Conditions: Alcoholism
Keywords: Alcoholism Benfotiamine Thiamine
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 120
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
B1AS tests the hypothesis that increased vitamin B1 (thiamine) intake can repair brain systems damaged by alcohol and help people with alcohol problems control their alcohol use. A strong, man-made form of thiamine (Benfotiamine) is used to increase blood thiamine to much higher levels than can be achieved using normal vitamin supplements. Drinking patterns are examined over 6 months of continued supplement use. Men and women with a recent history of alcohol problems are eligible to participate.

Detailed description:
B1AS is a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effectiveness of Benfotiamine at reducing abusive drinking patterns in individuals with recent alcohol problems. Subjects consume 4 tablets of Benfotiamine (600 mg) or placebo daily for 6 months. Monthly follow-ups track alcohol use and alcohol-related problems over the 6 months. Blood tests are also conducted to determine the frequency of an inherited abnormality in thiamine processing that may be related to the risk of developing alcoholism.

Arms:
arm 1: Placebo arm 2: Benfotiamine 600 mg

Interventions: intervention 1: Benfotiamine intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Benfotiamine 600 mg intervention 2: Placebo

Protocol document: