Dopamine agonists linked to compulsive shopping, gambling and eating for patients with restless legs syndrome
Dorothy Moate developed uncontrollable compulsions to eat and shop after being prescribed dopamine agonists for restless legs syndrome. Other patients prescribed these drugs have developed gambling addictions and other impulsive behaviours, with campaigners reporting ruined finances and family breakdown. The cases raise serious concerns about the safety of these widely-prescribed medications.
Dopamine agonists treat restless legs syndrome, Parkinson's disease, pituitary tumours and depression, with more than a million prescriptions issued annually in England. Prescriptions for the three most common dopamine agonists rose from 1.26 million in 2021 to 1.37 million in 2025. The drugs cause compulsive behaviours in 6 to 17 per cent of restless legs syndrome patients, according to NICE, yet many patients are not warned of these risks.
- Woman developed compulsive eating and shopping from restless legs medication
- Patient won £70,000 legal claim over medication's undisclosed impulse-control risks
- Over a million prescriptions yearly despite compulsive side effects affecting some patients
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Restless legs syndrome is a condition causing uncomfortable sensations in the legs, typically in the evening or at night. Dopamine agonists are a type of medication used to treat this and other neurological conditions, with more than a million prescriptions issued annually in England.
These medications can cause compulsive behaviours such as excessive shopping, gambling or eating, affecting between 6 and 17 per cent of restless legs syndrome patients. Despite it being a recognised side effect documented in medical research, many patients were not warned of this risk before starting treatment.
The issue is significant because these are commonly-used medications affecting large numbers of people, and some patients report not being adequately informed about these risks. The compulsive behaviours can have serious consequences for patients' finances and personal relationships.
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The case for
These medications cause significant compulsive behaviours in a substantial minority of patients—up to one in six—yet many receive inadequate warnings before starting treatment. The documented cases of financial ruin and family breakdown represent serious harms that proper informed consent and monitoring might have prevented. With prescriptions rising and evidence suggesting side effects are under-reported, stricter prescribing guidelines and mandatory counselling are necessary to protect vulnerable patients from potentially life-altering consequences.
The case against
Dopamine agonists remain essential medications for patients whose conditions—such as Parkinson's disease or severe restless legs syndrome—can substantially impair quality of life and health. The side effects occur only in a minority, meaning most patients experience clear therapeutic benefit, and the solution is better informed consent and individualised monitoring rather than restricting access to effective treatments. Depriving patients of these drugs would be paternalistic and harmful to those for whom they provide crucial symptom relief, particularly when proper oversight can help identify and support at-risk patients early.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “How a drug widely given for restless legs left Dorothy with a compulsion to shop online – and has driven others to unfettered gambling, eating… and sex”.