A 66-year-old British man, Philip Stevens, has been awarded a £70,000 ($88,000) settlement after developing compulsive gambling and shopping habits due to a prescribed medication.
The settlement was reached without the prescribing doctor admitting liability.
Stevens, who hails from Hampshire in southern England, was prescribed Ropinirole, a dopamine antagonist medication, in 2017 to treat his restless leg syndrome.
Unbeknownst to him, the drug carried potential side effects, including impulse control disorders. "His gambling spiraled out of control," a spokeswoman for Leigh Day solicitors stated, highlighting how Stevens transitioned from being a cautious bettor at horse races to making reckless bets on his smartphone, even waking up in the middle of the night to gamble.
Over the four years he took Ropinirole, Stevens not only gambled compulsively but also engaged in excessive shopping, purchasing unnecessary items such as clothes and fishing equipment.
"He stopped caring about winning altogether," the spokeswoman added, emphasizing the extent of his compulsive behavior.
The situation came to a head when Stevens, following advice from a neurologist, ceased taking the medication. Although this decision halted his compulsive behaviors, it led to severe withdrawal symptoms, including paranoia.
"He suffered serious withdrawal symptoms such as paranoia that saw him asking his children to take DNA tests because he had become convinced they were not his," explained lawyer Angharad Vaughan.
Vaughan expressed hope that "important lessons will be learned from this case to ensure that, in future, patients receive all the information they need about the potential side effects of such drugs."
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