Ondansetron Combined with Naltrexone Reduces Alcoholic Impulsive Drinking

Animal studies and a single small pilot trial in humans have shown that naltrexone and ondansetron -- 2 medications that individually have been reported to decrease alcoholic drinking -- may act synergistically to reduce drinking. To replicate this therapeutic effect and to determine whether it is related to an effect on craving, researchers in this small, eight-week, double-blind trial compared the efficacy of this combination with that of placebo in 20 early-onset alcoholics.

Craving was measured using a four-factor obsessive-compulsive drinking scale. The drug combination was significantly superior to placebo in reducing consumption and the automaticity of drinking (a measure of uncontrolled drinking). The combination did not affect drink…