| There are many options out there for treating | | | | the person to stick with the program. If the person |
| alcoholism. Self-help support programs such as | | | | feels that by not taking that naltrexone pill today he |
| Alcoholics Anonymous and psychological counseling | | | | can go out and have a great time drinking at the bar |
| have proven to be the most common initial approach | | | | tonight then the incentive for treatment tends to get |
| to helping those who have decided they will overcome | | | | thrown out the window. However, a once a month |
| their alcoholism. Sometimes people have enough will | | | | time released injection administered by a doctor pretty |
| power and social and family support to deal with | | | | much forces the person to have bad feelings about |
| alcoholism on their own without psychotherapy or | | | | drinking for an entire month. Clinical evidence supports |
| organized support groups. In many of these cases, | | | | the idea that naltrexone helps short term but is less |
| alcoholism is treated as though it were a psychological | | | | effective as a long term cure. |
| character weakness or moral flaw but the truth is the | | | | Disulfiram (Antabuse) is prescribed for about 9 percent |
| physical addiction to alcohol is a very powerful part of | | | | of alcoholics. It is similar to naltrexone in the sense that |
| the problem. Since the biological ties to alcoholism are | | | | it creates a negative reaction in an alcoholic if he drinks |
| so powerful you would think that the drug and | | | | alcohol. Unlike naltrexone, however, the reaction is |
| pharmaceutical companies would be able to come up | | | | physical illness rather than just making you feel bad. |
| with a pill or drug to treat alcoholism but to date | | | | Nausea and vomiting is very common if a person |
| prescription medications for alcoholism have met with | | | | taking disulfiram also is drinking alcohol. In extreme |
| only limited success. | | | | cases it may even cause shock. |
| Naltrexone (Trexan) is perhaps the most used | | | | Acamprosate is a relatively new medication for |
| medication to treat alcoholism. It is prescribed in | | | | alcoholism that is designed to reduce an alcoholic's |
| approximately 13 percent of cases of alcoholism | | | | cravings for alcohol only after they have already |
| referred to medical doctors. It is designed to reduce an | | | | stopped drinking. It is supposed to help you keep your |
| alcoholic's cravings for alcohol and thereby cause | | | | head straight and help prevent a relapse into drinking |
| abstinence. It appears to work by blocking the body's | | | | but only after you have already given up drinking. It is |
| ability to use endorphins and opioid peptides, which are | | | | taken in time released pill form 3 times a day. So unlike |
| the chemical components that make a person "feel | | | | some of the older medications for alcoholism it tries to |
| good" when they drink. In other words, the alcoholic | | | | be more positive in its approach. It won't make you |
| won't get a high from drinking alcohol if he is on | | | | feel bad about drinking while you are drinking but rather |
| naltrexone. You used to have to take it in pill form daily | | | | helps you feel better when you are not drinking. If you |
| but currently it is most often administered as a once a | | | | do drink alcohol while taking acamprosate there won't |
| month injection that is time released. Of course, one of | | | | be any unpleasant biological interactions caused by the |
| the biggest problems with treating alcoholism is getting | | | | acamprosate. |