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I have been taking Ropinirole for about four years, as part of the test period for the drug, and have had marvelous success. Diagnosed at 57, now 62, I still have a ways to go before I max out on the drug. And, I've not had insomnia or nausea - in fact, I sleep better and eat more (not entirely a benefit, either, except to the candy industry!). My only regret is that Ropinirole, too, will eventually become ineffective. But, of course, eventually we're all dead. At 7:58 PM 8/26/97, Judith Richards wrote: >Parkinson's drug approved - >By Natalie Armstrong >TORONTO (CP) A drug recently approved for use in Canada could offer a >longer, normal life to those who suffer from Parkinson's disease, its makers >say. >Ropinirole hydrochloride, marketed under the name ReQuip, is said to relieve >Parkinson's symptoms such as uncontrollable movements without the side >effects of the standard drug levodopa, or L-dopa. >The drug will allow patients to live "normal lives, longer," said Roger >White, medical director for SmithKline Beecham Inc., which developed the drug. >Although the new drug was announced Tuesday, doctors not related to the >study were unable to comment. >It's backers say ReQuip solves problems patients faced on L-dopa since it >was approved in the 1970s. >"We've developed new theories in Parkinson's disease to try to change the >treatment approach and delay the onset of these troublesome side effects," >said Dr. Janis Miyasaki, a Toronto neurologist. >ReQuip is most beneficial to people who are diagnosed with the disease >early. But those who are in the mature stage of the disease can lessen the >dosage of L-dopa by taking ReQuip, Miyasaki said. >L-dopa could treat disease symptoms like tremors, slowness in movement, and >rigidity, but the side effects were devastating to the quality of life of >Parkinson's sufferers. >"The drawbacks of levodopa occur within two to five years of initiating >treatment," said Miyasaki. "That period is called the honeymoom period where >people have an excellent response to treatment." >As the benefit of L-dopa wears off, which can be sudden or gradual, the >patient develops "abnormal involuntary movements," she said. >"These movements may be fixed postures, so that makes it difficult for them >to use their hands or even walk," Miyasaki said, adding that they can be >more troublesome than the actual symptoms of the disease itself. >"A new treatment approach is to delay the onset of use of levodopa," she >said. "There is evidence in animal studies that exposure to levodopa may >prime the brain to develop these side effects." >Living without side effects is important to 46-year-old Ian Patterson, who was >diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when he was 37. >After taking L-dopa for the first five years of his illness, side effects >started. >"I'm probably moving now, but I don't really realize it," he said. >Patterson, a father of two, likes to attend his 12-year-old son's hockey >games. >"I can't sit in the front rows, because I draw attention to myself," >Patterson said. "At the arena, most of the parents ... think these >involuntary movements are part of the disease. It's really the side effects >of the levodopa." >The known side effects of ReQuip are nausea and insomnia, which L-dopa also >shares. >The cause of Parkinson's disease is unknown, and there is no known cure. >There are 100,000 Canadians with Parkinson's disease, most are over 60 years >old. >Although the disease is known to attack the older population, about 10 per >cent develop the disorder before age 40. >The drug has been approved in the Britain, France, Germany, and Denmark. >CP 1745ES 26-08-97