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