Health & Medicine
Seizure Disorder Drug Gabapentin Could be Effective in Treating Alcohol Dependence
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Nov 05, 2013 12:41 PM EST
Gabapentin, a drug that's currently designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat epilepsy and certain types of pain, may also be effective for treating certain types of alcohol dependence, according to researchers.
When looking at a small clinical trial, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) conducted a double blind study with 160 patients. The health professionals were not aware which drugs they were giving to the patients, who were all randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group received a 900mg dose of the drug, the second group was given a 1,800 mg dose and the last group had the placebo. All of the patients received care for 12 weeks.
When the researchers compared the group who took the 1,800mg dose to those taking the placebo, they found that 45 percent and 23 percent respectively refrained from heavy drinking, while 17 percent of the high dose drug group was successfully in comparison to the four percent from the place group.
"Gabapentin's effect on drinking outcomes is at least as large or greater than those of existing FDA-approved treatments," Barbara J. Mason, Pearson Family Professor and co-director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at TSRI said, via a press release, who led the new research. "Plus it's the only medication shown to improve sleep and mood in people who are quitting or reducing their drinking, and it's already widely used in primary care-that's an appealing combination."
The researchers also found that none of the patients reported any side effects while taking the drug, which also reduced the total number of drinks consumed and cravings for alcohol intake they experienced.
Lastly, the drug also helped with depression and sleepiness.
At this time, the FDA-approved treatments for alcohol dependence include disulfiram, also sold as Antabuse and naltrexone, sold as ReVia and Vivitrol. However, as these therapies do not treat anxiety and depression, Gabapentin may be a new treatment option for the future.
More information regarding the study can be found via the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
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First Posted: Nov 05, 2013 12:41 PM EST
Gabapentin, a drug that's currently designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat epilepsy and certain types of pain, may also be effective for treating certain types of alcohol dependence, according to researchers.
When looking at a small clinical trial, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) conducted a double blind study with 160 patients. The health professionals were not aware which drugs they were giving to the patients, who were all randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group received a 900mg dose of the drug, the second group was given a 1,800 mg dose and the last group had the placebo. All of the patients received care for 12 weeks.
When the researchers compared the group who took the 1,800mg dose to those taking the placebo, they found that 45 percent and 23 percent respectively refrained from heavy drinking, while 17 percent of the high dose drug group was successfully in comparison to the four percent from the place group.
"Gabapentin's effect on drinking outcomes is at least as large or greater than those of existing FDA-approved treatments," Barbara J. Mason, Pearson Family Professor and co-director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at TSRI said, via a press release, who led the new research. "Plus it's the only medication shown to improve sleep and mood in people who are quitting or reducing their drinking, and it's already widely used in primary care-that's an appealing combination."
The researchers also found that none of the patients reported any side effects while taking the drug, which also reduced the total number of drinks consumed and cravings for alcohol intake they experienced.
Lastly, the drug also helped with depression and sleepiness.
At this time, the FDA-approved treatments for alcohol dependence include disulfiram, also sold as Antabuse and naltrexone, sold as ReVia and Vivitrol. However, as these therapies do not treat anxiety and depression, Gabapentin may be a new treatment option for the future.
More information regarding the study can be found via the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone