MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS

Of late we have had too many calls about Obsessive Compulsive behaviors. One of the articles we found that may give you some insight, in case you or your loved one is expressing impulsive behaviors, whether they be purchasing an excessive number of antiques, involving in porn on the telephone or the computer, gambling at the casino, or, as in the below article, cross dressing; we hope this helps.

January 01, 2011

To the Editor: A 60-year-old man presented with an 8-year history of Parkinson’s disease initially presenting with left-sided loss of dexterity. Over many years, his motor symptoms had remained stable on carbidopa/l-dopa 25 mg/100 mg three times daily, but, more recently, he had required the addition of ropinirole, 4 mg three times daily.

Before referral in 2005, he had noticed a wearing-off effect between doses, and when “off,” he would have problems with balance and a tendency to retropulsion. His ropinerole was increased to a maximal dose of 7 mg three times daily with good effect on motor symptoms. Over the ensuing 3 years of follow-up there was a gradual deterioration in behavior. His partner initially expressed concerns over increased sexual appetite and sexual demands often resulting in aggressive outbursts. It was later revealed that he had been dressing in women’s clothing for over 2 years. He had bought large quantities of women’s clothing and had concealed them from his wife in the attic. He admitted experiencing sexual gratification from cross-dressing and would often masturbate. He had no premorbid history of cross-dressing, depression, or impulsive behaviors. He was diagnosed with a cross-dressing impulse-control disorder and hypersexuality. After a reduction in ropinerole dose back to 4 mg three times daily, he has had complete resolution of impulsive cross-dressing and has not exhibited this behavior for over 1 year.

For more information, go online and read the balance of the article at ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21304131.