Brit Sued GP After Parkinson Drug Unlocked Gambling Addiction

A British man has successfully sued the NHS after a drug he was prescribed unlocked a severe gambling addiction and uncontrollable spending habits. As reported by The Independent, the Brit received £70,000 from his GP following the lawsuit.

A Parkinson Drug Led to Uncontrollable Spending Habits

Philip Stevens, 66, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995. In 2015, his condition worsened, causing him to stop working. In 2017, his GP prescribed him Ropinirole, a drug for the so-called restless legs syndrome.

Stevens, however, was never warned about the drug’s potential side effects, which could include impulse control disorder. Usually, patients are advised to contact a specialist if they experience side effects such as binge eating, gambling, uncontrollable shopping or unusually high sex drive. However, the Hampshire man claimed that he was never warned about any of that.

For Stevens, Ropinirole unlocked compulsive spending behaviors. Whereas previously he would only rarely and casually place bets on horse races, his gambling spiraled out of control after he started taking the drug. He would install online betting apps and wake up only to play more. At one point he even stopped caring about actually winning.

In addition to that, he started to compulsively buy expensive clothes and went on long fishing trips every week. The worst part is that Stevens enjoyed none of it because of the guilt he felt.

Stopping Ropinirole Is Easier Said Than Done

In October 2021, a neurologist learned that the man had been experiencing compulsive behaviors and told him to immediately stop taking Ropinirole. He contacted his GP about that and, concerningly, received no advice about the serious withdrawal symptoms suddenly stopping Ropinirole could lead to.

While the gambling stopped, Stevens experienced withdrawal symptoms, such as severe exhaustion, paranoia and hallucinations, for months. At some points, he even failed to recognize his home and family and asked his children to take DNA tests to confirm they were his. To top it all off, the withdrawal symptoms caused the Brit to develop depression and contemplate suicide.

Luckily, his family weathered this storm.

Stevens, however, did not intend to let things end there and took his GP to court. Backed by law firm Leigh Day, he succeeded in reaching a £70,000 settlement. A Leigh Day representative said that he was pleased with the outcome, adding that he hoped that important lessons had been learned from this case.