Medical Investigation Reveals Dopamine Drug’s Link to Compulsive Gambling and Sexual Behavior
A 51-year-old French patient filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, claiming their Parkinson’s medication Requip triggered severe gambling addiction and compulsive sexual behavior. Didier Jambart of Nantes, France, reports the dopamine agonist medication depleted his family’s savings through online gambling and led to dangerous sexual encounters. Medical research published in the Archives of Neurology found that up to 17 percent of Parkinson’s patients taking dopamine agonists develop impulse control disorders.
5 Key Points
- Didier Jambart, 51, alleges GlaxoSmithKline’s Parkinson’s drug Requip caused gambling addiction and compulsive sexual behavior
- The Archives of Neurology documented impulse disorders in 17% of patients taking dopamine agonists
- Dr. Mark Stacy at Duke University Medical Center first identified the connection between these drugs and gambling in 2000
- Requip works by activating dopamine receptors to control Parkinson’s motor symptoms
- The lawsuit claims Jambart’s compulsive behaviors led to financial ruin and personal trauma
Parkinson’s Drug’s Impact on Brain Chemistry
Requip belongs to a class of medications called dopamine agonists, designed to treat Parkinson’s disease by activating dopamine receptors in the brain. Dr. David Standaert, professor and interim chairman of neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, explains that these drugs target motor symptoms, including shaking, stiffness, and balance problems. The medication compensates for the destruction of neurons that typically release dopamine, the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter. “There are plenty of reports of people developing side effects from Parkinson’s drugs, such as hypersexuality, gambling, and excessive shopping,” Standaert said. “It’s uncommon but very dramatic when it happens.”
Research Documents Behavioral Side Effects
A 2010 study published in the Archives of Neurology revealed that dopamine agonists trigger impulse control disorders in up to 17 percent of Parkinson’s patients. Dr. Mark Stacy, a neurologist at Duke University Medical Center, first identified this connection in 2000 during his research into gambling behaviors. His groundbreaking work established the initial link between dopamine agonist medications and compulsive gambling. “It can be devastating for those people,” Stacy said. “And I think that because of the embarrassing nature of the complaint, it’s a bit amplified.”
Patient Reports Financial and Personal Devastation
Didier Jambart’s legal team detailed the severe consequences of using Requip. The married father of two from Nantes, France, reports depleting his family’s savings through compulsive online gambling. Court documents state that Jambart resorted to theft to finance his gambling addiction. His lawyers revealed that medication-induced behavioral changes led to risky sexual encounters resulting in assault. The father of two seeks damages from GlaxoSmithKline for these personal and financial losses.
FAQ
Q: What is Requip prescribed for?
A: Requip treats Parkinson’s disease symptoms, including shaking, stiffness, slowness, and balance problems, by activating dopamine receptors in the brain.
Q: How common are behavioral side effects from Requip?
A: The 2010 Archives of Neurology study found up to 17% of Parkinson’s patients taking dopamine agonists develop impulse control disorders.
Q: When was the connection between Requip and gambling first discovered?
A: Dr. Mark Stacy at Duke University Medical Center first identified the link between dopamine agonist medications and gambling behavior in 2000.
Q: What types of compulsive behaviors are linked to Requip?
A: Research has documented hypersexuality, gambling addiction, and excessive shopping behaviors in some patients taking the medication.
Q: Who manufactures Requip?
A: GlaxoSmithKline, a British pharmaceutical company, manufactures Requip.
Citations
ABC News (February 1, 2011). Man Says Parkinson’s Drug Made Him Addicted to Gambling and Gay Sex. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodResourceCenter/man-parkinsons-drug-requip-made-addicted-gambling-gay/story?id=12813788
