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Addiction to apomorphine: a clinical case-centred discussion
Carlos Téllez1, M Leonor Bustamante, Pablo Toro
1Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. sdiaz@redclinicauchile.cl
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|October 13, 2006
Summary
This case study highlights a rare instance of apomorphine addiction in a Parkinson's disease patient undergoing treatment. Apomorphine, a dopamine agonist, can lead to loss of control and functional impairment, even in therapeutic settings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Apomorphine, a direct D2 receptor agonist, is utilized for Parkinson's disease (PD), alcoholism, and sexual dysfunction.
- PD patients frequently experience psychiatric symptoms, and anti-Parkinsonian drugs can induce mood and behavioral changes.
Observation:
- A case of a woman with PD is presented, who developed addiction to apomorphine during anti-Parkinsonian therapy.
- The patient exhibited a loss of control over apomorphine consumption, leading to significant functional impairment.
Findings:
- Addiction to anti-Parkinsonian drugs, including apomorphine, is a rare phenomenon in PD patients.
- Apomorphine use can result in psychiatric symptoms such as hypomania and hypersexuality, perceived as pleasant sensations.
Implications:
- The expanding use of apomorphine for erectile dysfunction may increase the incidence of addiction and severe psychiatric symptoms.
- Clinicians should be vigilant for potential addictive behaviors and psychiatric side effects associated with apomorphine therapy in PD patients.
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