Requip Claim Center

The drug Requip has been a popular treatment for Parkinson’s Disease for many years. In 2005 it was approved by the FDA for treatment of restless leg syndrome (RLS) as well. Requip is not a new drug and has been widely used. Side effects can include nausea, dizziness and somnolence. Some patients shake these symptoms off as they adapt to the medication. Others choose to seek another treatment.

Requip is a dopamine agonist, which means that it replicates the behavior of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means that it provides communication between one area of the brain and another. It has proven to help mollify the symptoms for people with Parkinson’s Disease, all of whom have abnormally low levels of naturally produced dopamine.

Dopamine is associated with our ability to control impulses. High levels of dopamine are often found in drug addicts. Dopamine seems to be the on-off switch for pleasure-seeking behavior, whether it is a wise choice or not; it is also the connection that has led to Requip class action suits because of compulsive behavior caused by the drug.

In 2006 a retired doctor with Parkinson’s Disease sued Requip manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline and a number of Las Vegas casinos for $14 million, asserting that Requip had turned him into a compulsive gambler. This suit and other complaints from Requip users led to a study that was introduced at a medical professional’s convention in 2008 which examined compulsive behaviors in patients taking dopamine agonists.

The study examined 3,090 cases of patients in disparate age groups and demographic subdivisions regarding this issue. For purposes of clarity the researchers identified four impulse control disorders (ICDs) that included gambling, sexual behavior, compulsive shopping and binge eating. Their conclusion was that thirteen percent of the group had developed compulsive behaviors after beginning treatment with Requip or a similar drug.

Also in 2008, three class action suits that involve several dopamine agonists and over 200 defendants – were filed in a District Court in Minnesota. As patients with complaints continue to come forward, there will be additional Requip class action suits.

The drug has been in widespread distribution for many years; the fact that most legal activity has been relatively recent does not mean that compulsive behavior as a Requip side effect is a new phenomenon. Some published reports about this problem go back to the year 2000 and certainly there will be additional complaints that go back further than that.

Only lawyers experienced in Requip cases have the necessary knowledge to evaluate and litigate these complex cases.

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:

“Impulse control symptoms, including compulsive behaviors such as pathological gambling and hypersexuality, have been reported in patients treated with dopaminergic agents.”

Another RLS drug, Mirapex (which is also used to treat Parkinson’s disease), has reported similar symptoms. The Mirapex package insert reads:

“Patients taking certain medicines to treat Parkinson’s disease or RLS, including Mirapex . . . have reported problems with gambling, compulsive eating, and increased sex drive.”

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.

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