Equally as important is to warn others about the possible side effects.  For years the drug company failed to warn aboutbehavior as side effect of Mirapex, finally in 2005 they placed a side note of the these side effects, on page 17 of 21 of the package insert, under the precautions section: "Mirapex may cause obsessive behavior such as gambling."   Finally just this year there is a true warning in the package insert (revised Feb, 2006), which we believe still falls short of explaining the true risks associated with Mirapex. 

The manufacturer's insert for the drug Mirapex states The company, Boehringer Ingelheim, claims that compulsive behavior occurs in 1.5% of patients taking Mirapex. From our extensive experience dealing with Parkinson's patients from all over the world, we happen to think the numbers are much, much higher, and the gravity of the behavior is much, much more profound and destructive than Boehringer would like us to believe. These obsessive behaviors and uncontrollable impulses are destroying people's lives, and they don't even have a clue as to what's happening to them. Some of the reported behavior has been hyper-sexuality or addiction to porn; addictions to gambling; bi-polar disorder; uncontrollable thoughts, jealousy, rage, and numerous other impulses.

We also speculate that other agonists such as Requip have similar side effects, but there is not enough evidence at this point to make any conclusions. We speculate that Requip may cause severe depression in some patients, and since people with chronic illnesses often have legitimate "reasons" to be depressed, this side effect is under-reported. If you feel like you have lost all hope, have suicidal or homicidal thoughts, consult your doctor immediately, and please contact us as well.

We are here to help you if you have suffered due to taking one of these drugs. Take some comfort in knowing that you are not crazy. If you never gambled in your entire life and all of  sudden you have gambled away your life savings in one month, most likely it is not a personality flaw or a consequence of the disease. It very well might be a side effect of Mirapex, or one of the other  Dopamine agonists.

Anything shared here or on our hotline 973-644-4046 is confidential. That is our oath to you. Our sole purpose is to make a difference in the world and this is our way of accomplishing that. The website is very new and we are doing our best to keep it up to date, informative, helpful, and responsive. We welcome your comments which can be sent by clicking our "Comments" button. You can also help by completing the questionairre to set the record straight and to help us make sure that no more lives are destroyed by drugs that are supposed to help Parkinson's patients. Cllick the "Mirapex Survey" button to participate.