Can Prazosin Be Used to Treat Alcohol Dependence?
Prazosin, an alpha-1 adrenergic antagonist, may reduce central nervous system adrenergic activity and disrupt alcohol reinforcement and relapse. To assess the potential of prazosin to treat alcohol dependence, researchers randomized 24 persons with alcohol dependence (mean age, 45 years; 79% male, 83% white) to prazosin (target dose, 4 mg in the morning and evening and 8 mg at bedtime) or placebo. Over the 6-week study period, participants attended 5 medical management sessions* and carried a text pager that reminded them 3 times each day to take medications and once each day to call a telephone system for alcohol self-report. • Among the 24 participants, there was no difference between prazosin and placebo in change from baseline to 6 weeks for drinking days per week and mean drinks per week. • Among the 20 participants who completed the study, those in the prazosin group reported fewer drinking days per week than the placebo group (3.2 days versus 5.6 days) over the last 3 weeks of t
