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Article: RLS drug linked to compulsive gambling.(Adverse Effects)(restless legs syndrome)
- Article from:
- Adverse Event Reporting News
- Article date:
- February 26, 2007
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Compulsive gambling with extreme losses--in two cases, greater than $100,000--by people without a prior history of gambling problems has been linked to a class of drugs commonly used to treat the neurological disorder restless legs syndrome (RLS). A new Mayo Clinic study is the first to describe this compulsive gambling in RLS patients who are being treated with medications that stimulate dopamine receptors in the brain. The Mayo Clinic report appeared in the Jan. 23 issue of "Neurology."
The extent of this problem is unknown. Apparently, it occurs only in a small number of RLS patients treated with drugs called dopamine agonists. Considering this potential side ...