A new BBC investigation has revealed that women prescribed dopamine agonist drugs for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) were not properly warned about serious side effects — some of which led them into reckless and dangerous sexual behavior.
The report highlights testimony from 20 women whose lives were upended by the medications, which are commonly prescribed to relieve the uncontrollable urge to move associated with RLS.
Some patients described developing compulsive gambling habits, while others — like Claire, a woman interviewed by the BBC — said they experienced extreme sexual impulses that pushed them into unsafe situations.
Disturbingly, internal documents from pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) show that the company was aware of the link between dopamine agonist drugs and “deviant” sexual behavior as early as 2003. One case cited in the report even detailed a man who sexually assaulted a child while on the medication for Parkinson’s disease.
Yet, despite this knowledge, warnings on patient information leaflets remain vague. The UK’s medicines regulator insists that general advisories about increased libido and harmful behavior are included, but affected patients argue that the warnings were insufficient.
For Claire, the consequences were devastating. She says she unknowingly placed herself in extreme danger, prowling for sexual encounters in the early hours of the morning, wearing provocative clothing, and disregarding personal safety. The urges vanished almost immediately after she stopped taking the drug.
This troubling revelation raises serious concerns about transparency in the pharmaceutical industry and whether patients are being adequately informed of potential life-altering side effects.