Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome are being treated by dopamine agonists drugs that include Pramipexole (Mirapex, Mirapexin, Sifrol) and Ropinirole (Requip, Repreve, Ronirol, Adartrel). If you are taking one of these drugs you may not be aware that over the past 10 years they have been linked to the bizarre side effects of pathologic gambling, compulsive shopping, and other impulse control disorders.
The researchers, from the Drug Safety and Policy, Institute for Safe Medication Practices, Alexandria, Virginia conclude that “… the associations were significant, the magnitude of the effects was large, and the effects were seen for all 6 dopamine receptor agonist drugs.” The study, published online can be found in the Oct 20, 2014 edition of JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study analyzed adverse drug events reported by physicians into the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database from 2003 to 2012. Of the 1580 reports of impulse control disorders, gambling was the most frequent behavior, reported (39.7%), followed by hypersexuality (29.4%), compulsive shopping (12.8%), and poriomania (the morbid impulse to wander away from home (7.9%)). Since very few doctors take the time to report adverse drug events, the 1580 reports were by no means exhaustive.
None of the dopamine receptor agonist drugs approved by the FDA have boxed warnings. The authors warn that “Physicians who prescribe dopamine agonists should also vigilantly monitor their patients and ensure that patients, families, and caregivers are counseled about the risk of these serious adverse events.”
My advice is to take magnesium for these conditions. I’ve blogged that Restless Legs Need Magnesium.
Regarding Parkinson’s disease, I can direct you to a free eBook Magnesium in the Central Nervous System that contains a study called “Magnesium in Parkinson’s Disease: An Update In Clinical And Basic Aspects”. The abstract reads as follows: “Magnesium (Mg) is essential for cell functions such as transport of calcium and potassium ions, and modulates signal transduction, energy metabolism, and cell proliferation. Several studies elucidated a reduced concentration of Mg in patients with Parkinson’s disease, and experimentally, severe loss of dopaminergic neurons exclusively in the substantia nigra in 1-year old rats that has been subjected to continuously low Mg intake one-fifth of the normal level) over generations. A study conducted by the authors revealed a significant and striking effect of Mg to prevent neurite and neuron pathology and also to ameliorate neurite pathology in a rat Parkinson disease module involving culture of ventral mesencephalic-striatal cells.”
The most effective and efficient form of magnesium to use is my ReMag. It’s 100% absorbed at the cellular level and does not cause a laxative effect.
Carolyn Dean MD ND
The Doctor of the Future®
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