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Parkinson's Drugs Linked to Behavior Problems in Study
Posted 30 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 29 – Parkinson's disease drugs called dopamine agonists appear to cause impulse control problems in almost one-quarter of patients, says a new study. Previous research has linked dopamine agonists, which include Mirapex (pramipexole) and Requip (ropinirole), to impulse control disorders, such as gambling addiction and hypersexuality, and to compulsive behaviors, such as binge eating, overspending and excessive computer use. In this study, Mayo Clinic researchers analyzed Parkinson's disease patient records over two years. "What we found was that as many as 22 percent of patients during that two-year period had a new-onset impulse control disorder," lead investigator and neurology fellow Dr. Anhar Hassan said in a Mayo Clinic news release. The higher the dose of dopamine agonist, the more likely a patient was to develop an impulse control disorder, the researchers found. ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Mirapex, Requip, Sinemet, Azilect, Ropinirole, Bromocriptine, Selegiline, Emsam, Levodopa, Carbidopa, Parlodel, Pramipexole, Cabergoline, Amantadine
New Parkinson's Drug Draws Mixed Reviews
Posted 16 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23 – A study to see whether a new drug can stop the progression of Parkinson's disease has produced results that have drawn sharply differing reactions from neurologists. The drug, rasagiline (Azilect), was approved in 2006 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the basis of studies showing that it reduced Parkinson's symptoms such as trembling and slowed motion. The new study, reported in the Sept. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was designed to determine whether the drug also acts on the underlying nerve deterioration that causes the disease. "In our heart, what we are hoping for is neuroprotection," said study author Dr. C. Warren Olanow, a professor of neurology and neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City. To distinguish the effect on symptoms from the hoped-for effect on the underlying disease, "we used a totally new ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Azilect, Rasagiline
Parkinson's Drugs Tied to Compulsive Behaviors
Posted 10 May 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 10 – Medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease may increase the risk of impulse control disorders, such as problem gambling, compulsive shopping and binge eating, researchers warn. In a new study that included 3,090 patients being treated for Parkinson's at 46 movement disorder centers in the United States and Canada, the researchers found that 13.6 percent of the patients had impulse control disorders. These impulse disorders included gambling (5 percent), compulsive sexual behavior (3.5 percent), compulsive shopping (5.7 percent) and binge eating (4.3 percent), and nearly 4 percent of the patients had two or more of these disorders. Impulse control disorders were more common among patients taking dopamine agonist medications (17.1 percent) than in those not taking the drugs (6.9 percent), the study authors found. Other factors associated with impulse control disorders ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Mirapex, Requip, Sinemet, Azilect, Ropinirole, Bromocriptine, Selegiline, Emsam, Levodopa, Carbidopa, Parlodel, Pramipexole, Cabergoline, Amantadine
Cutting Parkinson's Drug Dose Linked to Withdrawal Effects
Posted 14 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 13 – Reduced dosages of dopamine agonists, drugs routinely used to treat Parkinson's disease, can cause symptoms similar to those experienced by addicts in withdrawal, such as anxiety, panic attacks, pain, dizziness and drug cravings, researchers say. The symptoms of what the researchers have dubbed "dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome" have been linked to a disruption in levels of dopamine in the brain, according to the study published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Archives of Neurology. "Like cocaine and methamphetamines, dopamine agonists work by stimulating the reward pathways in the brain," senior study author Dr. Melissa J. Nirenberg, said in a news release from Weill Cornell Medical Center. "For this reason, it makes sense that they would engender similar withdrawal symptoms, particularly in those with high cumulative drug exposure," explained Nirenberg, associate ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Mirapex, Requip, Sinemet, Azilect, Ropinirole, Bromocriptine, Selegiline, Emsam, Levodopa, Carbidopa, Parlodel, Pramipexole, Amantadine, Stalevo
FDA Approves Newly Revised Prescribing Information for Azilect Reducing Medication and Food Restrictions
Posted 15 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 14, 2009 - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the newly revised prescribing information for Azilect (rasagiline tablets) reducing medication and food restrictions. This update was based on clinical data that confirmed the mechanism of action of Azilect as a selective MAO-B (monoamine oxidase-B) inhibitor at the recommended doses of 1 mg and 0.5 mg. The newly approved prescribing information reflects reduced concerns regarding the use of Azilect together with certain medications, including many over-the-counter cough/cold medications. In addition, patients taking Azilect no longer need to follow a general dietary restriction of ordinary levels of tyramine, an amino acid found in certain foods and beverages, such as air-dried and fermented meats, aged cheeses and most soybean products. ... Read more
Related support groups: Parkinson's Disease, Azilect, Rasagiline