A 66-Year-Old's Life Upended by Prescription Drug
Individual Secures £70,000 Compensation Over Parkinson's Medication Leading to Compulsive Gambling
Meet Philip Stevens, a British gentleman of 66 from Hampshire, England, who ended up winning a jaw-dropping £70,000 ($88,653) due to a mind-bending ordeal. This payday came from his general practitioner, following a prescription of Ropinirole, a drug meant to aid symptoms relating to Multiple Sclerosis.
Much like a dreaded room in a haunted house, a side-effect of this drug can lead to impulse control disorders, such as compulsive gambling, binge eating, or shopping sprees. Patients are advised to get in touch with specialists immediately if they start displaying any of these symptoms.
A Gambling Addiction Ignites
Philip unfortunately retired in 2015 due to his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. To manage a related condition, restless leg syndrome, he was prescribed Ropinirole. A litany of unfortunate events unfolded as he became engrossed in gambling, often waking up in the dead of night to bet using mobile apps. His wallet bore the brunt of thousands of pounds slipping away. This compulsion extended to shopping sprees and fishing trips, once beloved activities that now felt empty and riddled with guilt.
"The things I once cherished, like fishing and horse racing, have become sources of regret. With every action, guilt consumes me. I am not the man I used to be, pre-Ropinirole," he remarked.
Fortunately, during a review in 2021, a specialist noticed his compulsive behavior and promptly advised him to discontinue the drug immediately.
Mood Swings After Discontinuation
Unfortunately, Philip was not prepared for the withdrawal symptoms, including severe mood swings. Soon, he found himself grappling with psychosis and hallucinations, unable to recognize his home or family. He even demanded DNA tests from his children, doubting their authenticity.
"While my marriage has survived, my thoughts often wander to the past. Yet, I'm starting to find solace in the future. Perhaps, one day, I'll believe that what happened to me wasn't my fault," he said.
This isn't the first instance of such incidents surrounding Ropinirole and its gambling disorder-inducing potential. In a similar case last year, Leigh Day, the law firm representing Philip, won a settlement for a woman who developed compulsive shopping and betting habits while on the medication.
[1] Source: American Journal of Psychiatry[2] Source: Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology[3] Source: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology[4] Source: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry[5] Source: The BMJ: British Medical Journal
- Philip's gambling addiction, initially triggered by his prescription of Ropinirole for managing symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, led to a series of financial losses and mental health struggles, affecting both his health-and-wellness and mental-health.
- The science behind neurological-disorders and certain medications, such as Ropinirole, has shown a potential link to impulse control disorders including gambling addiction, as seen in Philip's case.
- After discontinuing Ropinirole, Philip faced mood swings, psychosis, and hallucinations, becoming a testament to the medical-conditions and multiple-sclerosis-related treatments that might have unforeseen side effects on a person's mental and emotional wellbeing.
