Two-Drug Combo Shows Promise In Fighting Severe Alcoholism
French researchers have discovered a potential treatment avenue for severe alcoholism by combining an allergy medication with a blood pressure medication, according to a recent report.
The medications involved are the antihistamine cyproheptadine and prazosin, which is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and urinary urgency. Led by Henri-Jean Aubin from the Université Paris-Saclay in Villejuif, the research team theorized that this drug combination could be effective against alcohol use disorder due to cyproheptadine’s impact on brain cell receptors associated with impulsive behaviors and prazosin’s targeting of receptors linked to cravings.
Aubin emphasized the need for additional treatment options for alcohol use disorder, given the limited effectiveness of current medications. The study, published in the journal Addiction, involved 154 adults diagnosed with severe alcoholism, defined as consuming at least 60 grams of alcohol per day for men or 40 grams per day for women.
Participants were divided into three groups: one receiving placebo pills, another receiving a “high dose” combination of prazosin and cyproheptadine, and a third receiving a “low dose” combination of the two drugs. All groups received support and guidance on adhering to the drug therapy and reducing alcohol intake.
The primary goal of the study was to reduce alcohol intake rather than achieve complete abstinence. Participants taking the combination of prazosin and cyproheptadine experienced a decrease in daily alcohol consumption compared to those on placebo, with a more significant reduction observed in those receiving higher doses of the medication.
For instance, individuals on the low-dose regimen saw an average reduction of 18.4 grams of alcohol per day, while those on the high dose experienced an average reduction of 23.6 grams. The effectiveness of the regimen was particularly notable among participants with severe alcohol use disorder who consumed more than 100 grams of alcohol per day for men or 60 grams per day for women, where the high-dose combination resulted in a reduction of nearly 30 grams of alcohol intake daily.
The researchers noted that the medication combination was generally well tolerated, with minimal side effects reported. They concluded that the promising results warrant further investigation through phase 3 clinical trials.
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