A man walks into a bar
May 9, 2010 8:12 AM Subscribe
A cure for addiction? Dr Olivier Ameisen, former alcoholic, may have found a cure for alcoholism.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Last call! -- cortex
To add further incompetence, I've just flagged for HTML error rather than as a double. Where's my gin?
posted by djgh at 8:25 AM on May 9, 2010
posted by djgh at 8:25 AM on May 9, 2010
Ameisen already suspected that – contrary to Alcoholics Anonymous's belief in a physical condition with a spiritual solution, and the opinion of most therapists and even psychiatrists – the cause of his addiction might be chemical. In fact he pinned his hopes on it. "In the end," he tells me, "I thought: 'I want to commit suicide.' But I did not because I was convinced that the day I died, the next day they would find a cure. As you're being buried, people will think: 'You idiot – you died too early.'"
Now that's depression.
posted by delmoi at 8:25 AM on May 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
Now that's depression.
posted by delmoi at 8:25 AM on May 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
Well, it's new for me. Thanks, although I know it will get deleted.
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:36 AM on May 9, 2010
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:36 AM on May 9, 2010
It worked for him. Alcoholism and most other "addictions" are not monolithic, they have multiple causes and conditions. That is why something that works for one person might not work for another. My gf stopped drinking after she went to AA for a month. She has been sober for a couple of years now. She does not need meetings or baclofen or antabuse or anything other than her will and the conditions which support her sobriety. There is a long tradition in medicine for substituting one drug for another. They used to treat cocaine addiction with morphine. AA people confuse the relative truth "it works for me" with the absolute truth "it is true for everyone".
posted by sensi63 at 8:42 AM on May 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by sensi63 at 8:42 AM on May 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
Fixed it for you.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 8:48 AM on May 9, 2010 [3 favorites]
So, is the grossly oversimplified one sentence explanation of the mechanism that the drug resets the brain's reward center?
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:52 AM on May 9, 2010
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:52 AM on May 9, 2010
no, it's "What baclofen does is stimulate the GABA-B receptors, and you see the release of dopamine and glutamate is slowed, so the reward system is normalised"
The oversimplification is that it dulls everything to the point that getting drunk or thinking about it doesnt really satisfy your broken urges.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:01 AM on May 9, 2010
The oversimplification is that it dulls everything to the point that getting drunk or thinking about it doesnt really satisfy your broken urges.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:01 AM on May 9, 2010
I could see this working.
I take Baclofen daily for spasticity, 15-20 mg a day. Before I started, I used to drink. Not a lot, and I never considered myself an alcoholic, but I'd have a beer once in a while, and that's because I'd crave it. When I started the Baclofen, I had to stop drinking alcohol, because it's contraindicated in the medication. Which was OK, because all cravings stopped. I haven't had a drink in over two years now, and really no desire to imbibe.
However, I was addicted to video games, World of Warcraft in particular. And when the Baclofen started, my gameplay changed. I started playing with more of a purpose, and I no longer really felt the compulsive need to play. So, when guild drama flared up for the nth time, like the other times, I said 'fuck this shit' and walked away from the game, suspending my account. Unlike the other times, however, I've stayed away. And both of these things happened before I read any of this French doctor's research.
Other advantage of Baclofen? It's dirt cheap. My monthly supply is $5. Full price.
posted by spinifex23 at 9:09 AM on May 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
I take Baclofen daily for spasticity, 15-20 mg a day. Before I started, I used to drink. Not a lot, and I never considered myself an alcoholic, but I'd have a beer once in a while, and that's because I'd crave it. When I started the Baclofen, I had to stop drinking alcohol, because it's contraindicated in the medication. Which was OK, because all cravings stopped. I haven't had a drink in over two years now, and really no desire to imbibe.
However, I was addicted to video games, World of Warcraft in particular. And when the Baclofen started, my gameplay changed. I started playing with more of a purpose, and I no longer really felt the compulsive need to play. So, when guild drama flared up for the nth time, like the other times, I said 'fuck this shit' and walked away from the game, suspending my account. Unlike the other times, however, I've stayed away. And both of these things happened before I read any of this French doctor's research.
Other advantage of Baclofen? It's dirt cheap. My monthly supply is $5. Full price.
posted by spinifex23 at 9:09 AM on May 9, 2010 [4 favorites]
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posted by jocelmeow at 8:20 AM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]