1. Indication

2. Wonder drugs


3. Dopamine Hits


4. Big Pharma, Big Secret


5. Restless


6. Chasing Losses


16 February 2026


When Freddie's father Bill is identified with Parkinson's, his medication offers him a brand-new lease of life. He begins ticking things off his bucket list - travelling, skydiving, golf.


But then Freddie notices that his previously practical daddy has started acting unusually.


BBC Investigations correspondent Noel Titheradge has actually spent more than a year speaking to people whose behaviour changed significantly after taking a classification of prescription drugs called dopamine agonists.


These drugs increase dopamine activity in the brain - they were recommended more than 1.5 million times in the UK last year to deal with Parkinson's illness and other movement disorders.


But they have well recognized negative effects - around 1 in 6 individuals who take them establish impulse control conditions, which can include hypersexuality, binge consuming, compulsive betting and shopping.


If these side effects have been understood about for years, why weren't some clients and their households appropriately cautioned or kept track of?