A 66-year-old British man who became addicted to online gambling because of a drug he was unaware of had side effects has been awarded compensation by his doctor, his lawyers announced today.

Philip Stevens, from the south of England, will received 70,000 pounds (about 84,000 euros) after the amicable settlement with his doctor, according to these sources.

The case began in 2017, when Stevens went to his doctor complaining of a tremor in his left leg. The doctor diagnosed her with restless legs syndrome, a disorder not well known to the general public. Sufferers have a strong desire to move their legs, especially at night, as a result of which their sleep is disturbed and their lives are poisoned.

His doctor prescribed the drug ropinirole, which is mainly used to treat Parkinson’s. But she did not tell him what the side effects are. Among them, the inability to control impulses, which can lead to gambling addiction or uncontrollable shopping.

According to the attorneys representing him, during the four years Stevens received the drug “spent thousands of pounds on online gambling sites». THE usually reserved 66-year-old “he bet on everything and didn’t care at all if he won. He was not master of his actions». At the same time, he started impulse buying, usually clothes or fishing gear.

It wasn’t until 2021, after seeing a neurologist, that he stopped using the drug. But then a new nightmare began: to the compulsive shopping were added hallucinations, paranoia and depression, due to deprivation syndrome.

“I am no longer the same person I was before ropinirolesaid the patient, according to his lawyers.

His doctor agreed to compensate him, but did not admit his responsibility in the case.