Equipped with Requip

Did you hear about EPP syndrome? It stands for Excessive Pill Popping.
Of course I am yoking, but permit me to be skeptical about the Pharmaceutical Industry. Over the last few years, we have been bombarded with commercials advertising wonder drugs. We have all seen them. They all follow the same script. “ Do you suffer from...” followed by a list of symptoms. The actors in the ads seem to be in excruciating pain or ready to check out until they “ ask their doctor about” whatever medication is being advertised. Lo and behold! After taking said medication, they get that bounce back in their step, play catch with their dog and enjoy taking a walk with their significant other. Sounds good enough until they divulge the side effects of those little pills and creams. There are those nasty uncontrollable bowel movements, those sudden spells of dizziness and the sudden mood swings which may arise. Mmm! Sometimes the side effects sound worse that the disease itself.
Now I want to apologize to anyone who is suffering from this apparently real syndrome, but what exactly is RLS? Most importantly, should I be contacting my doctor? Because, no kidding, I have had some of the symptoms. RLS stands for Restless Leg Syndrome. You know if you have RLS if you have a strong urge to move your legs which you may not be able to resist. The need to move is often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations. Some words used to describe these sensations include: "creeping", "itching", "pulling", "creepy-crawly", "tugging" or "gnawing".
There is even a RLS Foundation with their very own web site. Best of all, there is a drug that can treat this nasty disease. Its called Requip.
The think is, as with all the other drugs, there are side effects. Some of them are:
nausea, drowsiness, vomiting, and dizziness... It is possible that you could fall asleep while doing normal activities such as driving a car.. Your chances of falling asleep while doing normal activities while taking Requip are greater if you are taking other medicines that cause drowsiness. When you start taking Requip you may faint or feel dizzy, nauseated, or sweaty when first standing up from sitting or lying down.”
And here comes the killer:
“Some patients taking Requip have shown urges to behave in a way unusual for them. Examples of this are an unusual urge to gamble or increased sexual urges and/or behaviors. If you or your family notices that you are developing any unusual behaviors, talk to your doctor.”

Sounds great right? But pardon me for asking: Aren’t the side effects worse than the creepy-crawly feeling or the sudden urge to move your legs? I am just asking...

** If you think you are suffering from RLS please follow this link http://www.rls.org/