Dr. Mercola August 20 2007 47,087 views
Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has updated the package insert for its restless legs syndrome (RLS) drug Requip. According to the new insert, Requip may cause “pathological gambling” and “increased libido including hypersexuality.”These side effects are reportedly a class-wide effect, which impact all the drugs belonging to the non-ergoline dopamine agonist class of drugs. Specifically, the insert reads:
Another RLS drug, Mirapex (which is also used to treat Parkinson’s disease), has reported similar symptoms. The Mirapex package insert reads:
A 2005 study published in the Archives of Neurology also found that dozens of patients using Mirapex or similar drugs developed serious gambling addictions.Hundreds of people have reportedly contacted lawyers about joining class-action lawsuits that allege Mirapex and Requip caused unusual side effects such as compulsive gambling, shopping, painting and eating.
BrandWeekNRX.com August 14, 2007
Archives of Neurology July 11, 2005 (Free Full-Text Article)
I commented on this commercial a month ago. Can you believe it?? Another excuse for "see what you made me do".....
I don't agree that in all cases taking vitamins will solve the issue. My husband has had restleg syndrom for over 15 years and only medication will help it. I've tried all the "normal" stuff including doses of B including B12 and calcuium, etc. (I've had his hair analyed and no issues) Right now we started him on raw milk but I doubt it will help. What's interesting about the news on Mirapex which he has been on for 4 months is the painting symptom. He has been working daily for up to 10 hours a day on painting his car. Better find a new drug what happens when he finishes painting start gambling?
The only caffeine my wife has had in the last three weeks was a small 3/4 times 1 inch piece of dark chocolate no soft drinks no coffie no tea. Yet last evening like most nights RLS kept her awake most of the night. We shy away from nearly all pharm drugs but still take a few I am 71 she 68 still very active. She takes the b vits what else will help. RLS is not a simple thing to those who have it. Shame on those who think it is. Being kept awake is not a small thing at all in my book and that every night. We follow the mostly veg diet. So don't try the too much meat angle. We take so many supplements we are supplement poor. We are directed by an close associate of Dr Mercola so do not assume the supplements are doing it. While her knee joints need replacing now (loads of Glucosimine condroitin for years) she still goes for walks and is active all day besides that. So where do we go from here? to a shrink?
Having had RLS in the past on a regular basis and knowing how the tensing of muscles feels before they release, Ifound taking magnesium and calcium tablets puts an end to it very quickly and then sleep occurs very soon after. Also, having trouble getting to sleep? Take a calcium and magnesium tablet, this takes care of the problem too.
Again no help. My wife takes 750 units twice a day of Cal Mag by Dynamic,for over a year now, this has not helped what next.
Restless legs in a REAL CONDITION! It's not made up and just because you don't have doesn't mean it didn't exist before you learned about it. If you don't have it, don't compare it to anything that you think it's like. If you don't have it, you don't know what it is; and to me the pontificating looks like an expression of ignorance in a place where compassion should be..... This is true no matter what credentials one claims to have.
I have SEVERE restless legs and took Requip. I had none of the mentioned serious side effects, however, the medication became less effective over time and I needed to take more and more of it. One of the things I didn't like about the Requip was that it often left me with a hung over feeling the next day. I should mention that I tried all the different holistic treatments; maybe for some people they work, but not for me.
After years of investigation my understanding of restless legs is this: it is caused by a mild form of sleep apnea. The restless is almost like a suffocation response. Drugs like Requip DO NOT help because they simply dull the symptoms so you can fall asleep. Caffeine doesn't cause the restless legs, it only seems to make the nervous system more sensitive to the symptoms. (In a similar way that an itch seems more intense if you're hopped up on caffeine.)
I would like to close by repeating just how horrible the symptoms can be. Please, avoid saying that it isn't real or in the imagination... or that it is the drug companies manufacturing a disease. IT'S REAL and it's horrible. I have had many nights of walking around till 3 am. Sometimes I walked around till the sun came up the next day, all the while I was wanting to just lay down and fall asleep.
Dog: You have my sympathy. Sleep deprivation can be devastating for sure. If you think about it though, your comments about Requip still support the general fact that drugs are NOT the answer. The drugs did nothing to help your body normalize--they do what they always do: hide the problem while the real reason for the difficulty remains, festering and worsening. (Probably in the most minute number of cases, some drug could prove helpful in the very short-term, perhaps to buy a person time while REALLY addressing the cause.) If you think about it, your body was doing what it could to get you breathing again. It sounds as though you are past all that; glad to hear it.
Dog is right. If the ignorant people on this board had RLS they would be embarrassed at having made their comments. Having said that, drugs are not the answer. Nutritional deficiencies such as low magnesium can contribute somewhat. But the real cause is the same cause for other problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea and migraines etc. - STORED STRESS. EFT can help but some cases will require more work with things like biofeedback. See www.askwaltstollmd.com for more discussion and answers.
I am most interested in where you found information about RLS being related to sleep apnea. I mentioned my father with Parkinsons being put on Requip and unable to tolerate it because of the hallucinations he suffered from it. He also has sleep apnea, which I feel is the crux of it all. First came the blood pressure meds, then the years of disturbed sleep, then later the sleep apnea, now Parkinsons. I have always felt the BP meds started this whole ball rolling because they probably depleted his electrolytes and interfered with his sleep. Of course that's just a guess based on his history. Could you tell me where I might find some research information linking the sleep apnea to the RLS?
I haven't heard any information saying the two are directly related. I know people who have them separately without the other. The stored stress manifests itself in different ways in different people (RLS, sleep apnea, digestive problems, etc.) It could coincidentally cause more than one "syndrome" in the same person. I encourage you to visit Dr. Stoll's site I listed and post questions, he really specializes in this area.
Dog,
What is your exercise routine? Your condition does sound frustrating. I for many years felt I had restless legs during the day and especially at night. I found that once I began a rigorous exercise routine (it has to be intense) it went away. I practice a 90 minute power yoga routine in a hot room. All restlessness in my body purges with this exercise. I practiced 4 times per week to start. Now, I need less to maintain body health. If I stop completely, I feel my muscles begin to get restless again, particularly large muscles like thighs. I don't see many postings on exercise as a cure/treatment. I assume you too have not tried this approach. Worth a try.