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Now, a Medication for Controlling Gambling Urges

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reports that intake of naltrexone—a drug used for curing alcoholism and drug dependence, diminished the urge to gamble in pathological gamblers.

In a study conducted by Dr. Jon E. Grant of the University of Minnesota and his team, almost 40% of the pathological gamblers who took naltrexone were able to stop gambling for a minimum timeframe of one month. The Journal also reported that in another group of gamblers who were given an inactive placebo, the abstention rate was just around 10.5%.

The study was conducted in a group of 49 individuals, aged between 14 and 59 years. These people gambled for six to 32 hours each week and met all clinical criteria for pathological gambling. Most of the study subjects reported symptoms of depressiondefine, while about one-fifth said they had anxiety disorder. However, there was no reporting of bipolar, psychotic, or substance abuse disorders.

As part of the study, the team members chose at random 58 people, both men and women, and administered to them on a daily basis, for a time period extending up to 18 weeks, 50, 100, or 150 milligrams of naltrexone. At the same time, the team also administered an inactive placebo to 19 other people.

The results of the study were startling, to say the least. The team found that the subjects who were administered the drug, said they had a lesser urge to gamble than they did previously. They also said they were able to control their urges more effectively than those who were given the placebo. The study also indicated that the dosage of naltrexone was not really pertinent; low dosages worked as well as the high dosages.

The findings of the study were consistent for the whole group and also enabled comparisons between the men and women. Dr. Grant’s team was able to conclude that it was safe to administer naltrexone for as long as four to five months and that the subjects’ tolerance to the drug held steady for the entire period. More importantly, it was able to effectively block the subjects’ gambling urges.

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