Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system, caused by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and mesencefalo.Questo results in an excitatory-inhibitory imbalance from which the extrapyramidal disorders and the resulting tremor typical of this disease. Parkinson's disease usually develops around 50 years and the progression of the disease varies from person to person.
The disease begins with a group of conditions called movement disorders including tremor, muscle rigidity and slowness of movement (or bradykinesia) and, in extreme cases, akinesia (loss of movement). The secondary symptoms include cognitive disorders, disorders of affect, disturbances and speech problems. For the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson's disease can be employed: dopamine agonists, levodopa. monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, inhibitors of catechol-O-methyltransferase, Amantadine.
fall into the category of dopamine agonists: bromocriptine (Pardodel), pramipexole (Mirapexin) and Ropinirole (Rest), drugs that mimic the action of dopamine, acting directly on dopamine receptors. Side effects include: psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety or depression, which can lead to alcoholism, bulimia, hypersexuality, compulsive shopping or pathological gambling.
Many studies, including the last one released this month, confirmed the close correlation between the consumption of these drugs and pathological gambling: the 11 patients described, observed over three years at the Mayo Clinic for movement disorders (Rochester, Minn.) have started to develop uncontrollable passion for gambling after taking a dopamine agonist (8 of 11 patients were already treated with levodopa, for a dose of between 300 and 1000 mg / day): pramipexole (Mirapexin) in 8 cases and ropinirole (Requip) in 3 cases. The disturbances occurred at doses higher of the two drugs, including between 4.5 and 13.5 mg / day pramipexole and 15:21 mg / day for ropinirole and resolved after discontinuation of dopamine in 9 cases and dose reduction in the remaining 2.
In a few years have increased dramatically in the cases of small shopkeepers, retired or used in Parkinson's patients under the care of dopamine agonists in fact, have squandered their assets, debts piling up so high as to affect even the possibility to continue treatment. Slots, poker, gambling, instant lottery, are the traps of hell in which many people have fallen, that before had not even approached the game.
An illness can take away energy and lifeblood, but can not destroy the dignity of a man. Neither health officials nor physicians have watched on the taking of drugs on the risk of experiencing family change in personality of their loved ones, with the consequence that many families have seen tumbling degenerate disease and their lives, with no explainable reason . Hopefully things can change quickly ...
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