Gambling compulsion

A 58-year-old woman started to gamble compulsively while taking rotigotine 22.5 mg/day she had gambled for many years but never to the same extent. This behavior ceased when the dosage was reduced to 9 mg/day. 

Another interesting development is the growing clinical literature on the use of SSRIs in body dysmorphic disorder, which may be part of the OCD spectrum. Also of interest are positive clinical reports with these agents in the treatment of pathological gambling, sexual compulsions, kleptomania, and compulsive buying. 

Confusion, hallucinations, delusions, and other psychiatric reactions are potential complications of dopaminergic treatment and are more common and severe with dopamine receptor agonists than with levodopa. Disorders of impulse control may lead to compulsive gambling, shopping, betting, sexual activity, and other behaviors. They clear on withdrawal of the offending medication. 

Hollander, Eric,and Cherdy M. Wong. 1995. "Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Pathological Gambling, and Sexual Compulsions." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 56 [suppl. 4J 7-12. 

Erench, Laurence Armand. Addictions and Native Americans. Westport, Conn. Praeger Publishers, 2000. A useful introduction to the tragic role various addictions have played in Native American history and culture, as well as current problems and issues. Treatment must take into account the overall social and economic problems in Native American communities. The author also suggests that compulsive gambling is an emerging and troubling addiction problem for Native Americans. 

Compare addiction to gambling with addiction to cocaine. Are they similar on a biochemical basis What about addiction to Internet games, chatting, pornography, compulsive overeating, etc. 873a... 

SSRIs are agents of choice in obsessive-compulsive disorder and in the syndromes of impulse dyscontrol or obsessive preoccupations (e.g., compulsive gambling, trichotillomania, bulimia, but usually not anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphic disorder). Despite their hmited benefits, SSRIs offer an important advance in the medical treatment of these often chronic and sometimes incapacitating disorders. The effectiveness of pharmacological treatment for these disorders is greatly enhanced by use of behavioral treatments. 

Mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic neurons subserve cognitive processes (Nieoullon, 2002), motivated behavior (McAllister, 2000), the central stress response (Koob and Le Moal, 1997), and the pleasure produced by natural (i.e., sex, food) or unnatural (i.e., drugs of abuse) reinforcers, or by compulsive activities such as gambling, overeating, and sex dependence (for reviews, see Comings and Blum, 2000 Gardner, 2002). In fact, dopamine is possibly the neurotransmitter more studied as a potential... 

Serotonin deficiency is related to a broad array of emotional and behavioral problems, ranging from depression, premenstrual syndrome, anxiety, alcoholism, insomnia, violence, aggression, suicide, and compulsive gambling. 

Kolia BP, Mansukhani MP, Barraza R, Bostwick JM. Impact of dopamine agonists on compulsive behaviors a case series of pramipexole-induced pathological gambling. Psychosomatics 2010 51(3) 271-3. 

Compulsive behaviors Disorders of impulse control, including compulsive gambling, can occur with all dopamine receptor agonists. 

Sequela Pathological gambling due to dopamine receptor agonists (particularly pramipexole) and other compulsive behaviors... 

Hypersexuality and compulsive gambling have been reported with the relatively new drug rotigotine, which is dehvered by trans-dermal patch, in three patients with Parkinson s disease, all of whom were also taking levodopa [lOQ ]. 

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