Metronidazole in the Treatment of Alcoholism
S. B. PENICK M.D.1,
RUSSELL N. CARRIER M.D.2, , and
JUDITH B. SHELDON R.N.3
1 Director of research, Carrier Clinic Foundation, Belle Mead, N. J. 08502
2 President, the Carrier Clinic
3 Research assistant, Carrier Clinic Foundation, Belle Mead, N. J. 08502
Earlier studies of the effectiveness of metronidazole in treating alcoholism have reported divergent findings. The authors tested the drug vs. placebo in a long-term, double-blind study of 100 alcoholic patients; the drug failed to demonstrate a significant positive effect on abstinence. The only positive finding was a "metronidazole effect"—a decreased desire for and tolerance of alcohol—which was slightly linked with treatment success. The authors suggest that metronidazole may be useful as an adjunct to therapy with patients who develop this effect.
