Drugs Used to Treat Parkinson’s Disease May Spur a Compulsion Toward Gambling
Matters betting and upsetting
The most expensive prescription in history
More than 2 years ago (wow, has it really been that long?), I wrote to you about a study of 1800 Parkinson’s patients conducted by researchers from the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Research Center in Phoenix, Arizona. In that study’s findings, evidence strongly suggested that several of a certain class of drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease may spur a compulsion toward gambling
In that study, at least one of the folks involved dug themselves into a $60,000 hole!
Since the time of that writing (Daily Dose, 11/4/2003), at least one other study has backed up the Ali Center’s original finding. According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, a Mayo Clinic study from 2005 catalogued the experiences of 11 Parkinson’s patients who developed gambling compulsions while taking a drug called Requip, or another in its class called Mirapex. This compulsion halted for at least 8 of these patients once they stopped taking the drugs.
Well, now this story is back in the news. An Austin, Texas, man – a retired doctor, no less – is suing drug giant GlaxoSmithKline, along with 7 big-name Las Vegas casinos, after losing $14 million in 2004 and 2005 while taking Glaxo’s Requip Parkinson’s drug. The lawsuit targets the drug’s maker for not appropriately warning takers of Requip about the possibility of gambling compulsions
But what’s really off the charts is that he’s also suing the casinos for not stopping him from gambling, since the Mayo clinic study was common knowledge within the gambling community, and that he’s informed the casinos that he was taking the drug for his Parkinson’s disease.
Now, I’m all for going after the drug company for not disclosing these risks, but the casinos? If it were incumbent upon them to make sure we don’t do anything stupid at their tables, they’d never let anyone place any bets! And what if this out-of-control Doc had WON $14 million instead of losing it? Would the casinos be able to sue him for their money back-since he was compelled by drugs to gamble, and wouldn’t have otherwise?
I hope what ultimately happens is that this man wins his case against Glaxo, and is awarded enough to make him whole again (or close to it). But I don’t think the casinos owe him a penny-or anyone else who places an ill-advised bet while under the influence of anything. If the gamers are held responsible, it’ll open up a major can of worms with regard to personal choice and accountability, things we’re already growing short on in this country.
Besides, what could possibly be the solution? Making gamblers in Vegas sign a waiver that they aren’t taking Requip or others in its class? And what if people start taking Requip as a hedge against gambling losses? If they win, they keep quiet – but if they lose, it’s: “No fair! I’m on Requip! I want my money back!”
Now that’s more of a hustle than any casino game could ever be.
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Long live the hotheads – literally
Contrary to what a lot of PC medicine will tell you (that expressing anger is bad for your health), a study from last fall shows that overt displays of anger may reduce the negative impact of stress.
Conducted by Carnegie Mellon University, the study was cruelty defined: First, they were told that their intelligence was being tested. Then, they were asked to count backward from 6200 in increments of 13 (6187, 6174, 6161, and so on). Finally, they were taunted, told to go faster, and condescendingly corrected when they were wrong
All the while during this psychological torture, subjects’ biological stress responses were being measured (heart rate, hormone release, etc.). As it turns out, those who let their anger boil over showed the lowest stress responses.
What’s this mean?
Well, it doesn’t mean you should go around biting everyone’s head off in the name of your health. But it could mean that blowing off some steam when it’s appropriate – like when you’ve lost 14 million bucks at the casinos – might save you from lasting effects of stress that could lead to heart trouble, obesity, or the blues.
Doubling down – but not bottling up,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD
