Medications Prescribed for Alcoholics Help Control Their Drinking Habits: Study

Oral drugs and medications prescribed for alcoholics help curb their drinking habits, according to a study.

Alcohol dependent people are highly vulnerable to a list of health conditions like cancer, liver diseases and brain shrinkage. Despite being aware of long-term damages of drinking too much, many individuals are unable to get over this addictive habit. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found two drugs, acamprosate and oral naltrexone helps bring down the consumption of alcohol.

"There are many studies that have tried to show whether certain medications can help with alcohol use disorders, but it is a lot of information to digest and many providers do not know what works or doesn't work," said Daniel Jonas, study author and professor in the department of medicine and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research in a news release.

"When you synthesize all the evidence, it shows pretty clearly that some medications do work."

Experts studied 122 randomized controlled trials and one cohort study to observe the impact of drugs in regulating drinking behavior. They recorded the frequency of drug use to treat alcoholic patients. About 12 and 20 participants were given acamprosate and naltrexone respectively. In addition, the research also examined the efficacy of other drugs that were not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration including topiramate and nalmefene, which had decent outcomes in controlling drinking habits.

But the study could not help identify which of the two drugs were more effective. Participants who took naltrexone experienced a major reduction in their drinking tendencies but this drug was not tested among heavy drinkers. However, the authors urge doctors and health experts to recommend these medications and raise awareness about treatment of alcohol abuse to curb the incidence of alcohol related illnesses and accidents. These medications do not have any side effects or make patients ill unlike the traditional medicines given to alcoholics.

"The health implications of preventing return to drinking and reducing alcohol consumption are substantial. Modeling studies have shown that such improvements would result in significant reductions in alcohol-attributable mortality, costs from health care, arrests and motor vehicle accidents," said Jonas.

More information is available online in JAMA.