If you wake up day after day feeling the effects of heavy drinking, yet continue to resort to the same behavior despite the consequences, you may wish you could just take a pill to crush any desire to drink again. You’re not alone. Alcoholism affects more than 17 million people. It’s a devastating disease that wrecks lives and relationships. But there is hope on the horizon. Researchers are working diligently to discover the right combination drug that will prove effective in treating alcoholism.
Topiramate May Prove Effective
One such drug that shows promise in clinical trials conducted in 2008 by the University of Virginia Health Systems team is topiramate, which decreases heavy drinking and reduces the physical and psychological harm that dependence on alcohol causes.
The drug, originally discovered in 1979, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of epilepsy and migraines. Following clinical trials, researchers now believe topiramate will work to treat alcoholism as well. Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., is the manufacturer of the drug, and also provided funding for the study.
How It Works
According to researchers, topiramate has a two-pronged attack. First, it blocks the right amount of alcohol’s “feel-good” effects, caused by release of increased levels of dopamine following alcohol consumption. Second, topiramate interferes with the protein glutamate, which normally excites dopamine neurons. By interfering, it works to reduce alcohol’s pleasurable effect. Alcoholics taking the drug in clinical trials receive less enjoyment from alcohol, experience reduced cravings for it, and are better able to stop drinking.
A side benefit is that topiramate also lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure, which may lead to a reduction in heart disease in alcohol-dependent individuals taking the drug. A decrease in liver enzymes as well as cholesterol levels from topiramate may also reduce fatty liver disease risk which leads to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease and death in many alcoholics.
Seroquel XR – Sleeping Aid May Help With Alcoholism
Another drug currently being tested for its potential to treat addiction to alcohol is seroquel XR, a drug marketed as a sleeping aid. Clinical tests in England in 2008 and University of Pennsylvania in 2007 show that Seroquel XR helped some heavy drinkers to “become completely sober” and relieved many of the participants’ sleep problems.
How It Works
A common symptom of alcoholism and binge drinking is the inability to sleep – without a drink. Night after night without sufficient sleep perpetuates a vicious cycle. At first, alcohol seems to help some people sleep, but they soon wake up and have difficulty falling back asleep. Habitual drinking leads to eventual sleep disruptions throughout the night.
Seroquel XR may help block, or significantly reduce, the cravings for alcohol, say clinical researchers. It could also help alcoholics avoid resorting to more drastic measures to combat their addiction later in life.
Naltrexone and Modafinil: a One-Two Punch for Alcohol and Cocaine Addiction
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), naltrexone is a medication currently being used to treat drug and alcohol addiction. It was originally developed to fight heroin addiction, but researchers found that it was effective in curbing cravings for alcohol by blocking opiate receptors in the brain.
Modafinil is a medication that may enhance mood and increase energy levels in cocaine addicts. Currently in phase II, a study combining the two medications seeks to determine effectiveness in reducing drug and alcohol abuse in individuals undergoing substance abuse treatment.
How It Works
Naltrexone blocks the “high” feeling users get from alcohol and drugs. Modafinil improves energy and enhances mood in patients suffering from narcolepsy and the preliminary indications are that it will do the same thing for cocaine addicts, thus countering the effects of cocaine withdrawal.
New Drugs on the Horizon?
With all the attention to alcoholism and its devastating effects on the individual and society, researchers continue to search for solutions that will put an end to alcohol addiction. Although certain medications may prove effective for some individuals, no single medication will work for everyone. That won’t stop researchers, however, who push on in their search for the magic pill to stop addiction.
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