Monday, November 12, 2007

Odd side effects.

Chris was here for the weekend. Neither of us felt very well, so we ended up watching lots of TV. Which is how we happened across a commercial for Mirapex, used to treat Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, RLS is characterized by "unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move when at rest in an effort to relieve these feelings." These aforementioned sensations " are often described by people as burning, creeping, tugging, or like insects crawling inside the leg." Also, it is important to note that many folks with RLS have difficulty falling asleep because of the bug-like, creepy-crawly sensations.

Lucky for RLS-sufferers that Mirapex came along. It relieves symptoms of RLS. Awesome!

But wait. There's more.

Mirapex has some unsavory side effects. According to the television advert, Mirapex "may cause you to feel drowsy or fall asleep." Given the fact that those who have RLS experience difficulty falling asleep, this doesn't seem a bad thing, right? Right?

Then we saw the commercial again. And we caught the entire sentence: "Mirapex may cause you to feel drowsy or fall asleep during normal activities such as driving." Um. Falling asleep. During normal activities. Such as driving. Okay then. Still, though, that's not an awful side effect. Right?

But wait. There's more.

If you're on Mirapex, contact your doctor if you "experience increased gambling, sexual, or other intense urges."

Hmmm. So which is worse? The symptoms or RLS or the side effects of the treatment?

3 comments:

Paul Bourque said...

You know, I had the TV on last night while making dinner, and one of the drug ads came on. It must have been for Mirapex, because I thought I was hearing things when they said "increased gambling."

My second thought, after thinking "did they really say gambling?", was "wouldn't the casino owners love to get a hold of this drug!"

Miss Conduct PDX said...

Sounds a bit like the side effects of meth, wouldn't you say?

Only, without the teeth and hair loss.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like someone needs a prescription for Progenitorivox.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZPZG92iYE4