(KTVI-FOX 2now.com) - The St. Louis Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association estimates there are 130,000 new cases of Parkinson's Disease diagnosed every year. That's double the previous estimates. In Parkinson's, cells that produce dopamine start to die. Dopamine is one of the chemicals in our brains that send messages that control movement. Over years, the patients have problems with things like tremors, balance, walking and talking.

One class of drugs to treat the symptoms is called dopamine agonists. They mimic dopamine in the brain. But it turns out these drugs, including one called Mirapex, can cause some devastating side effects in a small percentage of patients. Doctors say they can cause compulsive behaviors such as compulsive gambling, shopping, eating or sex addiction. One telltale signs of the side effect is when the patient suddenly develops a problem behavior in his 50's. 60's or 70's. The other indication is that when the medication is stopped.. the problem behavior stops.

67-year old Bob Neuls of Cuba, Missouri says he suffered such a side effect from Mirapex and became a compulsive gambler. He took the drug from 2001 to 2008. Bob tells me he couldn't come to St. Louis without going to the casinos. He lied to his wife to get to the boats and wrote checks behind her back. It eventually led to problems in their marriage. He had himself barred from the boats, but then got hooked on ten-dollar scratch-offs. Bob tells me he doesn't know how much he lost during those years but it was in the tens of thousands of dollars. When he stopped taking Mirapex, the urges went away. The couple is working to restore the trust that was lost in their 44-year marriage.

Dr. Kevin Black treats such problems in his work as a psychiatrist at Washington University. He says there needs to be a balance with any treatment. The disease itself is disabling, so you need some kind of treatment. So it's a balancing act with any patient, but people need to be aware that dramatic changes in someone's behavior could simply be a reaction to a medicine.

For more information on Parkinson's Disease and the medications used to treat it, you can call the local chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association at 314-362-3299. You can also go to the websites listed below.

Web Links