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Patients who were prescribed drugs for restless leg syndrome claim doctors did not warn them about significant side effects of the medication – including risky sexual behaviours and compulsive gambling.
One woman recalls leaving her house in the early hours of the morning in search for sex, while another admitted she racked up debts of £80,000 after developing a gambling addiction.
The drug Ropinirole – which is a type of dopamine agonist – 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.
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) causes a “crawling or creeping” sensation in the feet, calves and thighs, as well as an overwhelming urge to move them, according to the NHS.
The drugs are designed to work on a part of the brain that controls movement, but the same part of the brain also regulates pleasure and reward. That means people can get more pleasure than usual from stimulating activities.
However, twenty women have told the BBC that doctors did not warn them of this side-effect that many say ruined their lives.
An internal report by drugs firm GSK, which makes the medication, reveals the manufacturer was aware of the link between impulsive behaviours in 2003. This information was shared with drug regulators, according to GSK.
GSK says leaflets contained within the medicine’s packaging have mentioned a risk of “altered” sexual interest since 2007.
One woman, named only as Claire, told the BBC she developed RLS while she was pregnant and after giving birth she was prescribed Ropinirole.
At first, the drug worked wonders, it calmed her restless legs and helped her sleep. But after a year she started to experience strange sexual urges.
She recalled leaving her house wearing a see-through top and jacket and flashing her chest at any man she could find. Claire, who had a partner, said she did this in dangerous locations.
“There remains an element in your head that knows what you’re doing is wrong, but it affects you to the point that you don’t know you’re doing it,” she told the BBC.
It took her years to connect these urges with the medication, but explained the urges stopped almost immediately after she stopped taking the drug. Now, she battles with “shame” and the knowledge she put herself in danger.
Another woman Sue, who found herself in £80,000 of debt, said she mentioned her recent gambling behaviour to the doctor when she was being prescribed a second dopamine agonist drug, but she was not warned about the possible side effect of compulsive behaviour.
In the GSK report from 2003, seen by the BBC, it described “deviant behaviour” in two men who were prescribed Ropinirole for Parkinson’s disease. One was a 63-year-old-man who sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl after developing a “libido problem”, which led to a custodial sentence.
The second case was of a 45-year-old man who carried out acts of “indecent behaviour”. His sex drive was reported to increase after taking his treatment.
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 their medical leaflets until 2007. The class action was settled but GSK denied liability.
In a statement GSK told The Independent that Requip – the brand name for Ropinirole – had been prescribed for more than 17 million treatments since 1996 and that it has undergone “extensive clinical trials”.
They said Requip has been shown to be an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease and Restless Legs Syndrome, with a “well-characterised safety profile.”
A GSK spokesperson added: “As with all medicines, Requip has potential side effects, and these are clearly stated in the prescribing information. Patients should only take Requip under the direction of a medical professional.”
It added that following the 2003 research which found a link with “deviant” sexual behaviour, results were shared with health authorities and had informed updates in prescribing information.
GSK said that the current patient information leaflet for Ropinirole makes specific reference to changes in sexual interest. It also lists a strong impulse to gamble, uncontrollable shopping, binge eating and episodes of overactivity.
