New Alcohol Addiction Treatment May Reduce Alcohol Cravings And Lessen Stress
Scientists may have found an alcohol abuse treatment that may help people who are struggling
with alcoholism, particularly those who have some signs of anxiety or depression. A recent study revealed that participants who took the experimental drug had fewer days of heavy drinking.
It also revealed that the experimental drug hinders the hormone responsible for negative emotions such as anxiety. The alcohol addiction treatment is the latest study that may help people battling with alcohol use disorder.
The Study had 144 participants who reported having an alcohol use disorder or (AUD). They were divided into two groups where the one group received a compound called ABT-436 for 12 weeks while the other group received a placebo.
The findings revealed that those who received the ABT-436 had alcohol abstinence for many days
compared to people who received placebo. The result is more relevant among people who were highly
stressed. The result is also the same for those who received ABT-436 who are smokers as they also cut
back on smoking.
Researchers believe that ABT-436 could help more than one type of addiction. Co-author Dr. George
Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) said that his team is
pursuing to find an alcohol addiction treatment that will treat all individuals with alcoholism.
At present, not all people respond to the medications available in the market. There are four medications that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat alcoholism, including Disulfiram (Antabuse), Naltrexone (Vivitrol and Revia), Acamprosate (Campral) and Topiramate (Topamax).
Aside from the medications, different therapies, support groups, and alternative therapies are also found useful for treating substance dependence. Some work best when combined with other treatments.
Although medications don’t work for everyone, people who had alcohol addiction treatment reported
abstinence after a year. Others have successfully skipped the relapse and achieved a permanent sobriety.
Koob and his team are trying their best to find a medication that can treat all people battling with alcohol addiction. ABT-436 acts on the vasopressin, the hormone that regulates one’s emotions. It is also effective in regulating anxiety, stress and their interaction with AUD.
It is believed that vasopressin increases stress more during alcohol withdrawal, thus, people tend to go
back to their alcohol addiction. It is how the scientists have come up with the idea of hindering
vasopressin in order to lessen the stress among people suffering from AUD.
The alcohol addiction treatment under study has side effects such as nausea and diarrhea. Some people reported only mild side effects. ABT-436 is an experimental drug made by the pharmaceutical company AbbVie, Inc.
