Stacking the Cards In Your Favor

Stacking the Cards In Your Favor

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that a drug company had developed a prescription drug to treat gambling addiction. But I WAS surprised to find out that this life-wrecking condition might be successfully treated with a non-drug therapy.

If you own a casino, today’s e-Alert might not be your favorite.

Going “all in”

Five billion dollars. That’s a lot of money, but it’s small potatoes compared to the hundreds of billions that are gambled in the U.S. each year. Nevertheless, five billion is still quite significant because, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, that’s the estimated yearly toll that pathological gambling extracts from those who clear out their savings, borrow money, and even steal to support out-of-control gambling habits.

According to researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine (Dept. of Psychiatry), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is known to restore concentrations of glutamate, a common neurotransmitter that plays an important role in learning, memory, and reward. E-Alert readers may recall that NAC is an amino acid that helps prompt the production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant enzyme.

The UM team recruited nearly 30 pathological gamblers who all received NAC supplements for eight weeks. More than half of the subjects responded well to this first phase of the study, reporting fewer urges to gamble. At the outset of the double-blind second phase of the study – in which half the group received a placebo and half received NAC – three subjects dropped out for fear of being placed in the placebo group and experiencing a return of their gambling compulsion.

Thirteen subjects participated in the second phase, which lasted six weeks. More than 80 percent who received NAC reported even fewer urges to gamble, while more than 70 percent who received placebo resumed their previous gambling habits.

The UM team has already launched another study in which NAC will be tested on crystal meth addicts.

Experiments & benefits

A Minnesota Public Radio report on the UM study noted that lead author, Dr. Jon Grant, “discourages people from experimenting with health food supplements for gambling addictions.”

“Experimenting”? He makes it sounds as if we’re children, home alone, prone to mischief. So I hope it won’t upset Dr. Grant if I take a moment to recognize some of the widely documented benefits of NAC supplementation.

First and foremost, NAC is a very effective antidote for acetaminophen poisoning – you know, for those who “experiment” with Tylenol and other over-the-counter acetaminophen products.

Studies have also shown that NAC helps lower high homocysteine levels that signal the danger of heart disease. And as I mentioned above, NAC stimulates production of glutathione. Patients with ailments associated with immune system dysfunction often have deficient glutathione levels.

But a word of caution: In studies that utilized large doses of NAC to treat bronchitis (NAC has been used for many years to treat chronic respiratory ailments), a few subjects who took 600 mg of NAC daily (about twice the normal dosage) experienced dizziness, headaches, and intestinal discomfort. As with all supplements – talk to your doctor before using NAC.

And one final note about gambling addiction: Those who need help in controlling excessive gambling can start by visiting the web site for the National Council on Problem Gambling: http://www.ncpgambling.org.

Sources:
“N-Acetyl Cysteine, a Glutamate-Modulating Agent, in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling: A Pilot Study” Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 62, No. 6, 9/15/07, sciencedirect.com
“Common Substance Could Help Cure Gambling Addiction” Lorna Benson, Minnesota Public Radio, 9/11/07, Minnesota.publicradio.org