A Pill To Treat Alcoholism?
December 10, 2005 by admin
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
According to NPR, a drug called Topamax may be effective helping alcoholics stop drinking. An anticonvulsant not approved for treatment of alcoholism, Topamax seems to reduce the desire or craving to drink.
I never know what to make of this type of news. The radio article did point out that Tomamax doesn’t do anything to address the emotional and psychological aspects of alcoholism, and I’m sure it doesn’t do anything spiritually either. What it may do, they pointed out, is allow someone to stop drinking long enough for other therapies, including AA, to work.
My fear, of course, is that people using a drug to reduce or eliminate the craving will not do the emotional, psychological and spiritual work the 12 Steps provide to really let go of the alcohol and learn to live life to its fullest.
As it says at the end of Appendix II in the Big Book (3rd and 4th Editions) “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”—Herbert Spencer
With love, blessings and gratitude,
I find your article to be quite fascinating. Topamax has been used, for a long time, as a preventive for migraines. Personally, having tried topamax for a short time a couple years ago, I can’t imagine craving much of anything on this drug. As you say, it’s an anti-convulsant and as such slows down your brain. I remember feeling more like a vegetable than a person on this drug. It’s a good drug, don’t get me wrong. Alot of people find success using Topamax for migraine prevention. I hated it, though. It was hard to follow conversations and I can’t imagine that taking it would facilitate a person who needs to look deep within themselves to learn and to change and grow, because I found it very hard to think or concentrate on this bloody drug. And, I know I’m not the only one from conversations that I’ve had with fellow migraneurs. It’s hard to believe that they couldn’t come up with a better drug for this like, say, imipramine or another tricyclic. I think those would be more appropriate and conducive to the kind of inner work one must do when overcoming an addiction. Hmmm. It definately makes one pause, doesn’t it?
I wish something would come out that had an all around benefit for alcoholics. My kids would benefit from their father using it, that’s for sure.
Many alcoholics just don’t realize the impact their addiction has on so many around them.
It would be nice to be able to take a pill and make it all better!
Jessica, you know much more about these drugs than I do…
Gayla… holding you and your family in good thoughts.
Hi Anne,
Thanks for a good topic.
I believe the answer, for me, on this topic, is on page 45.
And I pray I’ll never forget the old-timer who, early in my sobriety, talked about when they came up with “the pill” the first thing his mind thought was – it would be something to “celebrate” and I knew exactly where he was coming from…
ODAT,
M
The first time I heard a pill discussed at a meeting I was suddenly full of fear… took awhile to realize I was afraid a pill would mean I’d give up the spiritual path…
If Topamax allows an alcoholic to stop drinking long enough for other form of treatment such as AA to work, then this is another useful addition to the ways in which alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency can be treated.
DenMan7
http://www.About-Alcohol-Addiction.com
In your post, you expressed fear that “people using a drug to reduce or eliminate the craving will not do the emotional, psychological and spiritual work the 12 Steps provide to really let go of the alcohol and learn to live life to its fullest.” This reminds me of a conversation I had with a person who was addicted to oxycontin. He said that the main reason he now has for staying off this drug is the difficult time he had getting through the withdrawal symptoms. As he said, “if getting over the withdrawal symptoms wasn’t the hardest thing I have ever done, I’d be back on the stuff.”
Similar to the person described above who was addicted to oxycontin, your post made me think that some people who are addicted to alcohol may begin to drink even more heavily and more frequently because they know that Topamax will always be there to help reduce the craving for alcohol.
This is just another illustration that some things, in spite of the fact that they were developed for healthy and positive reasons, can be used and abused for negative reasons.