Doctors Didn’t Warn ‘Deviant Sexual Behaviour’ was Side Effect of Restless Legs Syndrome Drug

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From The Independent. “Patients who were prescribed drugs for restless legs syndrome (RLS) have said doctors did not warn them about significant side effects of the medication – including risky sexual behaviours and compulsive gambling.

One woman recalled leaving her house in the early hours of the morning in search of sex, while another said she racked up debts of £80,000 after developing a gambling addiction.

The drug Ropinirole, described as a “dopamine agonist” and used for conditions that affect how we move, is offered on the NHS, but health guidance body Nice warns the medication has been linked to pathological gambling, binge eating, compulsive shopping and hyper-sexuality.

An internal report by drugs firm GSK, which makes the medication, reveals the manufacturer was aware of the link with impulsive behaviours in 2003. This information was shared with drug regulators, according to GSK.

In 2011, a class action was brought against GSK by four sufferers of Parkinson’s disease. They said Ropinirole led to broken relationships and gambling debts.

They also said despite links to such behaviours revealed in medical studies in the early 2000s, GSK did not include this warning in its medical leaflets until 2007. The class action was settled but GSK denied liability.”

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Then it isn’t a side effect of restless leg syndrome as claimed in the title but rather is a side effect of the drug they were on. See what utter brain dead stupidities creap past your sloppy radars at MIA. I’d rather one honest, intelligent and truthful article a month then all this tsunami of brain dead nonsense either from heavily socially conditioned and therefore confused people or else naked egoistic grifters who try and peddle themselves through their own novel theories based on mere assumption and speculation and invariably linking their pet issues in order to make a gratifying egoistic concoction for themselves by fooling you. Drink it. If it tastes like poison you’ve been on the brandy of untruth for too long and now the truth tastes poison. But obviously the truth can only poison the untruth, and obviously the truth can only sting arrogant untruth. And truth to you is a mega-wasp with a million stings, so watch out. She has many arms and skulls of kills around her neck. Her name is Kali.

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  3. My PCP requested I do a two hour teaching physical with him and one of his students. I was going through the residual common adverse effects of my prior neurotoxic poisonings, one symptom of which was dyskinesia in my ankle. The student wanted to prescribe a restless legs drug, but couldn’t, because I medically explained the etiology of my wiggly ankle.

    The student then wanted to prescribe a “smoking cessation med,” since I smoke. Thankfully, my doctor already knew my “mental health” issues were caused by a misdiagnosis of brain zaps, a common withdrawal symptom of the non-“safe smoking cessation meds” (antidepressants). So I was able to leave that physical with no prescriptions for drugs.

    What do you think my ethical doctor was trying to teach his student(s)? Now that we all have the internet, patients can do their own research? Sometimes it’s better not to prescribe, than prescribe? No doubt, my doctor wanted to get to know me a little better, which is understandable, since it was only my second physical with him. And he and I did have a lot of laughs, while “teaching” his student.

    But maybe the doctors should start using English, instead of Latin, as their primary language, to avoid miscommunication problems that could result in inappropriate and dangerous prescriptions?

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