Are The Side Effects Worth It?

I keep seeing commercials for Requip to control the horrifying social disease of “restless leg syndrome.” First, I find it hard to believe that people with twitchy legs have their lives so ruined that thousands of manhours had to be spent and invested in coming up with a drug to keep the legs from twitching.

I mean, seriously, I have been fighting a common cold for a couple of weeks now. We can’t create an inhibitor to block the rhino virus, but twitchy legs now has a cure?

And even if I had this dreaded disease, I’m not too sure that the cure would be worth the risks of the side-effects. According to the manufacturer, taking the drug can make you engage in risky sexual behavior and uncontrollable gambling!!? So I guess after you finish banging all of the blackjack dealers and the Pit Boss at the local Riverboat Casino your legs are too tired to twitch at night?

Cracked has this to say about Requip:

Requip is a medication that helps manage Restless Leg Syndrome. And thankfully, most people can take it without incident. Mind you, there’s always a chance you’ll be one of the lucky ones who, inexplicably, is struck with “an unusual urge to gamble or increased sexual urges and/or behaviors.”

We totally did not make that up. If you take Requip, you might turn into James Bond in Casino Royale.

Now, to the few of you who still have not left your computers to go get Requip prescriptions, it’s probably wise to consider the warning against increased sexual “behaviors.” Not just urges.

It’s not enough that in your quest to have stationary legs you’ll get oddly horny, but apparently you could find yourself actually doing things. Sexual things. Against your will. As a bonus, you may also start betting on the likelihood on whether or not you’ll be arrested for these various sexual endeavors.

Cracked also lists the bizarre and frightening side-effects of other drugs on the market. So twitch your legs on over there and check out the story.