MS Sufferer Gets Payout After Prescribed Drug Sparks Gambling Hell
A UK resident with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been awarded a £70K (US$89K) settlement by the National Health Service (NHS) after a medication prescribed by his physician led to an “uncontrollable” gambling addiction, according to The Independent.
Philip Stevens, hailing from Hampshire, England, squandered thousands of pounds on betting sites after being prescribed Ropinirole, a well-known Parkinson's medication that is also utilized for treating restless legs syndrome, which can be a potential symptom of MS.
The 66-year-old alleged in a lawsuit that he developed an impulse control disorder (ICD) after starting the medication in 2017. The lawsuit claims that this led Stevens to engage in compulsive shopping, resulting in the expenditure of thousands of pounds on high-priced clothing.
All-Engulfing Fixations
ICD is noted as a potential side effect of using Ropinirole, which is frequently prescribed in the US.
In the UK, the NHS recommends that individuals reach out to a specialized nurse if they begin "binge eating, gambling, or shopping excessively or experience an unusually increased sex drive" following the use of the medication. Stevens asserts he received no warning regarding possible side effects.
Stevens claims that Ropinirole changed harmless passions into overwhelming fixations. He had once taken pleasure in horse racing and bet moderately. He made occasional wagers on horses that he thought he could win. However, following the use of Ropinirole, his gambling rapidly became unmanageable.
Stevens would awaken during the night to gamble on anything available and eventually ceased to care about winning whatsoever.
Likewise, although he had formerly relished the rare fishing excursion, he abruptly felt an urge to embark on three-day fishing trips each week.
“The things that I once enjoyed that became obsessions, such as fishing and horse racing, are now joyless because, with each one, a sense of guilt overcomes me. I am not the same person as I was, pre-Ropinirole,” he told The Independent.
Effects of Withdrawal
In October 2021, a neurologist inquired if Stevens had any side effects like compulsive behavior, and he brought up his gambling. He was recommended to stop taking the medication right away.
Stevens states he was not given any guidance regarding withdrawal symptoms, which involved extreme fatigue, paranoia, and hallucinations so intense he couldn’t identify his wife or children, according to court documents.
Concerns have existed for a while regarding how certain medications, like Ropinrole, may influence impulse control in individuals. The legal firm representing Stevens attained a comparable settlement from the NHS in 2013 for a patient who experienced compulsive gambling and shopping issues after using Ropinirole.
In 2018, Casino.org stated that over 635 lawsuits related to gambling were initiated in the US by plaintiffs who experienced different impulsive disorders after taking the antidepressant aripiprazole, widely recognized by its brand name Abilify.
