“It was like turning off a light switch…”
For Pam S., when she stopped taking a medication prescribed for her restless leg syndrome, she lost her uncontrollable desire to gamble within three days.
This after years of problem gambling that had led her to lie to her family and even embezzle funds from her employer.
Researchers discovered a decade ago that the dopamine agonists – drugs used primarily to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s or, in lower doses, restless leg syndrome – could trigger addictive behaviors. Compulsive gambling is one of the surfacing issues, along with binge shopping or eating and hypersexuality.
Dr. M. Leann Dodd, a psychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic, co-authored a 2005 research paper published in the Archives of Neurology on the link between excessive gambling and the medication pramipexole, known as Mirapex. Pramipexole mimics the effects of dopamine on the brain and can reduce muscle tremors typically associated with Parkinson’s and restless leg syndrome.
Dodd’s study cited examples such as a 68-year-old man who lost more than $200,000 at casinos over six months. Similarly, in a Medscape online article authored by University of Michigan pharmacist Joanne M. Pangilinan, she describes a 60-year-old woman with restless leg syndrome who began losing $6,000 a month on slot machines once on her medication.
Examples abound and there have been lawsuits filed against Mirapex’s manufacturer. But, despite a flurry of media coverage at the time, little since has been written to keep the public aware of this potential issue.
And, as Pam’s story reminds us, some connections should be remembered.
If you have questions about medications and their impact on problem gambling or other addictive behaviors, contact Maryhaven’s Bruce Jones at 614/324-5425.
