Popping a pill may actually be the latest and most effective weapon against addiction.
Dr. Bankole Johnson, the newly recruited chair of the University's department of psychiatric medicine, soon will begin a second clinical trial studying the effects of the drug topiramate, currently used to treat epilepsy, at a University alcohol treatment center set to open early next year.
An initial clinical trial conducted by Johnson at the University of Texas Health Science Center indicated that topiramate can actually help alcoholics quit drinking.
"It just so happens that the medication developed for epilepsy has the same chemical properties that you need to combat the effects of alcohol on the brain," Johnson said. "Both epilepsy and alcohol cause similar types of damage in the brain. This drug helps to restore the natural balance of chemicals."
There are already drugs available for prescription by addiction specialists, but topiramate could be more effective than any other addiction treatment already on the market.
"It can be used by family practitioners very regularly," Johnson said. "Other treatments are in the hands of addiction specialists."
The ability for family practitioners to administer topiramate to patients would make addiction treatment much more accessible. Addiction specialists only see 10 percent of alcoholics, while 90 percent are seen by family practitioners, Johnson said.
Topiramate is also exceptional in treating addiction because it can be given to alcoholics who have not quit drinking; drugs currently available require a period of detox before treatment can begin.
"Other drugs prevent alcoholics from relapsing," Johnson said. "This drug can stop somebody from drinking and prevent further relapse."
However, there is some concern that new addiction drugs cannot be substituted alone for other, more comprehensive forms of treatment.
"I think that this drug is a great new thing to look at as an adjunct but not a replacement for behavioral programs," said Phoebe Fliokas, a substance abuse counselor with First Step Intensive for Chemical Dependence in Charlottesville. "There is no substitute for ongoing treatment -- not necessarily therapy, but something like a 12-step program that helps a person replace addictive behaviors with healthier ways of being."
Regardless of the impact Johnson's research will have on the future of treatment, it will bring much needed attention to the issue of addiction, Fliokas said.
"This might open up dialogue about addiction and bring it to the forefront of peoples' awareness," Fliokas said. "It is hard to be an addict and there is misunderstanding about addiction in the medical community. Addicts are good, strong, smart people."
The FDA has approved topiramate as a treatment for epilepsy and will soon approve it as a treatment for migraines.
If the second clinical trial testing its effectiveness as a treatment for addiction replicates the successful results of the first, it could be available for use by family practitioners in a few years' time, Johnson said.
However, further study is needed to determine how long a patient would need to take the drug in order to quit drinking and eliminate the possibility of relapse.
Patients may require topiramate treatment for three to six months or longer, Johnson said.
Until topiramate is registered with pharmaceutical companies and approved to treat alcoholism, it will be available to Charlottesville residents who respond to advertisements seeking participants for Johnson's trial. Johnson will conduct the trial treatment at the University's future alcohol treatment center.
Read More
Two measles cases confirmed in Charlottesville this spring
By Nicolas Biernacki | 7 hours agoVirginia’s first case was confirmed in April, with the patient being a child under the age of 5 and from the Northern part of the state.
Summer construction on Grounds disrupts traffic, foot pathways
By Ford McCracken | 14 hours agoOne of the two largest disruptions to traffic is at the three-way intersection of McCormick Road, Rugby Road and University Avenue.
What is U.Va.’s Faculty Senate?
By Adeline Miller | 4 days agoThe Senate is able to represent the faculty perspective to legislative bodies through positions such as the faculty representative to the Board of Visitors.
