Combination Treatments Help Alcoholics Stay Sober

Surprisingly, study found newly approved drug had little effect

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

Related Encyclopedia • Autism • Bipolar Disorder • Death and Grieving • Dementia More... Related Healthscout Videos Viagra For Your Heart? New Help For Alcoholics Bondage of Booze ADHD Patch More... Related Drug Information • Adderal XR • Concerta • Effexor XR • Paxil More... Related News Articles • Despite Dentists' Urging, Many Don't Take Proper Care of Teeth • Depression May Be Early Sign of Parkinson's Disease • More Women Developing MS • Study Probes Parkinson Drugs' Effect on Motivation More...

TUESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that combining medical management with the drug naltrexone, using specialized alcohol therapy, or even trying both strategies at once helps alcoholics stay abstinent about 80 percent of the time.

Surprisingly, the study found the medication acamprosate, which has been used in Europe and was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcoholism, wasn't effective. At least one expert from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) contends that acamprosate has been shown effective in other studies, and it's likely that it works for some, but not all, people.

Text Continues Below

---

"The number one finding is one of optimism. With treatment, people got better. The average across the group went from 12 drinks a day to under two drinks a day," said Dr. Mark Willenbring, director of the NIAAA's Division of Treatment and Recovery Research, said at a press conference Monday. And, he added that many people in the study completely abstained from alcohol.

"If you have a problem, or know someone with a problem, treatment works. Some treatments work better than others, and now we have more choice. People can go to their family doctor [for treatment]," he said.

Results of the study appear in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

It's estimated that about 8 million Americans are dependent on alcohol, according to the study. According to Willenbring, only about one-quarter of alcoholics ever try to quit drinking. "This is a serious disorder that is not getting adequately treated," he said.

The current study included nearly 1,400 people who were diagnosed as alcohol-dependent and had already stopped drinking for between four and 21 days.

The study participants were randomized into one of nine treatment groups: medical management and placebo; medical management and acamprosate; medical management and naltrexone; medical management and acamprosate and naltrexone; medical management, specialized therapy and placebo; medical management, specialized therapy and acamprosate; medical management, specialized therapy and naltrexone; medical management; specialized therapy and naltrexone and acamprosate; or specialized therapy alone.

Page:  1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>