Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Leads to Compulsive Gambling

Researchers have identified excessive gambling as a side effect of a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Some patients who are prescribed medication known as dopamine agonists developed the problem within three months of starting treatment, even though they had previously gambled only occasionally or never at all.

“This is a striking effect,” remarks J. Eric Ahlskog of the Mayo Clinic, a co-author of the new study. “Pathological gambling induced by a drug is really quite unusual.”

The researchers report in the current issue of the Archives of Neurology that their newly-developed gambling problems cost patients upwards of $100,000 and, in the case of one patient, led to the break-up of her marriage.

The good news is that only a small number of patients exhibit the compulsive gambling side effect and it is reversible and thus poses no reason to avoid these therapies.

When the patients tapered off use of the dopamine agonists, the desire to gamble compulsively also disappeared. “I’d want patients to be very forthcoming with their doctors about their gambling,” says study co-author M. Leann Dodd. ”

If you recognize this association early, you can possibly prevent financial ruin or destruction of relationships.” –Sarah Graham

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A better hope of Parkinson’s disease is probably with Ecstasy (you heard that right) or Amphetamines which have been found to reverse Parkinson’s disease.