These Parkinson's Drugs Can Cause Addiction to Gambling, Shopping, Sex, or Food

The Parkinson's Foundation warns that treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD) with dopamine agonist drugs (ex. pramipexole, ropinirole, rasagiline, rotigotine patch) increases the risk of developing Impulse Control Disorders (ICDs) including pathological gambling, compulsive spending, hypersexuality, and compulsive eating. ICDs are usually developed after long-term use of dopamine agonists.

These addictions can cause devastating consequences for an individual and their families. In some cases, people have lost their homes and businesses, lost their jobs, and experienced break-ups in their families. Others have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars or have been prosecuted for criminal sexual behaviors.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, ICDs can appear at any time during treatment with dopamine agonists, sometimes within the first few months, but more commonly after years of treatment. Many times the ICD is not diagnosed until catastrophic damage has already been done to an individual's life.

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