REQUIP(ropinirole) as a anti-prolactin

daniel35

daniel35

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My wife has gotten a requip prescription for restless leg syndrome and I have two questions.
1. It is a dopamine agonist, and yet it is given for RLL to help you sleep how is that possible? I thought dopamine would make one more alert not less.
2. She has a lot of extra .25 mgs pills(enough for me to take 60 a month), and I've been reading that a dose as low as .2 mgs will lower prolactin in men. I've had carbergoline in the past as a sex booster, and it worked great. Basically isn't everything that requip does the same as cabegoline?
Any help on either question will be appreciated.
 
DR.D

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Yeah, you would think so, but every potent dopamine agonist I have ever tried has made me sleepy too. Even Cylert, and with a name like that you would think it would make you alert! Dopamine is concerned with fine motor function peripherally and dopaminergics do work well for RL. I've never used this particular compound, so I can't say if it's as clean and efficient as cab for your application, but remember that prolactin is really only something you want to suppess if it's high. Suppressing prolactin downregulates androgen receptors in the testis. Test levels don't change usually as the body adjusts accordingly, but I would only use it experimentally for short cycles or if I really needed it if you're are otherwise healthy with good endocrine function.

BTW, I tried cab for the sex thing. It only seemed to delay orgasm like an SSRI would. My research assistant got pissed and made me stop using it, so I can't say it really worked for me. Unless refraction issues are a problem, I would still avoid dopaminergics.
 
daniel35

daniel35

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I'm sure you know way, way more then me about prolactin, do you have a comment for the following that came from a Mind and muscle power magazine from 2000.

"The interesting thing is that normally, TSH and prolactin are independently controlled. However, under certain conditions, such as an underactive thyroid gland(primarily hypothyroidism), prolactin release may be triggered.
So what,
Well, when prolactin levels are high, LHRH release by the hypothalamus is inhibited, and thus LH (luteninzing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) are inhibited. When LH and FSH levels decrease, this will put the brakes on testosterone production. It is well know that high levels of prolactin can cause men ot experience a loss of sex drive and impotence."

It goes on to list the meds that cause high prolactin including opiates and cocaine, and others. It seems to me that if all this is true, a anti-prolactin would be very benificial during PCT. Any thoughts on any of this would be appreciated.
 
DR.D

DR.D

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I'm sure you know way, way more then me about prolactin, do you have a comment for the following that came from a Mind and muscle power magazine from 2000.

"The interesting thing is that normally, TSH and prolactin are independently controlled. However, under certain conditions, such as an underactive thyroid gland(primarily hypothyroidism), prolactin release may be triggered.
So what,
Well, when prolactin levels are high, LHRH release by the hypothalamus is inhibited, and thus LH (luteninzing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) are inhibited. When LH and FSH levels decrease, this will put the brakes on testosterone production. It is well know that high levels of prolactin can cause men ot experience a loss of sex drive and impotence."

It goes on to list the meds that cause high prolactin including opiates and cocaine, and others. It seems to me that if all this is true, a anti-prolactin would be very benificial during post cycle therapy. Any thoughts on any of this would be appreciated.
I'm no expert, but yes, it's true as far as I know. If the thyroid is sluggish but the pituitary is in tact and trying to stimulate production, TSH will be high and so will prolacin as a result. That's why you can sometimes treat gyno and prolactin issues with administration of a TSH suppressor like T3 or T4. Prolactin does reduce LH output, but androgen receptors increase as a result so that the net effect is a steady test level either way. In early post cycle therapy, androgen receptors are already upregulated, so prolactin inhibition with a dopaminergic is warranted with a fast initial response. Use of cab for 6 months has been shown to be very good at re-regulating HPTA when it's out of whack. Just bear in mind you are downregulating androgen receptors so that kick in LH is not all that it seems. I usually favor experimentation because you never know what works best for you until you try. I guess my prolactin levels are naturally low because I just don't benefit sexually from the dopaminergics. They actually kind of hurt me in that department, but that is an atypical response because I think most people are benefited with their use but it doesn't hurt to give it a try if you ask me.
 

Mrmanguy84

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This is a super old thread but here is a study regarding this issue:

I can't post links but post this into google:

A dose rising study of the safety and effects on serum prolactin of SK&F 101468, a novel dopamine D2-receptor agonist.


Based on the results, it looks like ropinirole (called SK&F 101468 here) DOES usually lower prolactin.

However, its ability to do so doesn't correlate neatly to the doses given. Anything past 1 MG is kind of a crapshoot as to whether you'll get prolactin down any further or have lesser results. The dosings, their effect on prolactin, and in what hourly time frame is kind of erratic.

Still, on average, 1 mg a day can lower you by about 4 ng/dL over a 24 hour period. At its most extreme, 1.85 mg can get you down as far as 10 ng/DL over a 24 hour period, but the average is just 6. After that, more doesn't seem to help, at least for single daily dosage. In fact at higher doses it sometimes does almost nothing.

All the numbers are there to crunch yourself it you wish. I believe their numbers are converted to ng/DL by dividing by 21.

The takeaway is that this stuff might help, but only to a certain point if it does. I'm not an expert but I believe that's in contrast to drugs like cabergoline which are specifically designed for this.

Personally I take 1 MG each night for restless leg, but I haven't noticed any sexual effects or positive side effects besides helping with the thrashing about in my sleep. Was considering trying taking more to see if it helps. Might help, might not. Probably not.

However my prolactin is slightly elevated at 15.6 (ref range 4-15.2) even on this medication, so I might not be getting the same effect as someone else would.

Your mileage my vary.
 
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