Researchers Report Compulsive Behavior Linked to Parkinson's Medications
At the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in San Diego today, researchers announced findings that linked Parkinson's drugs with compulsive behavior. While the percentage of patients who exhibited such compulsive behavior was low, it still was double the national average. The behavior prominently included gambling, oversexed tendencies, and compulsive shopping. In 2005, a study found that some gamblers stopped giving in to their habit after halting their medication. The researchers recommended that patients with a history of alcoholism or risk takers should be more carefully monitored when taking Parkinson's medications.