Promising New Medications Approved for Alcohol Addiction Treatment and Where to Find them

In recent years, new alcohol addiction treatment drugs were approved by the FDA. Previously, doctors thought that there was no treatment for alcohol addiction. To many who struggle daily with alcohol addiction, these medications prove highly effective in treating addiction. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, these medications are designed to work with therapy and other addiction treatment types.

Naltrexone

This medication blocks receptors in the brain from picking up the pleasant effects of alcohol. Without the pleasant feelings associated with alcohol, the body gradually stops expecting the reward from it. Since the body stops expecting the reward, it often stops craving it. This was one of the first medications developed for alcohol addiction.

Disulfram

Disulfram was developed in 1949. This is the first medication developed for the treatment of alcoholism. It mimics the negative effects of alcohol including nausea, flushing, and vomiting. By producing a negative response to alcohol, it acts as a reinforcement not to drink. It is said that just knowing that you’ve taken disulfram stops people from drinking because of the negative effects.

Acamprosate

Promising New Medications

Naltrexone prevents you from experiencing pleasure when consuming alcohol, thus reducing the urge to drink.

This medication dampens the effects of withdrawal from alcohol. This like many of the opiate replacement medications, helps by allowing a person to withdrawal from alcohol more comfortably. This is an alternative to the more traditional drug treatments for alcohol detoxification.

Serotongenic Agents

Sometimes alcoholism and depression go hand in hand. Serotongenic agents such as SSRI’s are shown to help with both the addiction and the depression. Although results of using just these medications are inconsistent, the treatment needs to match the individual. Each individual is different so the drugs that work to treat the disease may be different. This is one of the common medication treatments for early addiction.

Anticonvulsant Medication

Anticonvulsant medications are still being studied for their applications for alcohol addicts. There are some studies that show that anticonvulsants can block the receptors that alcohol binds to, acting as an inhibitor to alcohol. This reduces the amounts of alcohol that people drink at any one time as well as reducing the cravings for alcohol.

Some of them also help with depression, anxiety, and other mental health and mood disorders. This class of drugs is still under investigation for reformulation to suit alcohol addiction purposes. Most people who try them find that they drink less while on them, although there is no conclusive proof as to why this happens other than the receptors that respond to alcohol are inhibited.

Nalmefene

This is another newer opioid antagonist like Naltrexone. It stops the craving for alcohol by inhibiting the positive effects of it. It also can stop the cravings for alcohol. Most people who use Nalmefene experience fewer side effects than Naltrexone.

Where to Find Medication for Alcoholism

Many treatment centers now offer each of these treatments. They can help you with both the medications and counseling for your alcohol abuse. For more information call 800-948-8417 Info iconCalls are forwarded to paid advertisers .

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