The drug is Pramipexole and it has this weird side effect that has been well documented:
Pramipexole (and related D3-preferring dopamine agonist medications such as ropinirole) can induce “impulsive-compulsive spectrum disorders”[20] such as compulsive gambling, punding, hypersexuality, and overeating, even in people without any prior history of these behaviors.[21][22][23] There have also been reported detrimental side effects related to impulse-control disorders resulting from off-label use of pramipexole or other dopamine agonists in treating clinical depression.[24] The incidence and severity of impulse-control disorders for those taking the drug for depression are not fully understood because the drug has not been approved for the treatment of depression and the first major studies of its efficacy in treating anhedonic depression were conducted in 2022. There have been anecdotal reports of abrupt and severe personality changes related to impulsivity and loss of self-control in a minority of patients regardless of the condition being treated, although the incidence of these side effects is not yet fully known.[24]>
From Wikipedia.
This of course does not diminish the suffering of those affected.
Hah, I’ve been on that for the last 10years or so.
The side effects are really weird as described, and also very subtle if one doesnt pay attention. Pramipexole made it click for me when it comes to understanding how dopamine actually works.
Ive seen studies using it to counter/help cocaine abusers due to its dopaminergic effect, and have myself tried cocaine while on it, and the effect is really diminished rendering it pretty much uninteresting to whoever wants to use it.
Dopamine is truly weird.
That is an interesting experience you described with the use of cocaine. I’m trying to understand this: would you say, while on a dopamine agonist you’d up the dose of cocaine as to reach the same effect when not on it if you’d feel compelled to do so?
There seems to be some cross tolerance, yes. I’ve never had an experience that would be worth the cost of coke while on pramipexole, at most i got a warm face and a sweaty forhead, it’s just wasted money.
I’ve also tried coke while not on any DA, and can’t say the same about that…
The study I’m thinking of tried it to relieve the urge on recovering addicts, with what I remember pretty good results.
For the people like me, Wikipedia says punding is compulsive performance of repetitive, mechanical tasks, such as assembling and disassembling, collecting, or sorting objects. It can also apply to digital objects, such as computer files and data.
…I think someone may be slipping me this drug.
