13/05/2026
Many of you know me as your former English teacher, but today I want to share something very personal and ask for your help.
Over the last year I’ve been fighting to uncover what happened to my dad after he was prescribed a dopamine agonist for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). In 2005 he was put on this medication and, within months, his life began to unravel in ways that we now know are linked to these drugs: extreme cravings for sugar, huge weight gain, worsening depression, swelling, and breathlessness. Later came diabetes, more than 60 infections, 36 hospital admissions, risky financial behaviour, hypersexuality and, eventually, a diagnosis of dementia given while he was delirious in hospital.
We raised the alarm again and again. In 2021 I sent photographic evidence and a detailed account to the NHS explaining that my dad was consuming around a kilogram of sugar a day and spending hundreds of pounds a month on sweets and chocolate. Nothing meaningful was done. He lost his health, his money, his marriage and, in many ways, his identity. His funeral was attended only by me, my wife and the cemetery groundsman.
Since then, I’ve discovered that his experience is not unique. Dopamine agonists are widely used for RLS and Parkinson’s, and they are known to cause devastating impulse‑control problems such as compulsive gambling, hypersexuality, compulsive shopping and binge eating. I’ve spoken about this on BBC News at 6pm and I’m now working with my local MP, Lee Pitcher, and with charities including Restless Legs Syndrome UK, to push for a full public inquiry into what is becoming known as the dopamine agonist scandal.
I am sharing this here because many of you knew me long before any of this came to light. You know I am not someone who makes wild claims. I have spent years documenting what happened to my dad and supporting others whose lives have also been torn apart by these medications. I don’t want any more families to go through what we did.
If you have ever been in my class, if I have helped you with your English, or if you simply trust my judgement, I’m asking you for one favour: please read and sign the official UK Parliament e‑petition calling for a public inquiry into dopamine agonists and their side effects. It takes less than a minute, but every signature increases the pressure on the system to take this seriously.
👉 https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764510
If you feel comfortable, please also share the petition on your own page or in your WhatsApp groups. Your signature or share might be the one that finally makes the difference. Thank you for reading, and for standing with me and my family.
Petition: Hold a public inquiry to review the use of dopamine agonists Hold an inquiry into the use of dopamine agonists covering: impulse control disorders; potential physical harms & misdiagnosis of vascular dementia; & any lessons from past & current criminal proceedings involving dopamine agonist patients. This could lead to concrete reforms to prevent future harm.
24/04/2026
19/01/2022
03/03/2020
22/02/2020
21/02/2020
21/02/2020
21/02/2020
14/02/2020