A drug called Topamax (topiramate) has been found to help alcoholics quit drinking excessively, according to a University of Virginia study. The drug is not FDA approved for treatment of alcoholism, but has been prescribed off-label by doctors to treat the condition.
Topiramate (brand name Topamax) is an anticonvulsant drug produced by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, a division of Johnson & Johnson. The drug is FDA-approved for treatment of epilepsy and for the prevention of migraines.
To test the drug’s efficacy in treating alcoholism, researchers conducted a 14-week study of 317 alcoholics. Half of the participants were given a placebo and the other half were given Topamax.
The study found that participants on Topamax reduced their alcohol intake from 11 drinks per day on average, to just 3.5 drinks per day. Furthermore, while only abstaining from drinking 3 days per month at the start of the study, by the end of the study they were abstaining from drinking about 15 days per month.
The placebo group also drank less during the study. However, by the end of the study, they abstained from drinking 10 days per month and consumed six drinks per day on average.
The most common side effects of Topamax include a change in taste (carbonated beverages, especially diet sodas and beer, taste particularly bad) and feelings of pins and needles in the head and extremities. Less common side effects include cognitive deficiency (particularly word-finding difficulty); grogginess; lethargy; renal stones, impairment of fine motor skills; vision abnormality and transient or permanent vision loss; weight loss; breast pain; abdominal pain; intense sweating; menstrual disorder; taste changes; pharyngitis; sinusitis; diplopia; rash; leukopenia; fatigue; dizziness; insomnia; anxiety; depression; paresthesia; diarrhea; nausea; dyspepsia; constipation; dry-mouth; dysmenorrhea.
Sources:
- New Scientist October 10, 2007
- FDA
Matt says
Alcoholism – as horrible as it is – needs to be dealt with immediately.
When it comes to drugs being used to try and ‘cure’ an alcoholic I generally sit on the fence.
Just by reading the side-effects that this drug has I feel that anyone who is in a bad position already (being addicted to alcohol) will not be feeling any better using these drugs and may revert to their old ways.
This is purely my opinion but I feel that exploring more natural ways could yield better and more lasting results.
Take Care.