Classes of drugs commonly used to treat motor disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome drive people into dangerous sexual behavior.
Patients taking dopamine agonists say the drug has caused uncontrollable impulses, including flashing, sexual addiction, and even pedophilia.
Report Reviewed by the BBC Drugmaker GSK suggests that since 2003 they know about the risks of so-called “deviant” sexual behavior, but patients argue that doctors have not continued to warn about these potentially catastrophic side effects.
Dopamine agonists mimic dopamine, an important brain chemical that regulates movement and is activated by pleasure. However, these drugs can overstimulate feelings of joy, whilst blunting the brain’s ability to recognize the consequences of our actions.
This can lead to impulse control disorders Studies shown 13% to 24% of dopamine agonists Parkinson’s disease patients develop them. These risky behavior warnings are listed along with common side effects such as nausea and insomnia, but studies suggest that they often go Unknown or diagnosed.
In the US, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine I recommend it Drugs are only used for short-term treatments such as end-of-life care.
A 2003 report from GSK, reviewed by the BBC, describes two cases of deviant sexual behavior in men who were prescribed the dopamine agonist ropinirole for Parkinson’s disease.
One is that a 63-year-old man sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl. The report said the perpetrator’s sexual desire increased significantly from the start of treatment, and “the problem was resolved since then” after the dose was reduced.
At least 20 women prescribed dopamine agonists for restless leg syndrome. Many said they were not warned of serious side effects and didn’t know what was causing their unstable behavior.
One woman, Claire, spoke about how she began to leave the house early to find sex. About a year after starting Ropinirole, which first relieves RLS symptoms, she began experiencing overwhelming and unprecedented sexual impulses.
Wearing a see-through top and jacket, she regularly flashed her breasts to every man she could, despite having a partner.
“There’s an element in your mind that you know what you’re doing is wrong, but that affects you to the point that you don’t know you’re doing it,” she told the BBC.
Claire said it took years to tie these impulses to her medication – and when she stopped it, they almost immediately disappeared. She is now feeling “shameful” and “remorried” in the dangerous situation she put herself in.
In many cases, women told the BBC that doctors were unable to assess the effects of the drug on the body over time.
Sarah, who began taking another dopamine agonist in her 50s, said her previously low libido had skyrocketed to a point where she was completely addicted. She began selling underwear and explicit videos online, organising telephone sex with strangers and shopping obsessively.
To address the effects, she turned to self-control, using pain-relieving opioids and sleeping pills. Eventually, Sarah went into rehab, which led to her losing her driver’s license and her job.
“I looked at things that I wasn’t healthy. I knew my actions weren’t me, but I couldn’t control them,” she told the BBC.
A class action lawsuit was filed against GSK in 2011 by four Parkinson’s patients who allegedly led to a broken relationship with gambling debt.
They also argued that despite studies linking drugs to such behavior by 2000, GSK was unable to include warnings in its product literature until March 2007. The lawsuit was resolved, but GSK refused liability.
In a statement, GSK told the BBC that ropinirole has been prescribed for treatments of over 17 million people and has undergone “extensive clinical trials.” He added that the drug has proven effective and has a “characterized safety profile.”
“Like all medicines, [it] There are potential side effects, and these are clearly stated in the prescribing information.”
In response to a 2003 study that found links to “deviant” sexual behavior, GSK informed the BBC that this was shared with health authorities and updated on prescribing information. Currently, “changes or increases in sexual interest” and “activities of serious concern” are listed as side effects.
GSK did not respond immediately to requests to post comments.
