraindicated in patients known to have a hypersensitivity/allergic reaction (including urticaria, angioedema, rash, pruritus) to ropinirole or to any of the excipients. History of hypersensitivity/allergic reaction (including urticaria, angioedema, rash, pruritus) to ropinirole or to any of the excipients. (4)
Ropinirole drug interactions
Inhibitors or inducers of CYP1A2: May alter the clearance of ropinirole hydrochloride; dose adjustment of ropinirole hydrochloride may be required. ( 7.1 , 12.3 ) Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Starting or stopping HRT may require dose adjustment of ropinirole hydrochloride. ( 7.2 , 12.3 ) Dopamine antagonists (e.g., neuroleptics, metoclopramide): May reduce efficacy of ropinirole hydrochloride. ( 7.3 ) 7.1 Cytochrome P450 1A2 Inhibitors and Inducers In vitro metabolism studies showed that cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) is the major enzyme responsible for the metabolism of ropinirole. There is thus the potential for inducers or inhibitors of this enzyme to alter the clearance of ropinirole. Therefore, if therapy with a drug known to be a potent inducer or inhibitor of CYP1A2 is stopped or started during treatment with ropinirole hydrochloride, adjustment of the dose of ropinirole hydrochloride may be required. Coadministration of ciprofloxacin, an inhibitor of CYP1A2, increases the AUC and C max of ropinirole [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Cigarette smoking is expected to increase the clearance of ropinirole since CYP1A2 is known to be induced by smoking [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . 7.2 Estrogens Population pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that higher doses of estrogens (usually associated with hormone replacement therapy) reduced the clearance of ropinirole. Starting or stopping hormone replacement therapy may require adjustment of dosage of ropinirole hydrochloride [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . 7.3 Dopamine Antagonists Because ropinirole is a dopamine agonist, it is possible that dopamine antagonists such as neuroleptics (e.g., phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes) or metoclopramide may reduce the efficacy of ropinirole hydrochloride.
Every ropinirole product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $2 | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $2 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $2 | View → |
What ropinirole pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
| Imprint | Strength | Colour | Shape | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 972;HH | 0.25 mg | white | round | — |
| 972;HH | 0.25 mg | white | round | — |
| 973;HH | 0.5 mg | yellow | round | — |
| 974;HH | 1 mg | green | round | — |
| 975;HH | 2 mg | pink | round | — |
| 976;HH | 3 mg | purple | round | — |
| 977;HH | 4 mg | brown | round | — |
| 978;HH | 5 mg | blue | round | — |
| 595;S | 0.25 mg | white | round | — |
| 596;S | 0.5 mg | yellow | round | — |
| 597;S | 1 mg | green | round | — |
| 598;S | 2 mg | pink | round | — |
How long ropinirole keeps
No ropinirole label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does ropinirole expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsRopinirole and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for ropinirole: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of ropinirole during breastfeeding, but it suppresses serum prolactin and may interfere with breastfeeding. An alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised February 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about ropinirole
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 3,793 reports naming ropinirole, and the FDA flagged 61% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- nausea275 reports
- fatigue269 reports
- fall217 reports
- dyspnoea194 reports
- asthenia188 reports
- dizziness169 reports
- headache167 reports
- diarrhoea160 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean ropinirole caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.
How long ropinirole stays in your system
The elimination half-life of ropinirole is about 6 hours. This is the elimination half-life of ropinirole itself after oral dosing (the label states clearance of 47 L/h and an elimination half-life of approximately 6 hours). Ropinirole is not a prodrug, and its major metabolites — the N-despropyl metabolite and the hydroxy metabolites — are described by the label as inactive, so no active metabolite outlasts the parent. Steady state is reached within about 2 days. Populations named in the label: in people older than 65, oral clearance is about 15% lower than in younger adults (the label still says no starting-dose adjustment is needed, because dosing is titrated to response). Moderate kidney impairment (creatinine clearance 30-50 mL/min) did not change ropinirole pharmacokinetics, but in end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis clearance fell by roughly 30% and the label sets a lower maximum dose; severe renal impairment without dialysis has not been studied. Ropinirole is extensively metabolized by the liver (mainly CYP1A2), but the label states its pharmacokinetics have NOT been studied in hepatic impairment — so no half-life figure exists for that group. Smoking induces CYP1A2 and increases clearance (smokers had ~38% lower AUC); CYP1A2 inhibitors such as ciprofloxacin or fluvoxamine raise exposure.
ROPINIROLE tablet, film coated — FDA label, 12.3 Pharmacokinetics (DailyMed, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA) ↗Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is ropinirole?
Ropinirole Hydrochloride is a nonergot dopamine agonist used to treat Parkinson Disease.
What kind of drug is ropinirole?
The FDA classifies ropinirole as a nonergot dopamine agonist. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
How long does ropinirole stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of ropinirole is about 6 hours — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. This is the elimination half-life of ropinirole itself after oral dosing (the label states clearance of 47 L/h and an elimination half-life of approximately 6 hours). Ropinirole is not a prodrug, and its major metabolites — the N-despropyl metabolite and the hydroxy metabolites — are described by the label as inactive, so no active metabolite outlasts the parent. Steady state is reached within about 2 days. Populations named in the label: in people older than 65, oral clearance is about 15% lower than in younger adults (the label still says no starting-dose adjustment is needed, because dosing is titrated to response). Moderate kidney impairment (creatinine clearance 30-50 mL/min) did not change ropinirole pharmacokinetics, but in end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis clearance fell by roughly 30% and the label sets a lower maximum dose; severe renal impairment without dialysis has not been studied. Ropinirole is extensively metabolized by the liver (mainly CYP1A2), but the label states its pharmacokinetics have NOT been studied in hepatic impairment — so no half-life figure exists for that group. Smoking induces CYP1A2 and increases clearance (smokers had ~38% lower AUC); CYP1A2 inhibitors such as ciprofloxacin or fluvoxamine raise exposure. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take ropinirole with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run ropinirole against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is ropinirole sold under?
We track 3 ropinirole-containing products in the U.S.: Requip, Requip XL and Ropinirole Hydrochloride. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does ropinirole come in?
Across the brands we track, ropinirole is currently marketed as tablet and tablet, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic ropinirole?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic ropinirole product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Ropinirole: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ropinirole
- MLA
- “Ropinirole: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ropinirole.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for ropinirole on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.