Adult ADHD
Visual Abstract
Atomoxetine treatment of adults with ADHD and comorbid alcohol use disorders
Timothy E Wilens, Lenard A Adler, Margaret D Weiss, David Michelson, Janet L Ramsey, Rodney J Moore, Didier Renard, Kathleen T Brady, Paula T Trzepacz, Leslie M Schuh, Lisa M Ahrbecker, Louise R Levine, Atomoxetine ADHD/SUD Study Group
Summarized by:
December 9, 2022
study source
Drug Alcohol Depend.
2008
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ADHD often occurs with alcohol use disorder.
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This study aimed to test whether Strattera could safely treat ADHD in heavy drinkers.
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While Strattera showed benefits for ADHD, the effect on alcohol use disorder remains mixed at best.
Objective
Studies have shown that those with ADHD are more likely to drink heavily and develop drinking disorders.
This study aimed to see whether atomoxetine (Strattera) could improve ADHD symptoms and help reduce drinking in heavy drinkers.
Study Quote
Objective: Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have higher rates of alcohol and drug use disorders than adults without ADHD. The study aim was to determine if atomoxetine was superior to placebo in improving ADHD and alcohol use in recently abstinent adults with A...
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Methods
This study recruited 147 individuals with ADHD and alcohol abuse or dependence.
They were asked to abstain from drinking for at least four days before entering the study.
They were given either atomoxetine (Strattera) or a placebo control. The participants did not know which drug they were getting.
Study Quote
Methods: Adults with DSM-IV diagnoses of ADHD and alcohol abuse and/or dependence were abstinent from alcohol at least 4 days (maximum 30 days) before study randomization. Participants received atomoxetine (25-100mg daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. ADHD symptoms were assessed using ADHD I...
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Results
As expected, those who received atomoxetine had a greater improvement in their ADHD symptoms than those in the control group.
Atomoxetine in individuals with ADHD and alcohol use disorder showed benefits for ADHD symptoms.
However, individuals in the treatment group did not show any benefit in terms of the number of days they remained sober. They started drinking again just as quickly as those in the control group.
No significant differences between treatment groups occurred in time-to-relapse of heavy drinking (P=.93)
Those in the treatment group did have significantly fewer heavy drinking days, which provides some evidence that atomoxetine may help with alcohol use disorder.
But, since this was not a primary outcome, this will need more study before we know for sure.
Atomoxetine may help reduce heavy drinking days.
There were no serious drug-related side effects or interactions between atomoxetine and alcohol.
Study Quote
Results: Subjects received atomoxetine (n=72) or placebo (n=75) and 80 subjects completed the 12-week double-blind period (n=32 and 48, respectively). ADHD symptoms were significantly improved in the atomoxetine cohort compared to placebo (AISRS total score mean [S.D.], atomoxetine: -13....
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Conclusions
This study showed that atomoxetine could help those with alcohol use disorder and ADHD. The study confirmed that atomoxetine is a relatively safe ADHD treatment for those with alcohol use disorder.
However, the benefits of atomoxetine for alcohol use disorder were inconsistent. The researchers were looking to improve sobriety time but did not see any difference. The difference in heavy drinking days offers some hope, but this will need more study before we know for sure.
Study Quote
This 3-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of atomoxetine in adults with ADHD and comorbid alcohol use disorder demonstrates clinically significant ADHD improvement, and inconsistent effects on drinking behavior.