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Suffered from Mirapex Side Effects?

Keywords: Mirapex Lawyer Gambling Attorney Compulsive Behavior Lawsuit Side Effects

About  Mirapex

Mirapex is a dopamine agonist and works by mimicking the effects of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine helps people control their movements and increases feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Because Parkinson's Disease occurs because of a lack of dopamine in certain areas of the brain, Mirapex can help ease some of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. Mirapex’s link to compulsive behavior is thought to result from the rush that dopamine can give in anticipation of a reward or excitement, such as gambling. Mirapex is currently the most prescribed drug in the dopamine agonist class of drugs.

2005 Mayo Clinic Report

In a July 2005 report published in the Archives of Neurology, Mayo Clinic researchers documented behavior that supported earlier observations linking dopamine agonist drugs with gambling addiction and compulsive behaviors. The report detailed 11 Parkinson's patients who developed gambling problems while taking Mirapex or similar drugs between 2002 and 2004. Doctors have since identified 14 additional Mayo Clinic patients with the problem.

2003 Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center Report
The Mayo Clinic study followed a 2003 report in the journal Neurology which also linked Mirapex to gambling addictions. Researchers at the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona monitored 1,800 Parkinson's patients over a one year period and determined that of the 529 patients in the study who took Mirapex, eight developed gambling addictions. For most patients, the gambling behavior improved after they stopped taking Mirapex.

Safer Alternatives
Levodopa, a popular Parkinson's drug which is not a dopamine agonist, was not linked to any compulsive behaviors. Levodopa works by prompting the brain to naturally create dopamine. Levodopa is sold in the United States under the brand names Dopar and Larodopa. Although Levodopa is not linked to gambling, an estimated 30 percent of Parkinson's patients are still prescribed dopamine agonists like Mirapex.

If you or a loved one took Mirapex and suffered side effects, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified drug side effects attorney.