Jul 5, 2006(kutv.com) - A new group of drugs is giving hope to
Parkinson's disease patients but it also has some people complaining
of bizarre side effects.
In this Healthy Living report see what you think. Are these drugs
helping or hurting?

Barbara Hermansen lost over $600,000 dollars of her family's savings
to gambling.

"It was always in my brain, you've got to figure out a way to
gamble, gamble."

She says her addiction started almost over night, after taking a
prescription drug for the condition, Restless leg syndrome.

The drugs are a part of a group called dopamine agonists, mostly
prescribed to Parkinson's disease patients.

They boost the level of the chemical that plays a key role in the
way the brain controls movements.

But the chemical is also associated with addictive behaviors, and
now doctors say people taking them may be at risk of developing such
compulsive habits as gambling, shopping, even sex addiction.

"I was raised to believe that honesty and integrity are important
and all of a sudden i was doing things like taking money out of my
husband's wallet," says Barbara.

With no explanation as to why she was suddenly so obsessed with
gambling Barbara underwent counseling. She even joined gamblers
anonymous.

When that didn't work she almost did the unthinkable.

"I contemplated suicide many times," says Barbara.

But Parkinson's disease specialist Dr. Melissa Nirenberg says these
side effects are extremely uncommon and, at the right dose, these
drugs are life savers.

"If you saw one of my Parkinson's patients off these dopamine
agonists, and you saw them on these dopamine agonists you would not
question them at all," says Dr. Nirenberg.

Barbara has stopped taking her medication and says she has lost her
urge to gamble.

But the side effects of these drugs are controversial. The Food and
Drug Administration has said "it seems highly suggestive that there
is a casual relationship."