1Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Bathinda, Punjab
2Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Bathinda, Punjab
3Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Bathinda, Punjab
4Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Bathinda, Punjab
Online Published on 17 September, 2022.
Several medications can be used to treat alcohol dependence, leading to reduced heavy drinking and increased days of abstinence. Baclofen and topiramate are GABAergic drugs, and both have been used for the treatment of alcohol dependence. The main aim of the current study was to assess the efficacy of baclofen and topiramate alone and in combination as anticraving agents in alcohol dependence over a period of 6 months.
In this study a total of 90 patients were randomly assigned to either baclofen (n=30), topiramate (n=30) or both drugs (n=30). Patients were assessed for amount of alcohol consumption, abstinence and reduction in craving (using OCDS, obsessive compulsive drinking scale) at baseline, 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks.
A marked improvement was observed with baclofen and with combination of baclofen and topiramate, in reducing the quantity of alcohol consumption during each assessment, as compared to topiramate. With baclofen and topiramate combination 93.3% patients became complete abstinent at 24 weeks, as compared to 70.3 % with baclofen and 16.6 % with topiramate. A significant reduction in obsession and compulsion score was observed at 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks as compared to baseline with the use of baclofen alone or combination of drugs.
Baclofen alone and in combination with topiramate has better efficacy and anticraving effects as compared to topiramate.
Alcohol Dependence, Baclofen, Topiramate, Abstinence, OCDS
