Migraine Drug Helps Alcoholics
A
study has found that Topamax, a migraine pill, is helpful for
alcoholics trying to quit drinking.
The Journal of the American Medical Association said Topamax
worked in a different way than three other medications approved
for treating alcoholism.
The study revealed that Topamax helped to stop drinking without
further treatment.
The Survey
Researchers studied 371 heavy drinkers between the ages of 18
and 65 in 17 U.S. cities for fourteen weeks and randomly
administered Topamax on half of them, gradually increasing doses
while the others took dummy pills.
Dr. Bankole Johnson, the Nigerian lead researcher of the study
from the University of Virginia said that the individuals were
treated at a point of their heaviest drinks.
At the start of the study, they drank an average of 11 standard
drinks daily, but were ''encouraged'' to stop drinking.
Results
At the end of the study, 27 of the 183 people or 15 per cent,
who took Topamax had quit drinking entirely for seven weeks
while six out of 188 or three per cent reduce their intake.
The Topamax group cut back to six drinks a day, on average,
assuming everyone who dropped out of the study relapsed into
heavy drinking.
“You can come in drinking a bottle of scotch a day and get
treatment without detox,” Dr. Johnson said.
According to him, “the drug appeared to be safe and effective
for the treatment of alcoholism.”
A future study of the drug would test its use in community
health care settings.
Side effects
He said drinkers using the drug reported some side effects like
fatigue, headaches difficulty in concentration and
pins-and-needles sensations among others.
It is however, unclear if the findings will make any difference
in an addiction that affects millions of Americans.
NAN/YINKA
