Chantix May Be Used to Fight Alcohol Addiction: Study

A new study suggests that the smoking cessation drug Chantix may also find use as a drug to help fight alcohol addiction.  However, some critics of the controversial drug are concerned that pushing to expand uses may expose more people to a potential increased risk of suicide and other psychological side effects of Chantix.

The study was conducted by researchers at Yale University, and found that people who reported smoking less after taking Chantix also reported drinking less as well. The findings were published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The research was small, consisting of only 15 men and women who were light smokers and heavy social drinkers, but not considered addicted. They found that taking Chantix increased the negative sensations of drinking alcohol, including nausea and dysphoria and reduced how much the subjects enjoyed drinking. It also appeared to reduce alcohol-induced eye-tracking impairments.

Chantix (varenicline) was approved in the United States by the FDA in 2006 as a prescription medication to help people quit smoking. The drug works by reducing the positive feelings that come from cigarettes, blocking the receptors in the brain commonly stimulated by nicotine.

Although the drug maker had high hopes that Chantix would become a blockbuster medication in the United States to help people quit smoking, sales have been impacted by concerns that the drug’s impact on the brain may cause sudden, unusually aggressive behavior, thoughts of self-harm and suicide.

The prescription medication already holds the dubious title of being the drug associated with the most FDA adverse event reports of any prescription medication in the United States, including powerful painkillers and other drugs used to treat more serious conditions. More patients and doctors call or write the agency to complain about Chantix health problems than any other drug currently on the market by a wide margin.

A number of Chantix lawsuits have been filed in courts throughout the United States on behalf of individuals who have died or suffered serious injuries as a result of a suicide or unusual behavior allegedly caused by Chantix.