By Janice Wood Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 27, 2013
A new study reveals that topiramate, a drug approved to treat epilepsy and migraine headaches, also could help treat cocaine dependence.
The study is one of the first to establish a pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction, for which there are currently no FDA-approved medications, according to Dr. Bankole A. Johnson, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who led the research.
Johnson previously found that Topamax (topiramate) was a safe and effective treatment for alcohol dependence.
According to the researcher, there are between 13.2 million and 19.7 million cocaine addicts worldwide. Cocaine is responsible for more emergency room visits in the United States than any other illegal drug, he noted. The drug harms the brain, heart, blood vessels, and lungs and can cause sudden death, he added.
The new study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, was conducted while Johnson was with the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia.
The study enrolled 142 people, over the age of 18, who were seeking treatment for cocaine dependence. The participants were randomly assigned to a topiramate group or placebo group. In the double-blinded study, neither the participants nor the healthcare professionals administering the treatment knew who was in which group.
The researchers found that topiramate was more effective than the placebo at increasing the number of days during a week that participants did not use cocaine. It also increased the likelihood that participants would have cocaine-free weeks, the researchers noted.
Topiramate also was significantly associated with a decrease in cravings for cocaine, as well as an improvement in participants global functioning, the researchers reported.
The researchers added that they observed few side effects due to the drug treatment. Side effects reported by the participants in the topiramate group included abnormal tingling skin sensations, taste distortions, anorexia and difficulty concentrating, they noted.
Link:
Anti-Epileptic Drug Topamax Could Treat Cocaine Addiction