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Rehab in a Pill?
15-Apr-2009
Written by: Laura Anderson
Naltrexone could be the answer to every suffering alcoholic’s prayers.
There is a new medication on the market that may ““turn rehab on its head,” according to CNN.
Contemporary studies are proving that addiction is more of a brain disease than anything else. Thus, the administration of drugs like naltrexone is now supplementing the fight against alcoholism for many recovering alcoholics.
Walter Kent is just one case study for the new miracle drug. He told CNN about his experience as an alcoholic.
“It’s like a little kid wanting a piece of candy. You see it, you want the taste of it. You can be by yourself, and all of a sudden get even a hint of alcohol, just the smell of it, and say, ‘Oh, I need a drink.’ That sensation is not something you can get rid of,” said Kent.
Federally funded, the COMBINE study found that patients receiving both cognitive-behavioral therapy supplemented with naltrexone, were more likely to stay abstinent than with just therapy alone.
Similarly, the drug, topiramate (Topamax), which is used to treat epilepsy and migraines, is now found to reduce by 25 percent more than just having therapy, the number of days on which alcoholics drink heavily.
Both naltrexone and topiramate block the release of brain chemicals linked to pleasure and excitement. Neither is addictive nor carry any side effects.
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