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Suffered from Requip Side Effects?

Requip (Generic: Ropininole HCI) is a popular medication used to control tremors associated Parkinson’s Disease and Restless Leg Syndrome.  Recent reports have linked Requip and similar drugs such as Mirapex with gambling addiction and other unhealthy compulsive behaviors. If you or a loved one has used Requip and suffered from compulsive behavior, please contact Parker & Waichman, LLP for a free lawsuit case evaluation.

About Requip
Requip is a dopamine agonist (same class of drugs as Mirapex) 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 due to a lack of dopamine in certain areas of the brain, Requip can help ease some of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. Requip’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. Requip is currently one of the most prescribed drugs in the dopamine agonist class of drugs.

2003 Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center Report
The Mayo Clinic study followed a 2003 report in the journal Neurology which also linked dopamine agonist  drugs 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.

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.

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 Requip and suffered side effects, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified drug side effects attorney.