Why have I been prescribed Neupro?

Neupro (Rotigotine) is used for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of early-stage Parkinson's disease as monotherapy (i.e. without levodopa) or in combination with levodopa.

How does it work?

• People with Parkinson’s disease have low levels of dopamine in some parts of their brains.
• Neupro has effects similar to those of natural dopamine, so it helps to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

When and how do I use it?

• Neupro is applied once a day.
• The patch should be applied at approximately the same time every day.
• The patch remains on the skin for 24 hours and will then be replaced by a new one at a different site of application.
• The patch should be applied to clean, dry, intact healthy skin on the abdomen, thigh, hip, flank, shoulder, or upper arm.
• Reapplication to the same site within 14 days should be avoided. Neupro should not be placed on skin that is red, irritated or damaged.
• If the patient forgets to apply the patch at the usual time of the day or if the patch becomes detached, another patch should be applied for the remainder of the day.

What’s the dose?

Dosing in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease:

• A single daily dose should be initiated at 2 mg/24 h and then increased in weekly increments of 2 mg/24 h to an effective dose up to a maximal dose of 8 mg/24 h.

Dosing in patients with advanced stage Parkinson's disease with fluctuations:

• A single daily dose should be initiated at 4 mg/24 h and then increased in weekly increments of 2 mg/24 h to an effective dose up to a maximal dose of 16 mg/24 h.

Could it interact with other tablets?

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, or have recently taken, any other medicines, including any herbal medicines or other medicines you obtained without a prescription. Remember to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you begin taking a new medicine while you are using Neupro.

Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following:

• dopamine antagonists, such as antipsychotic medication or metoclopramide
• sedating medicinal products like antidepressants or alcohol in combination with Neupro.
• Levodopa- may cause and/or exacerbate pre-existing movement problems.

What are the possible risks or side-effects?

Very common

• Somnolence
• dizziness
• nausea
• application site reactions eg redness or itch

Common

• Hallucination (visual and auditory)
• confusion state
• abnormal dreams
• insomnia
• involuntary movements
• dizziness
• headache
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• constipation
• dyspepsia
• dry mouth

Can I drink alcohol while taking it?

• This medicine may interact with alcohol.
• Consult doctor before drinking alcohol.

What if I’m pregnant/breastfeeding?

Neupro should not be used during pregnancy or while breast feeding.

If you have any more questions please ask your Pharmacist.

Remember to keep all medicines out of reach of children
Please Note: We have made every effort to ensure that the content of this information sheet is correct at time of publish, but remember that information about drugs may change. This sheet does not list all the uses and side-effects associated with this drug. For full details please see the drug information leaflet which comes with your medicine. Your doctor will assess your medical circumstances and draw your attention to any information or side-effects which may be relevant in your particular case.

References:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/brain-and-nervous-system/a8633/neupro-patches-rotigotine/

https://www.neupro.com/

http://www.drugs.com/neupro.html

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/ucm302528.htm

http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_-_Product_Information/human/000626/WC500026397.pdf