(CBS) CHICAGO A new group of drugs called dopamine agonists are offering help to some people with... Woman Claims Medication Fu

(CBS) CHICAGO A new group of drugs called dopamine agonists are offering help to some people with Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome.

Barbara Hermansen suffered from chronic insomnia caused by restless leg syndrome until her doctor prescribed a drug called Permax. It helped her sleep like a baby, but she says five years later, it turned her life into a nightmare.

For this Sunday school teacher and suburban mother of two, a trip to Vegas triggered an urge to gamble that she satisfied online. It became an addiction. She maxed out her credit cards, drained her savings and pension accounts, borrowed money and stole it from her husband's wallet. In three years, Barbara lost $600,000.

"And I said, 'Oh, wouldn't it be nice to blame it on the medicine.' And he said, 'What are you talking about?' There are case reports from all over the world that link that medicine with compulsive gambling,'" she recalled.

"The fact that it's the dopamine agonists that apparently seem to trigger these abnormal behaviors is relatively new," said Rush University Medical Center neurologist Leo Verhagen.

Dr. Verhagen says dopamine agonists are mainly used to control the involuntary moments of Parkinson's disease, but they also affect the part of the brain that controls feelings of reward and well-being. Now, growing anecdotal evidence links these drugs to obsessive behaviors, such as compulsive shopping, hyper-sexuality, binge eating and gambling.

It's important to point out dopamine agonists are considered important medicines and lifesavers for some Parkinson's patients because they slow down the progression of the disease.

Reports about behavioral side effects of these drugs have been appearing in medical journals since 2003, but no definitive scientific study has been done and no one knows how many people might be affected.

"And I said, 'Oh, wouldn't it be nice to blame it on the medicine.' And he said, 'What are you talking about?' There are case reports from all over the world that link that medicine with compulsive gambling,'" Barbara recalled.

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