"Despite the proposal that smoking cessation can trigger alcohol relapse among the dually dependent, contemporary studies show that smoking cessation treatment does not cause abstinent alcoholics to relapse and could reduce moderate to heavy drinking among those still consuming alcohol," write Bankole A. Johnson, DSc, MD, PhD, from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and colleagues. "Previously, our group has shown that topiramate, a sulfamate-substituted fructopyranose derivative, is an effective treatment for alcohol dependence. Herein, we extend that proof-of-concept study by determining whether cigarette-smoking, alcohol-dependent individuals from the earlier study also experienced improved smoking outcomes."
This subgroup analysis was part of a larger, double-blind, 12-week study comparing topiramate and placebo as treatment for alcohol dependence.
Compared with patients receiving placebo, those receiving topiramate were at least four times more likely to abstain from smoking.
Full article available at medscape dot com. I tried a link but the site requires a login so it didn't work ... anyway
All this ... And it makes you lose weight too. Side effects be danged - this is starting to sound like a miracle pill!
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