Study: Anti-Convulsant Drug May Help Reduce Alcohol Dependence

Chicago, IL (AHN) - Topiramate, an anticonvulsant drug prescribed for epilepsy seizures and migraine headaches may help those with alcohol dependence, a study released Tuesday suggested.

Professor Bankole Johnson, the lead author of the study said that the drug helps reduce the alcoholic's cravings by addressing neurotransmitter imbalances in the brain that have been induced by long-term alcohol abuse.

In the study 371 alcoholics were enrolled in a 14-week trial and it was found that heavy drinkers were able to reduce their alcohol intake and increase the number of days. They were completely sober in a matter of 14 weeks during trials of this drug, which is already being used off-label to treat alcoholism.

The results showed they were drinking heavily about 20 percent of the time, down from 80 percent. They were also chalking up 16 or 17 days of sobriety a month, versus three.

Professor Johnson, who is also the chairman of the department of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville said, "This is good news for people in crisis."

"This is a drug that they can get from their family doctor, which means they could potentially be treated in the community, instead of having to leave their jobs and their families to seek treatment in a rehab facility as is often the case," he added,

However, there are a few side effects associated with the drug which include pins-and-needles sensations, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and headaches among other things.

However, the authors said the effects were mild compared to the side effects reported with other treatments for alcoholism such as Naltrexone or Acamprosate.

The new study appeared in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.