Epilepsy Drugs Could Treat Alcoholism

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A University of Virginia treatment center is studying how drugs designed to treat epilepsy and nausea can best be used to combat alcoholism.

In addition to the medicine, participants in the three-month study at the Center for Addiction Research and Education will receive about $20 a week, psychotherapy and transportation to and from the clinic.

"The cost of this treatment if you were to get it from a private clinic would be more than $20,000," said Dr. Bankole Johnson, chairman of the university's Department of Psychiatric Medicine.

In the study, researchers will administer two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat epilepsy and nausea. The medications also have been shown to help entrenched alcoholics stop drinking.

Johnson conducted a 12-week trial with 150 alcoholics that found people who took the epilepsy drug, topiramate, were six times more likely to stop drinking for a month than were people taking a placebo.

He led another five-year study involving 320 alcoholics who took the nausea drug ondansetron. Seventy-five percent of participants were able to stop or substantially limit their drinking.

"These drugs take away the cravings and the buzz," Johnson said. "They reduce the temptation quality of the drug or alcohol. It doesn't require extraordinary amounts of willpower to get well."

The new research, which will study 360 alcoholics over four years, will work like this: Twenty-five percent of participants will receive topiramate, 25 percent will receive ondansetron, 25 percent will receive both and 25 percent will receive a placebo.

"This will help us to determine which regimen is most effective," said Dr. Nassima Ait-Daoud, the centers clinical director.

Participants in the three-month study will visit the clinic once a week to receive 1 1/2 hours of psychotherapy and a 30-minute medical evaluation. The study is being funded by a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Topiramate and ondansetron work by affecting dopamine, a brain chemical that produces pleasurable feelings. The drugs reduce the amount of dopamine that is released when people drink, which in turn reduces the feelings of pleasure caused by drinking.

"The drugs block dopamine release at different receptors in the brain," Ait-Daoud said. "We are looking to see if the results will be even more powerful by combining the two drugs."

Long-term studies in epileptic patients show no serious problems related to topiramate. But there are mild side effects, including dizziness and skin-tingling. Side effects from ondansetron can include constipation, headache, lightheadedness and drowsiness.

Johnson said participants in the topiramate study reported reduced food and cigarette cravings. In two weeks, the center will begin another clinical trial to see if the drug can treat cocaine addiction.

Information from: The Daily Progress

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