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Patients wey get movement problems, including restless legs syndrome (RLS), don tok say doctors no warn dem about serious side effects of di drugs wey dem prescribe give dem, wey later make dem enta risky sexual behaviour.
Twenty women don tell BBC say di drugs wey dem give dem for RLS don spoil dia lives.
One report from pharmaceutical company GSK, wey BBC see, show say connection between one drug wey dem dey call dopamine agonist and “misleading” sexual behaviour bin already show since 2003.
Di report still mention case of one man wey sexually assault one pikin while e dey take Parkinson’s medication.
Kontinu to dey read
Even though di information leaflet no clearly mention dis side effect, di UK medicines regulator tell BBC say general warning dey about increased sexual desire and harmful behaviour.
‘I begin dey comot house go look for sex’
Like many women, Claire first get RLS wen she bin pregnant. Apart from strong urge to move, she dey suffer insomnia and crawling feeling under her skin.
Wen di problem kontinu afta she born, doctors prescribe dopamine agonist drug called ropinirole for her.
She say doctors no warn her about any side effects.
At first, di drug work well for her RLS, but afta about one year, she begin feel strange sexual desire.
Claire say she begin dey leave house early morning just go look for sex.
She say she go wear shirt wey show her bodi well, and even wen she wear jacket, she go bend her chest down anytime she see man.
She say even though she get partner, she still dey do all dis tins for dangerous places.
“One part of your mind know say wetin you dey do wrong, but di tin affect you sotey you no even know wetin you dey do,” Claire tok.
She say e take years bifor she realise say na di medication cause di cravings, and immediately she stop di drug, di behaviour disappear.
She say she feel shame and depression sake of di danger wey she put hersef inside.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Parkinson’s drugs and sexual assault
According to health bodi Nice, impulsive behaviours like gambling and increased sexual desire don dey listed as side effects for dopamine agonist drugs for long time, and dem tink say between six and 17 percent of RLS patients fit experience am.
According to NHS, “common” side effects normally affect only about one percent of pipo.
Di drugs dey work by copying dopamine, one natural chemical for brain wey dey help control movement. Dem still dey call dopamine “happiness hormone” becos e dey active wen somtin sweet or rewarding happun.
But experts say dopamine agonist drugs fit reduce sense of consequence by boosting emotional feelings, wey fit lead to risky behaviour.
Among di cases wey GSK describe as “misleading practice” for dia 2003 report, na two men wey dem prescribe ropinirole for Parkinson’s disease.
For one case, one 63-year-old man sexually assault seven-year-old girl and go prison.
Di documents say di man sexual desire increase well-well since e start ropinirole, and di problem stop afta dem reduce di dose.
‘I no know say no be my fault’
According to Professor Valerie Vaughan from University of Cambridge, di real number of pipo wey dey get “misleading” sexual behaviour from di drugs no dey known becos many no dey report am.
“Plenti shame and stigma dey around am, and pipo no realise say na medication dey cause am,” she tok.
Professor Vaughan believe say hospitals and doctors suppose warn patients clearly about risky sexual behaviour, becos di effect fit dey “devastating”.
Dem believe say RLS dey affect about one in evri 20 adults, and women dey almost times two more likely to suffer am dan men.
Di 20 patients wey BBC tok to say doctors no only fail to warn dem about serious side effects, dem also no follow up to check how di drugs dey affect dem later.
Sarah dey 50 years old wen dem prescribe anoda dopamine agonist drug for her from different company.
“Bifor, even if Brad Pitt enta room naked, I no go dey interested,” she tok. “But dis drug turn me to woman wey get strong sexual addiction.”
Sarah begin dey sell used underwear and sexual videos online, arrange phone sex wit strangers, and still begin shop anyhow, wey put her inside £30,000 debt.
Later dem admit her for treatment, but dem collect her driving licence and she lose her job.
“I turn to tins wey no dey healthy. I know say dis behaviour no be me, but I no fit control am,” she tell BBC.
Anoda woman, Sue, say dem prescribe two different dopamine drugs for her and nobodi warn her about compulsive behaviour side effects.
She say wen dem give her di second drug, she even mention say she don start gamble and don lose £80,000.
“E affect my family badly. I lose money wey for change our lives,” she tok.
“But at dat time, I no know say no be my fault.”
Wetin we call dis foto, Lucy tok say afta dem prescribe dopamine agonist for am, she lose about ten years of her life sake of say she begin do forced gambling and enta dangerous sexual relationships.
Serious behaviour and broken relationships
BBC don learn say four Parkinson’s disease patients take GSK go court for 2011.
Dem say ropinirole cause gambling debts and destroy relationships, and dem complain say GSK no include warning until March 2007, even though clinical studies don show link between di drug and such behaviour since early 2000s.
Similar serious side effects don dey reported for oda kontris, especially for Parkinson’s patients.
For France, one court order one father of two to get compensation afta e complain say ropinirole force am enta homosexuality, while anoda man wey neva get criminal record begin torture cats.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend say make dem only use di drugs for short-term treatment.
Some of di women wey BBC tok to still complain say long-term use of di drugs make dia RLS worse.
Dis make doctors increase di dose, wey later increase dia compulsive behaviour.
Consultant neurologist Dr Guy Leschner say di drugs still dey important, but pharmaceutical companies, health authorities and doctors need to warn patients beta.
“Evribodi no know di kain serious changes wey fit happun,” e tok.
Wetin we call dis foto, Sue tok say she lose £80,000 for gambling.
For statement, GSK tell BBC say ropinirole don go through “extensive clinical trials”.
Di company say di drug dey effective, but like all drugs, e get side effects and dem clearly state dem for prescribing information.
About di 2003 research wey link di drug to “misleading” sexual behaviour, GSK say dem share am wit health authorities.
Di latest pamphlet for ropinirole mention changes in sexual interest for five different places, warning say di feelings fit become “unusually high” or “excessive”.
UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency say even though di warning no clearly mention “inappropriate” sexual behaviour, e include general warning about harmful activities.
Dem add say health professionals suppose explain di risk to patients, and say no be evribodi go experience such side effects.
Di Department of Health and Social Care refuse to comment.
Note: Some names for dis tori don change to protect di identities of di pipo wey dey involved.