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Parkinson’s patient wins lawsuit over treatment that turned him into a gay sex addict

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Zeus Molecules

illegal immigrants are stealing our air
family guy did a whole episode on this... I thought they were being immature but boom here it is in real life.....
 
Having sex with other dudes? You guys act like there's no difference! lol

I just dont buy that he was perfectly straight before, sorry. If we're talking about impulse control, it seems to me the more logical explanation was that he already had gay tendencies before and he now just got rid of the inhibitions that stopped him from acting on it before. It explains it perfectly and fits with his other impulse control problems.

Are there other reports of people that were previously straight getting involved in gay sex because of the drug?

Except we aren't talking about LOGIC in this scenario. We're talking about an unhealthy brain. Logic goes out the window.

What you're considering logical has to do with your biases and your impressions about brain functioning and sexuality.

And there is no such thing as "perfectly straight" anyway. Which is the problem with continuing this discussion with you: You are predisposed to think of sex as a binary (probably because you feel "perfectly straight" yourself, so you ascribe that everyone must feel the same as you, be it perfectly straight or perfectly gay), therefore you don't realize that there isn't some switch in the brain that is 'gay or straight' which also happens to be disconnected from everything else going on inside the brain.
 

PikaBitca

Member
I am a geriatrician (old person doctor) so Parkinson's Disease is one of my specialties. Interesting article.

Parkinson's Disease is a disease that essentially results from a deficiency of dopamine in the brain (either through a lack of dopamine itself or decreased dopamine receptors). Medications obviously target these receptors.

The psychotic side effects of all medications that effect dopamine are well known. I'm not going to pretend to understand the biochemical mechanisms surrounding this, it is very complicated and still incompletely understood. I can however point out that dopamine overactivity is a recognized pathological mechanism in schizophrenia, and that the well known side effects of all antipsychotic medication include a Parkinsonian like syndrome which causes stiffness etc.

Back to Parkinson's and its medications. As i said earlier, psychotic side effects are very common. In Parkinson's, the psychosis has a certain flavour to it based on another side effect. This side effect is called tardive dyskinesia or stereotopy, where patients develop habitual movements that are uncontrolled. Combining psychosis with tardive dyskinesia, and you get a term called 'punding', a compulsion to perform repetitive mechanical tasks.

See what i'm getting at here? This guy's punding is probably focused on compulsive gambling and sexual behaviour, which is again quite common. In regards to whether he's gay or not, the anecdotal evidence is that people develop compulsions to activities they already do (ie gardening, repair work etc) so it is possible he was already gay to start with. However, this cannot be absolutely proven.

What fascinates me the most is that this guy (and others) have successfully sued the drug company. If the side effects of these drugs are already so well known, surely he would have been warned. Possible explanations are that he was prescribed this medication off label as his Parkinson's was resistant to conventional treatment, or that he was not warned about the gay sex addiction specifically.

Speaking personally, the prescription of these medications are a dilemma for us doctors, because there is a balance between disastrous side effects of medications and the devastating effects of Parkinson's Disease itself, particularly in young patients who lose all their independence from it. It is a sad situation either way for this patient, he faces a bleak future if his Parkinson's is so resistant.

Oh, and the last thing to consider is that this man might be developing a Parkinson's dementia explaining or amplifying these behaviours, which is possibly the worst scenario in this case.
 

RSLAEV

Member
Speaking personally, the prescription of these medications are a dilemma for us doctors, because there is a balance between disastrous side effects of medications and the devastating effects of Parkinson's Disease itself, particularly in young patients who lose all their independence from it. It is a sad situation either way for this patient, he faces a bleak future if his Parkinson's is so resistant.

Yeah see this whole case leaves me wondering which is worse, Having Parkinsons or having a dopamine imbalance that makes me susceptible to impulsive self destructive behavior...
 

Seanspeed

Banned
Except we aren't talking about LOGIC in this scenario. We're talking about an unhealthy brain. Logic goes out the window.
Ah, brain is unhealthy, therefore ANYTHING goes! Lets use theoretical ideas and possibilities instead of looking at a more basic explanation that would explain it just fine! I dont see how you guys are just ignoring that possibility when it seems fairly likely.

And there is no such thing as "perfectly straight" anyway. Which is the problem with continuing this discussion with you: You are predisposed to think of sex as a binary (probably because you feel "perfectly straight" yourself, so you ascribe that everyone must feel the same as you, be it perfectly straight or perfectly gay), therefore you don't realize that there isn't some switch in the brain that is 'gay or straight' which also happens to be disconnected from everything else going on inside the brain.
This isn't a problem at all. I realize sexuality isn't always black and white(cuz it is in a lot of cases) and what I'm saying is that if this guy enjoys having sex with other guys and cross dressing and whatnot, its quite possible he already had leanings towards attraction to males, even if he wasn't totally gay. I'm perfectly willing to concede that he was bisexual.
 

Chumly

Member
I am a geriatrician (old person doctor) so Parkinson's Disease is one of my specialties. Interesting article.

Parkinson's Disease is a disease that essentially results from a deficiency of dopamine in the brain (either through a lack of dopamine itself or decreased dopamine receptors). Medications obviously target these receptors.

The psychotic side effects of all medications that effect dopamine are well known. I'm not going to pretend to understand the biochemical mechanisms surrounding this, it is very complicated and still incompletely understood. I can however point out that dopamine overactivity is a recognized pathological mechanism in schizophrenia, and that the well known side effects of all antipsychotic medication include a Parkinsonian like syndrome which causes stiffness etc.

Back to Parkinson's and its medications. As i said earlier, psychotic side effects are very common. In Parkinson's, the psychosis has a certain flavour to it based on another side effect. This side effect is called tardive dyskinesia or stereotopy, where patients develop habitual movements that are uncontrolled. Combining psychosis with tardive dyskinesia, and you get a term called 'punding', a compulsion to perform repetitive mechanical tasks.

See what i'm getting at here? This guy's punding is probably focused on compulsive gambling and sexual behaviour, which is again quite common. In regards to whether he's gay or not, the anecdotal evidence is that people develop compulsions to activities they already do (ie gardening, repair work etc) so it is possible he was already gay to start with. However, this cannot be absolutely proven.

What fascinates me the most is that this guy (and others) have successfully sued the drug company. If the side effects of these drugs are already so well known, surely he would have been warned. Possible explanations are that he was prescribed this medication off label as his Parkinson's was resistant to conventional treatment, or that he was not warned about the gay sex addiction specifically.

Speaking personally, the prescription of these medications are a dilemma for us doctors, because there is a balance between disastrous side effects of medications and the devastating effects of Parkinson's Disease itself, particularly in young patients who lose all their independence from it. It is a sad situation either way for this patient, he faces a bleak future if his Parkinson's is so resistant.

Oh, and the last thing to consider is that this man might be developing a Parkinson's dementia explaining or amplifying these behaviours, which is possibly the worst scenario in this case.
It was noted in the article that he took the medications a full year before the drug company put the warnings out for side effects on the medication. In that case I would imagine its pretty easy to sue
 

PikaBitca

Member
It was noted in the article that he took the medications a full year before the drug company put the warnings out for side effects on the medication. In that case I would imagine its pretty easy to sue

Ah, did not see that bit, thanks for pointing it out. I wonder if his Parkinson's is now worse since stopping the medications.
 
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