Do you remember Kramer and the
jimmy legs from Seinfeld? There is a crippling disease called Restless Legs Syndrome that is stopping Baby Boomers* from having normal productive lives. Luckily the folks at GlaxoSmithKline have come up with Requip, a drug which combats this terrible syndrome.
There are some side effects though. From the
website (curiously the statement was a .gif so I had to retype it):
"Important Safety Information
Prescription Requip Tablets are not for everyone. Requip may cause you to fall asleep or feel very sleepy while doing normal activities such as driving; or to feel faint or feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when you stand up. If you experience these problems talk with your doctor. Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol or are taking other medicines that make you drowsy. Side effects include nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, and dizziness. Most patients were not bothered enough to stop taking Requip."
Some stunning revelations:- There is a disease called Restless Leg Syndrome
- There is a medicine for it.
- Nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, and dizziness were not enough to stop patients from taking Requip, but restless legs were enough to make them take it and fall asleep vomiting.
Inspired by similar observations at
Overcompensating. The
Mayo clinic has help without medication- get up and walk around for goodness sake. (he says smugly 'til he gets old and gets restless leg syndrome)
*Primary Restless Legs Syndrome most often affects people who are middle-aged and older.
Consumer reports is running a great series debunking drug advertisements and they have taken on the drug Requip for my favorite disease Restless Leg Syndrome or RLS (The Jimmy Legs). Though Consumer reports does point out that while the commercials do tell the truth, they sometimes leave out some important facts. Such as:
