Nausea drug may aid alcoholism treatment

A drug that lowers the activity of serotonin and other chemical messengers in the brain may boost the effectiveness of psychological treatments for a severe form of alcoholism, at least over a short time period, a new study finds.

Ondansetron, a medication currently prescribed to quell nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients, helps to reduce drinking and foster abstinence among adults who developed alcoholism before age 25, report psychiatrist Bankole A.