ehm, never mind the blue pills of "Vi(ta)agra"... some news might as well belong to the "Strange but True" column that appeared in the famous Settimana Enigmistica, like this one just read (see the original from March 12, 2025
"Attenzione a questo farmaco, provoca un'irrefrenabile voglia di fare se**o e giocare d'azzardo": scatta l'allarme per gli strani effetti collaterali del ropinirolo - Il Fatto Quotidiano “Beware of this drug, it triggers an uncontrollable urge for sex and gambling”: alarm bells are ringing over the strange side effects of "Ropinirole".
A medication to treat Parkinson's disease and restless legs syndrome, but with devastating side effects on the lives of some patients: compulsive addiction to sex and gambling. This is the alarm raised in recent hours by a dozen women in the United Kingdom who have taken Ropinirole, a dopamine agonist.
These drugs work by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain, alleviating symptoms of Parkinson's (affecting about 150,000 Britons) and restless legs syndrome (which affects one in ten people in the UK). However, in some cases, they can trigger unexpected and potentially destructive side effects. These are drugs known as dopamine agonists, which act on the areas of the brain responsible for movement, helping to relieve disorders like restless legs syndrome, which affects about one in ten people in the UK. The same medications are also commonly prescribed for Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition that impairs motor control and affects about 150,000 people in Britain.
A report from the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has highlighted a possible link between these drugs and atypical sexual behaviors. Moreover, the leaflet for Ropinirole explicitly lists “increased sexual urges” and an “unusual desire to gamble” among the side effects. Despite these indications, many patients reported never being warned about the potential risks before starting the treatment, leaving them unprepared to manage the unwanted effects of the therapy.
One of them, named Claire, interviewed by the BBC, recounted developing restless legs syndrome during her pregnancy and frequently suffering from insomnia and a strange crawling sensation under her skin. After giving birth, these disturbances persisted, so her doctor prescribed Ropinirole, without listing the possible side effects. After a year of taking the medication, her symptoms subsided, but Claire began to experience unprecedented sexual urges: “There's an element in your head that knows what you're doing is wrong, but it hits you to the point that you don't realize you're doing it,” the woman described what she felt.
