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Vol 19, No 4
Table of Contents

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<p class="frontmatter-fieldnotes disclaimernew" style="margin-bottom:15px;">This work may not be copied, distributed, displayed, published, reproduced, transmitted, modified, posted, sold, licensed, or used for commercial purposes. By downloading this file, you are agreeing to the publisher’s <a href="/pages/termsofuse.aspx" target="_blank">Terms & Conditions</a>.</p> <div id="_idContainer000">
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-title"><span class="bold">Gambling Disorder and Concurrent Alcohol Use Disorder Treated With Naltrexone</span></p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text"><span class="semibold">To the Editor:</span> Patients with alcohol use disorders have a higher rate of gambling disorder than patients without alcohol use disorders. The prevalence of concurrent alcohol use disorders in treatment-seeking problem gamblers has been estimated to be between 21% and 33%.<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref1">1</a></span> There is also an increased risk of suicidality in problem gamblers who frequently drink alcohol.<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref2">2</a></span> While naltrexone is one of the few US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved treatments available for alcohol use disorders, there are no FDA-approved medications for gambling disorder. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that has been shown to decrease cravings and heavy drinking of alcohol through the blocking of the dopaminergic reward system.<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref3">3</a></span> Previous studies<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref3">3</a>,<a href="#ref4">4</a></span> have shown that naltrexone may decrease gambling, though the evidence is limited and inconsistent.</p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text">&nbsp;</p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text"><span class="semibold-ital">Case report.</span> A 41-year-old man with <span class="italic">DSM-5</span> diagnoses of severe alcohol use disorder with alcohol-induced depressive disorder and moderate gambling use disorder presented to the emergency department for suicidal ideation in the context of alcohol intoxication. The patient was admitted to the medical ward for alcohol withdrawal and seen by the psychiatry consultation-liaison service. The patient reported gambling on online sporting events daily for the last 5 years, and he incurred thousands of dollars in debt that led to financial and relationship difficulties. He also endorsed daily alcohol use (8 to 9 alcoholic drinks daily) for the last 3 years. He became suicidal on the day of presentation due to feeling overwhelmed by his financial debt. </p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text">The patient was admitted to the hospital for alcohol withdrawal and started on a Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment protocol.<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref5">5</a></span> His suicidality resolved after 1 day as his alcohol withdrawal symptoms improved. He expressed little interest in attending Alcoholics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, or other substance use treatment programs. He was interested in starting a medication to reduce alcohol use. On day 3 of hospitalization, the patient was started on naltrexone 50 mg by mouth daily for alcohol use disorder and discharged the same day. He was seen in the outpatient psychiatric clinic the following week, and he reported continued abstinence from both alcohol and gambling. At his 2-month outpatient follow-up visit, he remained adherent to naltrexone and had maintained abstinence.</p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text">&nbsp;</p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text">Previous literature<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref4">4</a>,<a href="#ref6">6</a>,<a href="#ref7">7</a> </span>shows that naltrexone is a safe and effective treatment for alcohol use disorders and has mixed results for gambling disorder. There was one randomized, placebo-controlled trial<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref6">6</a></span> of naltrexone treatment in concurrent alcohol use disorder and pathological gambling that showed no significant differences between the control and treatment groups. However, this study<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref6">6</a></span> found a strong time effect, suggesting that long-term treatment was effective. Furthermore, a case report<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref7">7</a></span> described improvement in cravings and avoidance of relapse for up to 4 weeks with the use of naltrexone in a patient with alcohol dependence and pathological gambling. Meta-analyses<span class="htm-cite"><a href="#ref4">4</a></span> suggest that pharmacologic therapy for gambling disorder with opioid ant<a id="_idTextAnchor000"></a>agonists, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and mood stabilizers is associated with favorable outcomes.</p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-body-text">In patients with concurrent alcohol use disorders and gambling use disorder, naltrexone may be considered a useful pharmacologic treatment option. Future research is needed to evaluate naltrexone’s long-term efficacy in the treatment of concurrent alcohol use disorders and gambling disorders.</p>
  <p class="references_references-heading"><span class="smallcaps">References</span></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"><a name="ref1"></a><span class="htm-ref"> 1.&#9;</span>Dowling NA, Cowlishaw S, Jackson AC, et al. Prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidity in treatment-seeking problem gamblers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. <span class="italic">Aust N Z J Psychiatry</span>. 2015;49(6):519–539. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&amp;db=PubMed&amp;list_uids=25735959&amp;dopt=Abstract"><span class="pubmed-crossref">PubMed</span></a> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867415575774"><span class="pubmed-crossref">doi:10.1177/0004867415575774</span></a></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"><a name="ref2"></a><span class="htm-ref"> 2.&#9;</span>Kim HS, Salmon M, Wohl MJ, et al. A dangerous cocktail: alcohol consumption increases suicidal ideations among problem gamblers in the general population. <span class="italic">Addict Behav</span>. 2016;55:50–55. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&amp;db=PubMed&amp;list_uids=26790140&amp;dopt=Abstract"><span class="pubmed-crossref">PubMed</span></a> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.12.017"><span class="pubmed-crossref">doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.12.017</span></a></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"><a name="ref3"></a><span class="htm-ref"> 3.&#9;</span>Kim SW, Grant JE, Adson DE, et al. Double-blind naltrexone and placebo comparison study in the treatment of pathological gambling. <span class="italic">Biol Psychiatry</span>. 2001;49(11):914–921. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&amp;db=PubMed&amp;list_uids=11377409&amp;dopt=Abstract"><span class="pubmed-crossref">PubMed</span></a> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01079-4"><span class="pubmed-crossref">doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01079-4</span></a></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"><a name="ref4"></a><span class="htm-ref"> 4.&#9;</span>Pallesen S, Molde H, Arnestad HM, et al. Outcome of pharmacological treatments of pathological gambling: a review and meta-analysis. <span class="italic">J&#160;Clin Psychopharmacol</span>. 2007;27(4):357–364. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&amp;db=PubMed&amp;list_uids=17632219&amp;dopt=Abstract"><span class="pubmed-crossref">PubMed</span></a> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/jcp.013e3180dcc304d"><span class="pubmed-crossref">doi:10.1097/jcp.013e3180dcc304d</span></a></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"> &#9;5.&#9;Sullivan JT, Sykora K, Schneiderman J, et al. Assessment of alcohol withdrawal: the revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol scale (CIWA-Ar). <span class="italic">Br J Addict.</span> 1989;84:1353–1357. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb00737.x"><span class="pubmed-crossref">doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb00737.x</span></a></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"><a name="ref6"></a><span class="htm-ref"> 6.&#9;</span>Toneatto T, Brands B, Selby P. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of naltrexone in the treatment of concurrent alcohol use disorder and pathological gambling. <span class="italic">Am J Addict</span>. 2009;18(3):219–225. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&amp;db=PubMed&amp;list_uids=19340640&amp;dopt=Abstract"><span class="pubmed-crossref">PubMed</span></a> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10550490902787007"><span class="pubmed-crossref">doi:10.1080/10550490902787007</span></a></p>
  <p class="references-references-text-1-9"><a name="ref7"></a><span class="htm-ref"> 7.&#9;</span>Crockford DN, el-Guebaly N. Naltrexone in the treatment of pathological gambling and alcohol dependence. <span class="italic">Can J Psychiatry</span>. 1998;43(1):86. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&amp;db=PubMed&amp;list_uids=9494755&amp;dopt=Abstract"><span class="pubmed-crossref">PubMed</span></a></p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-author"><span class="bold">June C. Lee, DO</span><span class="superscript">a</span></p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-author"><a href="mailto:jlee@dop.hawaii.edu">jlee@dop.hawaii.edu</a></p>
  <p class="ltrs-br-ltr-br-author"><span class="bold">Alexandra G. Takayesu, MD</span><span class="superscript">a</span></p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="superscript">a</span>Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu</p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="bold-italic">Potential conflicts of interest:</span> None.</p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="bold-italic">Funding/support:</span> None.</p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="bold-italic">Previous presentation:</span> Poster presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting; May 16, 2016; Atlanta, Georgia.</p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="bold-italic">Published online:</span> July 20, 2017.</p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="italic">Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2017;19(4):16l02082</span></p>
  <p class="doi-line"><span class="italic">https://doi.org/</span><span class="doi">10.4088/PCC.16l02082</span></p>
  <p class="end-matter"><span class="italic">© Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.</span></p>
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