Hi guys
Can I ask if anyone who treats their rls with dopamine agonists notices an increase in their shopping habits ie overspending for items not needed, I have noticed this for myself but when my family started to notice I realised there was a problem.
Yes, I'm definatley in that category, so many shirts etc....
Plus other impulses such as online game play which doesn't help sleep patterns! Luckily my obsessessions are controlled, to a point, by my overriding common sense impulses. If I was a weaker person I would out on the streets by now!
Every bad habit you ever had will be made 10 times worse, spending, Gambling, and for the younger sufferers increased to excessive sexual activity. Mine was gambling before anyone had ever mentioned !!!!BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR!!!!!!!. IT CAME CLOSE TO MAKING ME BANKRUPT AND IT DESTROYED ANY TRUST MY WIFE HAD IN ME----- I am now 80 years old and have had RLS since I was about 35. It has been really bad for the last 20 years, None of the ''off label'' meds work for very long. You will have to jump from one to another to just live. Wish I had better news---say---announcing something that works on RLS and yu can stay on it forever. No such med exists
My husband isn't aware of my overspending, nor was I til I seen someone else mention it on a forum I belong too, that's wen it clicked, never had debt before now I'm up to my eyes and barely getting by, I'm for my doctor tomorrow so il mention it to her, thankyou for ur reply
Look at all your habits and if any of them seem excessive, work on a day at a time restraining from that excessive activity.
Gambling, which I had never done before, nearly ruined my life. I had a fairly good income and a decent retirement savings. I managed to loose all my retirement account taking un nessary chances on stocks that I was not qualifie to pick, all loosers. Now I am simply hoping to keep a home, where before I had 2 homes and an investment property. Bad decision caused me to have only one home and it is mortgaged. Compulsive behavior without knowledge or restraint will ruin your life.
This is a thing that has reared its head with me recently.
I seem to have developed a bit of a 'want' to spend. I can't really put my finger on the feeling but I did buy a lot of wee gadgety things over a period and it got me thinking.
To complicate matters I have lost my job to ill health and think maybe I am more aware of spending due to the reduction in finances. Also I have had a couple of bouts of depression and wonder if it is an attempt to boost a flagging mood.
Can anyone tell me how their thinking is around shopping in detail. How does this compulsion manifest itself and what, if any, restraint they have.
I'm not buying anything I don't need and I've taken to telling my wife about everything I plan to buy just to make sure nothing goes on without good observation but as said I don't know if it is a bit of excessive vigilance since my finances aren't what they were or the dopamine agonist - I'd really appreciate the input.
Hi raffs
I deal with my shopping impulses by doing it online, namely TKMAXX, I don't wish to advertise because when I have ordered, nothing ever fits, so I have to return it/them. More recently I pop it in the basket but just leave it afterwards. When I return to the basket a few days later it tells me that most items are out of stock, successfully avoiding a big spend!
Hope this has some meaning to you and that it helps in some way?
P
Yes, I just posted a reply above. Every compulsive behavior you ever had comes roaring back and along with it some new ones. Look out for a desire to gamble and other compulsive habits. Confessing to the partner you have and promising to stop[ helped some but If I ever get started, i won't stop until I am broke.
I am on Ropinerole and I have to constantly fight over eating...over spending .. I substitute lower calorie foods and inexpensive items.. also have to be very aware of compulsive urges of any kind... The drug also increases hypersexuality. Lawsuits over this drug. It works for me but will eventually augment. I wish I had been put in another drug.Doc wants to try Gabapentin
The problem I have is I don't know if I am focusing on spending because money is tight or if the drugs are causing me to think about spending.
Focus all you want ,just don't spend. Did you focus on spending before you were low on income? If it's a new behavior probably drug. I spent before and after the drug.. but the spending is worse on the drug... I spent $1000 on clothing and still feel a strong urge to buy more clothes that I don't need.
Do you need the items you want to buy or is buying giving you an emotional satisfaction.. like a fix.?
And if you are controlling it stay on it.. I understand the desperation to stay on a drug that works for a while with RLS.
I wud say it's a fix, I don't need all that I buy, Iv clothes hanging with the tabs still on them, I was never like this before
Before I loosing my job to ill health I didn't really pay much attention to my spending - I saw something researched got the best price and bought.
Since loosing work I have become very aware of spending and I did buy a few gadgets that I didn't need but fancied. I feel 'very tempted' to buy but I don't. I can control it but as said the thoughts about buying are there. I was just wondering how people experience that compulsion - do you buy without taking time to think, do you buy stuff not needed, are there more thoughts floating around about buying - that sort of thing
When I buy something I can use it but it isn't absolutely necessary and the thought came to me I was doing it to feel better, like you say a fix
Thanks for taking the time to help and explain.
Look up the effects of dopamine on the pleasure part of brain and it may help.. can't remember scientific wording .❤Best wishes
Raffs I too lost my job due to ill health and I'm wondering if I'm bored or because I'm depressed am I searching for that high, I'm buying just for the sake of having something to look forward to arriving, Iv always been very careful with my money, I bought my own home, worked and raised my children on my own, now I rely on my husband to cover the mortgage and barely get by on benefits, I was so independent and Iv lost that independence in so many ways both financially and with my health, the compulsion to spend is hard to resist
EXACTLY! It's so hard to know, loosing my job, my social life and my hobbies has left me with a lot of time on my hands.
I had a very responsible job and was so independent and now I rely completely on my wife, not cool 
It sucks, independence is so important and to have to rely on our partners for financial security is so hard, it's a constant juggling act to pay bills on time, I'm managing to keep on time with my bills but Iv no money spare at the end of the month, lucky to have enough for my bus fare to the doctors, I so want to clear these debts but have no clue were to start, I didn't realise I'd this problem until It was too late, I'm so angry with myself
No point being angry with yourself, you didn't get unwell on purpose, and if you did I have no sympathy for you 
In saying that anger was my main emotion until self pity took over and that was worse. I have sort of come to terms with my lot and although I have had 3 different Drs tell me I'll never work again I aim to prove them wrong.
I went to pay a bill a couple of weeks ago and hadn't the money to pay it, that was a shock as I've never had to worry about money before; when I was young and single I spent all my money partying but had no dependants and lived with my parents I lived week to week but no worries. Since then I've had enough and never considered I'd be out of work let alone unable to work.
I get benefits - which I hate doing but am very VERY grateful for, (BIG thank you to all the tax payers). I hope someday to be paying the money back. I feel like a scrounger but content myself that I've paid taxes for almost 30 years. Also my better half is taking up the slack, great I have her.
There are so many aspects of illness that push us even lower and make life more difficult. Treatments cost money but we need to be well to earn the money, its a pain.
You are luck we exist. I had no inkling the meds were ruining my finances. I gambled away a good amount. Not all in Casino;s. I made crazy investments and lost all my retirement money. Then the ugly facts emerged. The drug companies knew about the effect the meds had on patients and never told anyone. A whistle blower told on them and I was able to stop the excessive behavior. Look at all areas where you may do it too much.
Yes when I was on Requip I used to buy skirts I was drawn to them ,then I read about compulsive buying and I believe it was the meds , so you are probably right
I did notice that I had the urge to shop when I was on the dopamine agonists, and that urge was greatly reduced when I was off of that category of drugs. As I am a bargain and thrift store shopper, I never considered it a problem. I wish my compulsion had taken the form of house cleaning.
Compulsive spending and eating were a big problem for me while on ropinerole. Since I have been off ropinerole I noticed a huge decrease in the urge for both. I'm Saving money and losing weight . It was tough weaning off but so happy I did
From Wikipedia "Ropinirole can cause nausea, dizziness, hallucinations, orthostatic hypotension, and sudden sleep attacks during the daytime. Unusual side effects specific to D3 agonists such as ropinirole and pramipexole can include hypersexuality, punding and compulsive gambling, even in patients without a history of these behaviours.
In November 2012, GlaxoSmithKline was ordered by a Rennes appeals court to pay Frenchman Didier Jambart 197,000 euros ($255,824); Jambart had taken ropinirole from 2003 to 2010 and exhibited risky hypersexual behavior and gambled excessively until stopping the Parkinson's treatment.
My compulsive shopping desisted almost as soon as I came off pramipexole (dopamine agonist). My RLS has been difficult to manage since then and accordingly I am probably more vulnerable to depression, poor quality of life etc but notwithstanding that I do not experience any need to buy things to cheer myself up such as I did when I was on pramipexole and my symptoms were under control and life generally felt more normal.
Fortunately most of my shopping was on internet sites for second hand stuff but I now realise I was spending a ridiculous amount of money.
With the benefit of hindsight, I do not think I could have controlled my impulse to spend no matter what steps I took. My husband knew about my spending and I was embarrassed by it but I couldn't seem to overcome it. Only stopping the drug really worked. Having said all that I was on a high dose of 1.5mg pramipexole by the end.
I have been on Pramipexole for about 6 years. I developed a gambling addiction after we kept upping my dose about 2 years in and have been fighting a shopping/spending/gambling addiction for the past 4 years.
I was engaged to be married and lost my fiance when she found out about this 3 months before our wedding. I entered treatment and we reconciled and were married in February of this year and I have promised her I would never gamble again. Since that time however I have developed another spending/shopping addiction buying authentic sports items which seems to be costing me as much as my gambling addiction. These are expensive items where you open a package and have the potential to have a very valuable item or also possibly a "dud." There is that same element of "chance" that existed in my gambling phase and that has now hooked me and I can't stop.
My wife doesn't know yet as I have a credit card in my own name I am using for this addiction but I am terrified she will find out soon and leave me again. I don't think I can bear this thought but also am terrified to go off of my Pramipexole because I will be up all night and won't sleep. I won't be able to work if I don't sleep and thus I could lose my job. I am also a parent and have parental responsibilities to uphold and without sleep I am afraid I couldn't do them.
My current Pramipexole dose is 2 mg (1 mg tablet in the mid afternoon and another right before bed). I also take an anti-depressant to control my anxiety and am convinced that this medication exacerbates my restless legs. But I can't go off of it because of my extreme anxiety which would surely get worse without medication.
I'm on this terrifying merry go round and I can't stop and get off. Advice welcome and thanks for listening.
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