Author(s): Joao Maria Corrêa Filho and Danilo Antonio Baltieri
Background: Alcohol and nicotine act synergistically so that individuals dependent on alcohol have higher rates of nicotine dependence, and smokers tend to consume more ethanol than non-smoking alcohol users. A type of pharmacological therapy which deals with both conditions simultaneously can be extremely welcome. This study aims to evaluate if ondansetron influences the number of cigarettes smoked and the quantity of ethanol consumed among alcoholic smokers who completed the treatment.
Method: This research primarily evaluated the efficacy and safety of ondansetron at a 16 mg/day dosage to treat alcohol- and nicotine-dependent outpatients. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week study was carried out at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. The total sample comprised 65 men, 18-60 years of age, with International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnoses of alcohol and nicotine dependencies.
Results: Thirty-eight subjects (58.5%) completed this study. Ondansetron at a 16 mg/day dosage was no more effective than placebo in decreasing the mean number of cigarettes smoked and increasing the proportion of alcohol abstinence throughout this study among alcoholic smokers who completed the treatment.
Conclusions: Our study is in line with other trials that did not prove efficacy of ondansetron for smoking cessation.
