The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is investigating concerns that drugs commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease may trigger addictive behaviors such as compulsive gambling and hypersexuality. These medications, known as dopamine agonists, are also prescribed for so-called ‘restless leg syndrome’. Evidence highlighted by the Parkinson’s Foundation, a US-based organization, suggests that up to one in six patients taking these drugs could develop impulse control disorders.
The MHRA has launched a comprehensive safety review to assess whether further regulatory measures are needed, particularly around how risks are communicated to patients. The agency has admitted that while impulse control disorders are already recognized side effects of dopamine agonist drugs, more could be done to ensure patients and their families are fully aware of the potential for behavioral changes when starting or continuing treatment.
To read how a review authored by researchers in China concluded that proper supplementation of vitamins can reduce the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in the general population and improve the clinical symptoms of patients suffering from it, see this article on our website.
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News
A UK health watchdog is investigating warnings that drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease can cause side effects such as gambling and sex addictions.
[Source: sky.com]
[Image source: freepik.com]
Comment
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is investigating concerns that drugs commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease may trigger addictive behaviors such as compulsive gambling and hypersexuality. These medications, known as dopamine agonists, are also prescribed for so-called ‘restless leg syndrome’. Evidence highlighted by the Parkinson’s Foundation, a US-based organization, suggests that up to one in six patients taking these drugs could develop impulse control disorders.
The MHRA has launched a comprehensive safety review to assess whether further regulatory measures are needed, particularly around how risks are communicated to patients. The agency has admitted that while impulse control disorders are already recognized side effects of dopamine agonist drugs, more could be done to ensure patients and their families are fully aware of the potential for behavioral changes when starting or continuing treatment.
To read how a review authored by researchers in China concluded that proper supplementation of vitamins can reduce the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in the general population and improve the clinical symptoms of patients suffering from it, see this article on our website.
Dr. Rath Health Foundation
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