A British man has secured a £70,000 (over AED324,000) settlement after compulsive gambling and shopping habits emerged as side effects of a medication prescribed for his restless leg syndrome.
Philip Stevens, 66, from Hampshire, was prescribed Ropinirole, a dopamine agonist, in 2017. However, he was not informed about potential side effects, including impulse control disorders. Once a cautious bettor, Stevens became a compulsive gambler, placing bets on his smartphone, even waking up at night to gamble. He also developed a shopping obsession, particularly for clothes and fishing gear.
Over four years of using Ropinirole, Stevens reportedly spent thousands of pounds on online gambling. His compulsive behaviors ceased only after a neurologist advised him to stop the medication. However, stopping abruptly triggered severe withdrawal symptoms, including paranoia, which led him to question his children’s paternity.
The settlement was reached without the prescribing doctor admitting liability. Stevens’ lawyer, Angharad Vaughan, expressed hope that the case would prompt better patient warnings about medication side effects in the future.
