Gambling Addiction Centers

In August, a man who blames Mirapex Parkinson's disease drug addiction of his game has received $ 8.2 million in his lawsuit against the drug manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. It was considered a barometer cases, and was watched by many to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the other Mirapex lawsuits. Now, many legal experts believe there is a good chance similar Mirapex lawsuits will be successful.

Mirapex belongs to a class of medications called dopamine agonists, which have long been suspected of causing compulsive behavior. Mirapex was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 to treat Parkinson's disease, and in 2006 it was approved as a treatment for restless legs syndrome. Other dopamine agonists Parlodel, Dostinex, Requip, Apokyn and Neupro.

Parkinson's disease occurs due to a lack of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in certain brain regions. Dopamine works in the brain movement and coordination centers, and is also involved in the brain's pleasure response by reinforcing behaviors that provide enjoyment - including drinking, drugs, sex and money .

For many patients of Parkinson's disease, Mirapex provides much needed relief of tremor. But some doctors say Mirapex and other dopamine agonists may also encourage impulsive behavior. In some patients, Mirapex over-activates the pleasure centers in the brain. The biochemical reaction that induces Mirapex may cause some people to experience a "rush" when they expect a reward or excitement.

Several studies have shown a link between Mirapex and similar drugs and compulsive behaviors. According to one presented in June at the International Congress of Parkinson's disease and movement disorders conference in Chicago, more than 13 percent of patients with Parkinson 3090 had a problem with compulsive gambling, buying, sex or binge bulimic. People taking either Mirapex or Requip had a chance to two to three times more likely one of the disorders of impulse control four.

Other studies have shown a similar association between, perhaps the most dramatic evidence linking Mirapex to these attitudes is that in most cases, the behavior ceases when the drug is stopped. Unfortunately, many people who experience these side effects did not know that Mirapex may be behind their strange behavior. Despite the evidence that led to behavior that Mirapex impulse control from clinical trials in the 1990s, the drug manufacturer has not issued warnings about the problem until 2005.

The impulse control problems experienced by Mirapex users have resulted in bankruptcies, broken marriages, depression and even suicide. Consequently, more than 200 lawsuits have been filed against Boehringer Ingelheim for Mirapex patients inability to warn users of the drug's association with disorders of impulse control.

Gary Charbonneau was one of these patients. Charbonneau, who began taking Mirapex in December 1997, said he suffered from a gambling addiction from March 2002 to February 2006. In this period of time, he played $ 260,000. The case was heard in the District Court of the United States in Minneapolis, where hundreds of trials Mirapex have been consolidated.

Charbonneau continued not only argued that Mirapex caused his gambling problem, but drug makers, Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim, knew its potential to cause compulsive behavior, but did not issue warnings or take steps to investigate the true extent of the problem.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer Inc., which marketed the drug in the United States argued that hey were not responsible for the dependence Charbonneau because the FDA had not asked for any label changes, despite the repo.