Compulsive gambling possibly associated with antiepileptic medication

Abstract

Compulsive gambling is recognized with Parkinson's disease treatment with dopamine agonists but has not been reported with antiepileptic medications (AEMs) in epilepsy. This is the first report regarding possible compulsive gambling, provoked by AEMs in a patient with idiopathic generalized epilepsy, who presented with nonconvulsive status epilepticus, having previously not achieved seizure control with carbamazepine, valproate, (VPA), topiramate, gabapentin (GPT), lamotrigine (LTG), and clobazam. Levetiracetam (LEV) was added to VPA and GPT, which the patient was already taking and LTG subsequently retrialed. Following the reintroduction of LTG, she lost $4000–5000, which she concealed. With better seizure control, VPA and GPT were withdrawn, leaving her on LEV and LTG. With increased LTG dosage, she lost $50,000, prompting discovery of her gambling.

Keywords

• Antiepileptic drugs
• Adverse events
• Compulsive gambling