english.prescrire.org > Spotlight > Archives : 2005 > Parkinson's disease: hypersexuality under dopaminergic drugs

Spotlight: Archives

Every month, the subjects in Prescrire’s Spotlight.

2005 : 1 | 30 | 60

Parkinson's disease:
hypersexuality under dopaminergic drugs

Dopaminergic drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease sometimes cause a huge increase in libido, leading to inappropriate behaviour. The problem is resolved when treatment is stopped.

Drugs known as dopamine agonists are used to treat Parkinson's disease. Like many psychotropic agents, they can cause psychic adverse effects, including changes in sexual behaviour.

There are various reports of sexual desire disorders in patients being treated for Parkinson's disease. A number of drugs are implicated: pramipexole, levodopa, pergolide, bromocriptine, amantadine, selegiline.

These disorders can take the form of an increase in libido, intense hypersexuality, and other kinds of sexual behaviour which sometimes create family and social problems (exhibitionism, paedophilia, zoophilia, etc.). The time it takes for these adverse effects to appear is extremely variable. These behavioural disorders are dose-related, and they stop when the dose is reduced or treatment is halted. In some instances, the disorders began after the patient increased the dose himself.

The psychic adverse effects of dopaminergic drugs need to be studied further, and for patients being treated with them should be informed of this risk.

©Prescrire June 2005

Source: "Hypersexualité due aux médicaments dopaminergiques" Rev Prescrire 2005 ; 25 (262) : 434.

- More articles in Prescrire's "Spotlight"...