Table of Contents
Overview
Summary
Implications for Mitigation
Reference

Overview

What scientific evidence exists to support the usage of Naltrexone for Compulsive Sexual Behavior and its related ICD-11 diagnosis, Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CBSD)?

Summary

Naltrexone has long been approved for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder as well as Alcohol Use Disorder. For some time, it has also been used, off label, to treat some individuals with Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD).

 As this is off label use, the research on the use of this medication is mostly relegated to case studies. To date, there are no clinical trials looking at the use of Naltrexone to help treat CSBD.

This case study, published in June of 2022, relates the successful use of Naltrexone to help treat a man whose primary diagnosis is that of Alcohol Use Disorder. Initially unbeknownst to the psychiatrists, the man also has a several year CSB issue with pornography and masturbation. After he was placed on 50 mg/daily of Naltrexone, he reported that he noticed a significant decrease in his pornography use and compulsive masturbation. These changes persisted over time throughout the course of his use of Naltrexone.

As this is a case study report, there are no actual measures used for CSBD to see if the man actually met the diagnostic criteria as set out by the ICD-11. It also did not objectively track his pornography use and masturbation frequency so that the decrease could be quantified. That being said, as a case study, that level of empirical rigor is not expected.

The study provides another example of the successful use of Naltrexone to help reduce CSBD.

Implications for Mitigation

This case study is another that provides support for the efficacy of using Naltrexone to treat compulsive sexual behaviors such masturbation or pornography use. As such, the medication is a potential option to help individuals who struggle with compulsive offending behaviors such as illegal pornography use, exhibitionism, etc.

Reference

Sultana, T. & Din, J.S. (2022).  Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Alcohol Use Disorder Treated with Naltrexone:  A Case Report and Literature Review.  Cureus, doi:10.7759/cureus/25804