9% Of Patients in the National Problem Gambling Clinic Were Using Aripiprazole

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

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Last updated: April 12, 2023

According to a specialist, patients who are given the antipsychotic drug aripiprazole, which is frequently recommended to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and psychosis, should be made aware of the possibility of developing a gambling addiction. The National Problem Gambling Clinic has noticed an increase in the number of patients who started taking aripiprazole and then became addicted to gambling. Several of these individuals have suffered significant financial losses and relationship breakdowns.

A leading psychiatrist, Prof. Henrietta Bowden-Jones, who oversees the clinic, has issued a warning that increased awareness is required because many GPs who prescribe the medicine fail to warn patients and mental health teams do not effectively monitor if people are becoming addicted.

Many Patients Unaware of the Link Between Aripiprazole and Compulsive Gambling

The National Problem Gambling Clinic’s audit of its patients for 2022 revealed that 30 out of 359, or roughly 9%, were using the medication. According to Bowden-Jones, most people are unaware of the link between aripiprazole and compulsive gambling. Although though pathological gambling is classified as a side-effect by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, doctors are not notified of it when they prescribe medications. In fact, despite frequently assisting with patient monitoring in psychiatric wards, mental health staff are not especially on the lookout for warning indicators of problem gambling.

Aripiprazole has also been effective in treating PTSD in military veterans. However, they are already 11 times more likely to suffer from gambling addiction in the UK without the use of Aripiprazole.

The Case of Lee Jordan

After taking aripiprazole in 2021 to treat psychotic symptoms, such as hearing voices, that had arisen during a particularly stressful period at work, Lee Jordan developed a gambling addiction. While he had occasionally gambled modest sums of money for amusement in the past, his casual habit soon started to dominate his life.

He said that he had lost £10,000 to gambling businesses and had been unable to recover the money. However, the disastrous ramifications were massive as he nearly lost his relationship, family, and friends, and it completely devastated his life. After Jordan stopped taking aripiprazole in 2022, he felt ready to give up gambling within a few weeks. He said that it was difficult at first because endorphins were associated with success in his brain. Afterward, there were cravings, but he was able to install Gamban (gambling blocking software) on his devices. He explained that despite the cravings now it was simple for him to achieve that objective because the added pressure from the aripiprazole was gone.

Increased Awareness and Monitoring is Needed

According to Bowden-Jones, doctors should be aware that shame and stigma frequently deter people from disclosing signs of gambling harm and keep an eye out for whether aripiprazole causes other compulsive behaviors, such as binge drinking, drug use, sex, or shopping.

Paul Kanolik, an attorney at Ellis Jones who specializes in gambling issues, said the number of individuals with psychiatric problems who accumulate thousands of pounds in gaming debt was quite startling. He claimed that given the accessibility of online gambling, the current regulation definitely needs to be revised in order to prevent gambling addiction.

On the other hand, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency claims that pathological gambling and other impulse control disorders were included as side effects in the patient information leaflet.