Tera Patricks' Tera Talks - Gambling Drug Cure vs. Placebo “Cure”

Gambling is a national pastime and a national problem. Is there a cure?

Cure gambling? Take a pill. Reduce your weight? Take a pill? Get more energy? Take a pill. I say, 'Take a placebo.'

I was watching the TV news tonight when I saw a report on a potential cure for gambling. A pill.

The results of a study show that daily doses of an experimental drug called nalmefene, sometimes used to treat alcoholism, appears to curb the gambling appetite.

Celebrity Poker beware. I’ll bet your ratings will fall.

Take the placebo. It’s cheaper, and works about half as often as the real thing. That’s good odds.If you’re a gambler, take heed. Assuming you want a cure for your gambling habits, odds are good that a pill for you is just around the corner.

In four months of controlled tests, as reported in the LA Times, about 65-percent of gambling patients who took nalmefene showed “significant” improvement toward a cure for gambling. See?

There’s hope for Celebrity Poker victims everywhere.

Of course, once the drug is approved to treat compulsive gamblers, I’ll bet you the price goes up substantially. Nalmefene has been used to treat alcoholism. There are plenty of cures for that.

What if your health insurance doesn’t cover gambling treatment? What if you’re poor and don’t have a drinking problem?

Not to worry. According to the results of the tests, about 35-percent of gambling patients in the study also show significant improvement just by taking a placebo.

Take the placebo. It’s cheaper, and works about half as often as the real thing. That’s good odds.

I’ll give you three to one that gamblers who can’t get the real thing can get the placebo on eBay. Even if it costs half as much as the real drug, you’re still ahead.

John says:

It is very well documented that placebo’s work as well as many ‘treatments’ that cost plenty. The placebo effect is calculated in most ‘scientific’ studies, although not as often in efficacy and safety studies that pharmacutical companies run. Go figure.

The placebo effect is variable. If a wise old gentleman in a lab coat tells the subject that the palcebo will have a certain effect, and a ‘secretary’ says the same thing it is possible to measure the difference. Look at the ads for pharmacueticals…

Despite the overwhelming evidence that a sugar pill will ‘cure’ the common cold, most physicians, ethicists and administrators consider the prescription of the placebo to be unethical. Did you know that the money spent by pharmacuetical companies in any given major teaching hospital for doctors food exceeds the budget for patient food! (in Ontario anyway)

Hey Tera. About that many cures for alcoholism comment. There are millions of us in AA who watch the continued suffering of the 90% for whom nothing has worked who would love to see your list!

PS. I am glad that there are many effective chemotheraputics… I enjoy your insights.

Posted by John on Friday, February 3 2006 at 6:50 pm

Brian says:

I’d love to see a study done linking a population’s education level and percentage of that population with gambling problems. While I suspect the genetic predisposition to “addictive behaviours” is probably part of the issue for the worst cases, and that education is not the only contributing factor, it’s frustrating how often problems are highlighted in our society which seem to be largely symptoms of the shortcomings of our societal responsibility, without really taking society to task.

“You are our customer, why would we want to turn you off by making you feel guilty?”

Posted by Brian on Monday, February 13 2006 at 5:09 am

ken douglas says:

I need to know what is a placebo and which one to take. I am on the verge and I need to do something to STOP gambling.

I very much appreciate your help and I hope that you can help me regarding this matter.

P.S. I must put a stop to this madness.

Posted by ken douglas on Wednesday, February 21 2007 at 6:30 am