Scientists have reported that a drug prescribed to treat the symptoms of
Parkinson's disease caused one woman to experience unwanted, spontaneous
orgasms.
The 42-year-old woman used Rasagiline, a drug usually depended by people
with Parkinson's, for seven days when she began feeling hyperarousal and an
increased libido. According to
Live Science, she was then admitted to a private
hospital after she began experiencing between three and five orgasms per day,
each of which would last up to 20 seconds.
Her case was presented by a team who attended her from the department of
neurology at
Necmettin Erbakan University in Konya, Turkey. According to sources, it is the first time such an adverse effect of the
drug has been reported. The usual side effects of the drug are flulike
symptoms, depression, stomach problems, and joint pain.
"Here we report a patient with early-onset Parkinson's disease who
experienced spontaneous orgasms when taking Rasagiline; these were unwelcome
and occurred in the absence of hypersexual behaviour," the report said. The woman took a two-week-long break from taking Rasagiline but the
spontaneous orgasms reappeared as soon as she resumed treatment. She was not
taking any other medication at the time.
Researchers said that her unusual reaction might have been triggered by an
increase in dopamine caused by taking rasagline. Dopamine can help regulate feelings of pleasure, and Parkinson's has been
associated to the loss of neurons that secrete dopamine.
Barry Komisaruk, a well-known professor at Rutgers
University in New
Jersey said other drugs, such as some anti-depressants, that activate
dopamine can stimulate a sexual response. He said dopamine is also released
during orgasm.
The case will be published the journal
Parkinsonism
and Related Disorders.
Source: Medindia
Careers
