August 30, 2007
Are you gambling on drugs?
by G-Rob
Because the only people who watch the evening news are either very very old or very very geeky (like me) most of the ads are for drugs.
For the record, that's one of many reasons why the American healthcare system is a complete failure.
Anyway, one of the ads was for a drug called "REQUIP" which treats the recently invented disorder "restless leg syndrome".
The fast talk side effects got my attention. It said, "If you have gambling....or other compulsive urges...see a doctor".
WHHAAAAAT?
TURNS OUT there is a class action lawsuit against the makers of ReQuip. Check this out:
"2005 Mayo Clinic Report
In a July 2005 report published in the Archives of Neurology, Mayo Clinic researchers documented behavior that supported earlier observations linking dopamine agonist drugs with gambling addiction and compulsive behaviors. The report detailed 11 Parkinson's patients who developed gambling problems while taking Mirapex or similar drugs between 2002 and 2004. Doctors have since identified 14 additional Mayo Clinic patients with the problem."
Just thought you folks would find that interesting.
In fact, here's the warning from the official ReQuip website:
"Some patients taking repinirole (ReQuip) have shown urges to behave in a way unusual for them. Examples of this are an unusual urge to gamble or increased sexual urges... Hallucinations have been reported in people taking Reuip"
So, you'll chase a flush... that isn't there... and you may molest the guy next to you... but at least your legs won't twitch while you sleep.
Which is nice...
Yeah, I saw that ad on T.V. and thought it was strange. Thank God I don't need drugs to feel all that.
Yet another thing I can blame casino losses on.
Sweet!
Funny you chose to write about that just now.
I was just at a dinner last night for Requip's competitor. The drug has been out for ten years for Parkinsons and the amount you take per day is .25mg compared to a Parkinsons patient who'd be on like, 4grams a day. So if 10 years and high doses hasn't turned into an epidemic, then people taking a tiny dose shouldn't do it. Hopefully that means people can cut back on the jimmy legs without pulling a Bobby Blackjack every weekend, but who knows.
And for the record, I lose massive amounts of money without pharmaceutical assistance. It's how I roll.
Also turns out that Requip has a relatively high percentage of vomiting shown in their studies. Must be from that feeling you get after blinking away two grand in your first hour at the casino. That always makes me want to throw up.
As for the "disease" of Restless Leg Syndrome, it does exist. However, is it so prevalent that we need a commercial every 30 minutes on tv? No. People are retards. But anything that messes with a person's sleep can be a pretty frustrating deal.
So far as I've heard though, nobody has ever died from a case of the jimmy legs.
Also, if you've ever shared a sleeping area with Joe Speaker, you'd be the first one looking for a drug to help get rid of the angry warthog battle going on inside his nose and throat.
Does it give you the desire drop a G at Pai Gow and then chase the loss by eating wax sticks?
Not sure how America's health care system is a complete failure when American's enjoy the best Health Care in the world.
I will agree that the FDA is a huge failure, and is the reason so many American's are obese, diabetic, autistic, ADD, and treated with crappy patented manufactured drugs instead of healthy natural and relatively cheap medicines.
Getting rid of the FDA in favor of private accredidation services would be a step in the right direction. So would eliminating government subsidized insurance.
Anthony: Your argument looks compelling. I wish I could have read it. Unfortunately, I simply could not get past the first sentence, where you made a word plural by inserting an apostrophe.
Are you related to Miss South Carolina?
I did indeed go to public government subsidized schools. My post is evidence that they are about as effective as the FDA.
Thanks for being a nitty engrish nazi.
