New studies show that migraine pills seem to help alcoholics
taper off their drinking, without detox treatment. This is another option for
alcoholics who need treatment. This is likely to appeal to heavy drinker who
would rather seek help from their own doctors rather than entering a rehab
clinic. The drug costs $350 a month. But the side effects are a problem, and it’s
not clear whether this will help an addiction that affects millions of Americans.

An addiction specialist said the findings are promising. But
the side effects include trouble concentrating, tingling, drowsiness,
dizziness, and itching. The study followed 371 heavy drinkers for 14 weeks. About
half of them were randomly assigned to take Topamax, also called Topiramate in
gradually increasing doses. The others took dummy pills. All of the volunteers
were encouraged but not required to stop drinking.

At the start of the study they drank on average 11 drinks
daily. That’s about 2 six packs of beer each day or two bottles of wine, or one
pint of hard liquor. But by the end of the study 27 of the 183 people or 15% who
took Topamax had quit drinking entirely for more than seven weeks. Other cut
back to about six drinks a day. The placebo group, 3% stopped drinking and some
decreased to 7 drinks a day.


The study didn’t follow the drinker’s long term so we don’t know how many of
them relapsed after they stopped taking the pill. But one of them claims that
he has been sober for 2 years after taking Topamax. He said he felt a little
lightheaded at first until he got used to the drug. Alcohol lost its enjoyment
which strengthened his resolve to quit.

They have very catchy names such as Til, Rockstar 21, and
Sparks. They contain many of the same ingredients as ordinary energy drinks but
these drinks are laced with alcohol. And teenagers are drinking them down while
parents and teachers can’t tell. But now the San Diego County Alcohol Policy
Panel whose mission is to tackle underage drinking is sounding off the alarm
about energy drinks and their appeal to teenagers.

The group is made up of law enforcement officials, educators
and health professionals. Caffeine masks the impact of alcohol so you feel less
intoxicated. And it is a big concern for young drinkers because they are not
experienced with alcohol and this will increase their likelihood to engage in
risky behaviors.

Nonalcoholic and alcoholic energy drinks come in cans with
colorful graphics and usually contain herbal ingredients such as gineng,
guarana and taurine. But the ones with alcohol have labels containing the
amount. The federal alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau wants to protest
how beverage companies sell their drinks. They want the manufacturers to
capitalize on the popularity of energy drinks among young people to market
alcoholic versions.

One out of three people who are 12-17 years old report
drinking energy drinks daily. And most parents and teachers are unaware that
alcoholic energy drinks exist. A member of the team spoke to a school and said
that the reaction was amazement. Teachers checked the campus to see how popular
the drinks were and found that 12 out of 43 students with energy drinks were
drinking alcohol.

But beverage companies say their caffeinated alcohol products
are aimed at people of legal drinking age. Aside from the promise of delivering
a “jolt”, alcoholic energy drinks appeal to teens because of their price. They
are as cheap as 2 for $3, when non alcoholic versions cost more than $2 each. So
obviously if the ones without alcohol are more expensive why not buy one with??

leighdu said: Is this a fad or something that actually works? I am hearing over and over from people that have cut all starches and refined sugar out of their diet, and I do see some dramatic results in weight loss. However, I wonder if this is healthy in the long run ?