Topiramate Shows Promise as a Possible Medication for Cocaine Dependence

Recently research done on the drug, topiramate, has revealed that it may be a reliable medication for the treatment of cocaine dependency. The drug is already approved by the FDA and is currently used to treat epilepsy and migraine headaches. At the moment there are no FDA-approved medications for cocaine addiction so the fact that topiramate is already an approved substance is very important.

Cocaine can be a very harmful substance as it can cause damage to the brain, heart, lungs, and vasculature. It is also responsible for more U.S. emergency room visits than any other illegal drug. It has also been found by one researcher that topiramate is a safe and effective treatment for alcohol dependence. This may be a good indication that topiramate could be effective against many types of addictions and not be limited to just alcohol and cocaine.

In a double blind study, it was found that topiramate was effective in increasing the likelihood of a subject not using cocaine each day and increasing the likelihood that subjects would make it through an entire week without using cocaine. Some side effects were observed that included skin sensations, anorexia, and difficulty concentrating. There are some risks with higher doses of the drug including an increased chance of developing glaucoma.

Topiramate causes dual neurotransmitter modulation; it augments the inhibitory action of gamma amino butyric acid and inhibits the excitatory effects of glutamate. The success of topiramate aids in our understanding of how addiction and dependence work at the biological level.

I thought this article was worth sharing because I’ve recently been doing much research on cocaine dependency for my device design project and it has come to my attention how much damage drug addiction can actually do and also how much we still don’t know about the addictive process. These two combined indicate that further research into the area would serve a large purpose in aiding society.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/uomm-nss102513.php