NEUPRO® (rotigotine transdermal system) is a prescription medicine used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Living with Parkinson’s Disease

Everyday choices for better health

For many, a primary goal of living with Parkinson's disease (PD) is to increase the amount of time when your medicine is working, your symptoms are under control, and you can focus on the things that are important to you—your work, family, relationships, interests, and activities. The choices you make every day can help promote your overall health. And with each healthy choice you make, you're letting Parkinson's know, "It's ON."

The information on this site is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended or recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.

Exercise and activity

It makes sense that taking on Parkinson's may require some training. Following a regular program of physical exercise has been shown to help people with Parkinson's control their motor symptoms better—and longer. Among the exercises used by people living with Parkinson's disease are:

  • Balance training
  • Resistance exercise
  • Tai chi
  • Stretching
  • Walking on a treadmill

Other benefits of exercise for people with Parkinson's may include:

  • Improving digestion
  • Improving balance (potentially reducing falls)
  • Improving posture (particularly tai chi)
  • Improving muscle strength
  • Improving the ability to perform some daily activities
  • Improving flexibility
  • Improving reach
  • Increasing walking speed

Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program. He or she may have some specific recommendations for you, based on your complete medical history.

Coping with stress

Having Parkinson's is more than enough to stress most people. It's important to find a way to relieve or reduce stress that works for you. Techniques that may help include:

  • Regular physical activity—may improve mobility and physical functioning
  • Tai chi—may also improve balance and posture
  • Joining a support group—sharing with others who understand

Most important: Once you find a technique that works for you, remember to use it regularly. Your doctor may be able to suggest classes, therapists, or other techniques to help you cope with stress.

Diet and nutrition

Although there's no "Parkinson's diet," eating nutritionally balanced meals, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, can contribute to your general health.

So can maintaining a healthy weight. Following general healthy eating guidelines can help you stay strong to face the challenges of living with PD.

Your nutritional concerns may change over time, so it's a good idea to ask for guidance from your doctor or to get a referral to a nutritionist. This can be particularly important if you're having trouble maintaining your normal weight. In addition to following a healthy, balanced diet, there are some specific things you can do to help with certain Parkinson's symptoms.

In the table below are some examples of foods that may cause specific problems for some people with Parkinson's disease. Your doctor or nutritionist can give you more information tailored to your specific needs.

You may want to limit or avoid... ...because
Meat, chicken, shellfish, red meat, liver, and dairy products Protein in these foods may interfere with the absorption of certain medications
Lentils, dry beans, chickpeas, and nuts Protein in these foods may interfere with the absorption of certain medications
Tomatoes and tomato sauce
Citrus fruits
Coffee, tea, and cola
Alcohol
Garlic
Chocolate 		These foods may trigger acid reflux or make it worse

You may also be interested in...

Indication

NEUPRO is a prescription medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease.

Important Safety Information

NEUPRO contains a sulfite called sodium metabisulfite. Sulfites can cause severe allergic reactions that are life threatening to some people who are sensitive to sulfites. People with asthma are more sensitive to sulfites. Remove the patch right away and call your doctor if you have swelling of the lips or tongue, chest pain, or trouble breathing or swallowing.

NEUPRO may make you fall asleep suddenly or without warning while doing normal activities, such as driving, which may result in accidents. Tell your doctor right away if this happens. Drinking alcohol or taking other medicines that cause drowsiness may increase your chances of becoming sleepy while using NEUPRO. Do not drive, use hazardous machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how NEUPRO affects you.

NEUPRO can cause or worsen psychotic symptoms including hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not real), confusion, excessive suspicion, aggressive behavior, agitation, delusional beliefs (believing things that are not real), and disorganized thinking. The chances of having hallucinations or these other psychotic-like changes are higher in people with Parkinson's disease who are elderly, taking NEUPRO, or taking higher doses of NEUPRO. If you have any of these problems, talk to your doctor.

NEUPRO can cause decreases in blood pressure, especially when you start or increase your dose. Increases in blood pressure and heart rate, fainting, weight gain, and fluid retention also can occur. If you faint or feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up from sitting or lying down, or have an unusually fast increase in weight, swelling, or fluid retention, especially in the ankles or legs, tell your doctor.

Some patients using NEUPRO get urges to behave in a way that is unusual for them, such as unusual urges to gamble, strong urges to spend money, binge eating, or increased sexual urges and behaviors. Some patients may want to use more NEUPRO than prescribed for their symptoms (dopamine dysregulation syndrome). If you or your family notices you are developing any unusual behaviors, talk to your doctor.

NEUPRO may cause uncontrolled, sudden movements or make such movements you already have worse or more frequent if you have Parkinson's disease, which may mean that your anti-Parkinson's medicine needs to be changed.

Skin reactions may occur at the site where you apply NEUPRO. Tell your doctor if you get a rash, redness, swelling, or itching that will not go away.

Avoid exposing the NEUPRO patch you are wearing to heating pads, electric blankets, heat lamps, saunas, hot tubs, heated water beds, and direct sunlight. Too much medicine could be absorbed into your body. Also, do not wear NEUPRO during medical procedures called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or cardioversion because this could cause skin burns.

Do not stop using NEUPRO without talking to your doctor first. If your doctor tells you to stop using NEUPRO, you should ask your doctor for specific instructions on how to slowly and safely discontinue using NEUPRO. If you stop using NEUPRO, you may have withdrawal symptoms such as fever, confusion, severe muscle stiffness, feeling like you do not care about the things you usually care about (apathy), anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, sweating and pain.

Tell your doctor if you have breathing problems, a sleep disorder, mental problems, high or low blood pressure, or heart problems; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. NEUPRO may not be right for you.

The most common side effects in people taking NEUPRO for Parkinson's disease are nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, application site reactions, dizziness, loss of appetite, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, increased sweating, vision problems, leg swelling, and uncontrolled, sudden movements of the arms or legs.

These are not all the possible side effects of NEUPRO. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to UCB, Inc. at ucbCARES® (1-844-599-2273).

Please see additional Patient Information about the NEUPRO Patch. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your condition or treatment.