Some medications prescribed to control the tremor of Parkinson’s disease patients and the discomfort of restless leg syndrome can have unanticipated side effects.
Compulsive Behaviors
Some people taking such drugs find themselves helpless against urges to gamble, shop compulsively, binge on food or engage in inappropriate sexual behavior. This category of drugs works on the brain chemical dopamine.
Many Reports of Serious Problems
The investigators analyzed data from the adverse event reporting system of the FDA. They considered events reported between 2003 and 2012 that were classified as serious under FDA’s definition.
More than 1500 reports were included in the analysis, which demonstrated a substantial association between drugs like Mirapex and Requip and serious impulse control disorders such as gambling.
[JAMA Internal Medicine, online, Oct. 20, 2014]
