Existing heart medication may help treat alcohol use disorder

The important thing is to remain engaged in whatever method you choose. When seeking professional help, it is important that you feel respected and understood and that you have a feeling of trust that this person, group, or organization can help you. Remember, though, that relationships with doctors, therapists, and other health professionals can take time to develop. Ideally, health professionals would be able to identify which AUD treatment is most effective for each person. NIAAA and other organizations are conducting research to identify genes and other factors that can predict how well someone will respond to a particular treatment. These advances could optimize how treatment decisions are made in the future.

Alcohol abusers are « problem drinkers », that is, they may have legal problems, such as drinking and driving, or binge drinking (drinking six or more drinks on one occasion). People who are dependent on or abuse alcohol return to its use sober house despite evidence of physical or psychological problems, though those with dependence have more severe problems and a greater compulsion to drink. The following sections examine pharmacotherapies approved or in-development for AUD.

Signs of an Alcohol Problem

In 1982, the French company Laboratoires Meram developed acamprosate for the treatment of alcohol dependence. It was tested for safety and efficacy from 1982 until 1988 when it was authorized for use by the French government to treat alcoholism. Initially, disulfiram was given in larger dosages to produce aversion conditioning to alcohol by making the patients very sick if they drank. Later, after many reported severe reactions (including some deaths), Antabuse was administered in smaller dosages to support alcohol abstinence.

Orexins are neuropeptides that are densely localized in the lateral hypothalamus. Orexins A and B bind to the G-protein coupled orexin-1 and orexin-2 receptors. Orexin A has equal affinity for both receptors, whereas orexin B has selectivity for orexin-2 receptors.

VIVITROL and counseling has been proven to reduce the number of heavy drinking days* in patients with alcohol dependence1,2

At 1 year, the continuous abstinence rates were 18% in the acamprosate group and 7% in the placebo group. At 2 years, the continuous abstinence rates were 12% in the acamprosate group and 5% in the placebo group. It stimulates GABA transmission, inhibits glutamate, and decreases alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent rats. In the 1980s, animal studies discovered that naltrexone also reduced alcohol consumption. These showed that when combined with psychosocial therapy, naltrexone could reduce alcohol cravings and decrease relapse rates in alcoholics.

There are various medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD), depending on one’s current pattern of alcohol use, overall goals, health history, and related medical needs. Medications we prescribe at Ria Health include naltrexone, gabapentin, acamprosate (Campral), baclofen, topiramate, and, less often, disulfiram (Antabuse). The Provider Locator is searchable by ZIP code or by city and state.

Medical and non-medical addiction specialists

Dr. Sinclair’s research has been published in the peer-reviewed journals Alcohol and Alcoholism and the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Naltrexone was first developed in 1963 to treat addiction to opioids. In 1984, it was approved by the FDA for the treatment of use of drugs such as heroin, morphine, and oxycodone. At the time, it was marketed by DuPont under the brand name Trexan. An extended-release, monthly injectable form of naltrexone is marketed under the trade name Vivitrol. It works in the brain by blocking the high that people experience when they drink alcohol or take opioids like heroin and cocaine.