Testing a medication for trauma and alcohol use together

This study is testing whether a medication called topiramate can help people who struggle with both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder at the same time. Topiramate has already been approved by the FDA for other conditions, and early evidence suggests this medication might help reduce symptoms of both PTSD and heavy drinking. The study will also look at whether your genes affect how well the medication works for you.

Many people experience both PTSD and alcohol use disorder together, and current treatments are not very effective at treating both conditions at once. Researchers believe this medication might work on the shared brain processes that cause both conditions, offering a better solution than treating them separately.