Accidental Help for Alcoholics

Because his wife had a common vaginal disorder, a Los Angeles man accidentally found noticeable relief from his alcoholism.

This curious medical coincidence was noted by Endocrinologist Dr. Jo Ann Taylor, who had prescribed metronidazole (trade name Flagyl) for a woman suffering from trichomonas vaginalis. The infection causes an unpleasant itching or burning of the vaginal canal, and because it can be contracted and retransmitted through sexual intercourse, Dr. Taylor put her patient's husband on Flagyl too. And that was how she discovered the drug may be far more than a potent trichamonacide.

After a few days, the husband reported in surprise that he had experienced a dramatic loss of desire for alcohol. Fascinated by the unexpected side effect, Dr. Taylor asked about the reactions of 53 other patients who drank. Most reported similar results. Not only did desire for alcohol decrease, but metronidazole also lowered alcoholic tolerance, sometimes caused outright aversion and induced a feeling of well-being for those cutting down or going on the wagon altogether.

With Dr. A. W. Pearson, Medical Director of the Alcoholic Rehabilitation Clinic, Dr. Taylor is currently observing 150 alcoholics under treatment, and so far has found similar results. In New York, Dr. J. Martin Semer, who is making a parallel study, reports with enthusiasm: "This is the first indication that a chemical can do anything more than make a patient sick when he drinks." Metronidazole, for still unclear reasons, mounts a two-pronged attack, working on both the mind and the body. Like Antabuse, it can leave a drinker violently nauseated, but before that happens it cuts down on alcohol desire and helps to make a sober life more palatable.

G.D. Searle & Co., which markets the drug in the U.S., plans further investigation to check on possibly dangerous side effects in drinkers. For one thing, Flagyl can be rough on the severely damaged livers that are found in many alcoholics. But even if it is approved, Dr. Taylor says, it is still no cureall. A few of her patients, unable to tolerate both, have given up the drug for grog.

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