WTF Stories of the Week

Cadaverous Pallor · 01-31-2011, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SzczerbiakManiac

French father-of-two suing GlaxoSmithKline claiming their drug to treat Parkinson's turned him into a gay sex and gambling addict

Wow, this is the most WTF story I've seen in a while. This 51 year old man claimed he was raped.

Quote:

The drug, Requip, has been known for years to have undesired side effects but a warning only appeared on its package insert in 2006, his lawyers said.

Warning: Drug may lead to...well, just about anything.

On first glance it sounds preposterous but it got me thinking. What if a drug really did turn off your inhibition filter, your moral compass? All kinds of craziness could ensue.

Kevy Baby · 01-31-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

What if a drug really did turn off your inhibition filter, your moral compass? All kinds of craziness could ensue.

I know of one such drug that already exists: Alcoholic Beverages

Ghoulish Delight · 01-31-2011, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

I know of one such drug that already exists: Alcoholic Beverages

The differences are 1) the whole medically necessary aspect and 2) the actual feeling of inebriation. It's one thing to feel messed up and therefore act messed up. It's another thing to feel otherwise normal but find yourself with a major shift in personality.

From what I know of parkinsons, dopamine (or lack thereof) is a prime agent in the disease. It also happens to be a prime agent in addictive, compulsive, and risky behaviors. Knowing those to things, and confirming that Requip, or ropinirole, the drug in question, acts as a dopamine replacement), the guy's story is not difficult to believe.