MS Sufferer Gets Payout After Prescribed Drug Sparks Gambling Hell

A multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer in the UK has received a £70K (US$89K) settlement from the country’s National Health Service (NHS) after a drug prescribed by his doctor caused him to develop an “uncontrollable” gambling habit, The Independent reports.

Philip Stevens, from Hampshire, England, blew thousands of pounds on gambling websites after being prescribed Ropinirole, a common Parkinson’s drug that is also used to treat restless legs syndrome, a potential symptom of MS.

The 66-year-old claimed in a lawsuit that he developed an impulse control disorder (ICD) after he began taking the drug in 2017. This also caused Stevens to shop compulsively, spending thousands of pounds on expensive clothes, according to the lawsuit.

All-Consuming Obsessions

ICD is listed as a possible side effect of taking Ropinirole, which is also commonly prescribed in the US.

Stevens says Ropinirole transformed harmless interests into all-consuming obsessions. He had previously enjoyed horse racing and gambled moderately. He placed the occasional bet on horses where he believed he had a chance of winning. But after taking Ropinirole, his gambling quickly spiraled out of control.

Stevens would wake up in the middle of the night to place bets on anything he could and eventually stopped caring about winning anything at all.

Similarly, while he had previously enjoyed the occasional fishing trip, he suddenly felt compelled to go on three-day-long fishing trips every week.

“The things that I once enjoyed that became obsessions, such as fishing and horse racing, are now joyless because, with each one, a sense of guilt overcomes me. I am not the same person as I was, pre-Ropinirole,” he told The Independent.

Withdrawal Effects

In October 2021, Stevens was asked by a neurologist if he experienced any side effects such as compulsive behavior and he mentioned his gambling. He was advised to immediately cease taking the drug.

Stevens says he received no advice about withdrawal symptoms, which included severe exhaustion, paranoia, and hallucinations so severe he couldn’t recognize his wife or children, according to court filings.

In 2018, Casino.org reported that more than 635 gambling-related lawsuits had been filed in the US on behalf of plaintiffs who developed various impulsive disorders while using the antidepressant aripiprazole, commonly known by the brand name Abilify.