Addiction and drugs

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Ondansetron a drug used to prevent nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients might, according to US researchers, lead to a new way to treat alcoholism [1].

Ondansetron a drug used to prevent nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients might, according to US researchers, lead to a new way to treat alcoholism [1].

Disulfiram has been the most commonly prescribed drug for alcoholism, first introduced in 1948, it works by inducing vomiting when a patient drinks alcohol. Other medications work by blocking dopamine release and so inhibiting the pleasurable sensations induced by alcohol. Ondansetron, on the other hand, works by influencing serotonin and can be given even when patients are not sober and so help them break out of the drinking cycle.

Reference:
1. Journal of the American Medical Association^*

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