Probenecid Administration for Alcohol Craving and Consumption

There are three aims in this study that test the hypothesis that probenecid compared to placebo, decreases:

• Aim 1 (laboratory phase): acute alcohol craving.
• Aim 2 (naturalistic phase): alcohol craving.
• Aim 3 (naturalistic phase): alcohol consumption

Inclusion criteria

• • Male or female, ≥18 years.

• women >7 drinks/week; men >14 drinks/week.
• meet moderate to severe AUD score for DSM-5 criteria.
• Breath Alcohol Content (BrAC)=0.00 at each visit.
• in good health as confirmed by medical history, physical examination and lab tests.
• willing to adhere to the study procedures.
• understand informed consent and questionnaires in English at an 8th grade level.

Exclusion criteria

• • Women who are breastfeeding or positive urine test for pregnancy.

• clinically significant medical abnormalities: unstable hypertension, clinically significant abnormal EKG, bilirubin >150% of the upper normal limit, ALT/AST >300% the UNL, creatinine clearance ≤60 dl/min
• meet DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychoses
• medications that reduce alcohol consumption (naltrexone, disulfiram).
• use aspirin (salicylates may reduce effect of probenecid), penicillin, methotrexate (may increase concentration).
• history of suicide attempts in the last three years.
• current diagnosis of a moderate or severe cannabis use disorder as assessed by self-report, SCID-E for SUD, and urine toxicology screen at baseline.
• current diagnosis of another substance disorder at any severity, other than nicotine, as assessed by self-report, SCID-E for SUD, and urine toxicology screen at baseline.
• current use of medications that may interact with probenecid.
• history of hypersensitivity to sulfa drugs.