Medications Currently Available For the Treatment of Alcohol and Drug Addiction

There are several medications available on the market today which can be very beneficial when it comes to the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. While there are only three medications which have been approved by the “United States Food and Drug Administration” for alcohol addiction, these medications along with a few others can also be used for drug addiction.

It is important to note that when it comes to the medications prescribed for alcohol addiction, none of these are prescribed to patients who are currently using alcohol and only prescribed to those who have stopped and are trying to maintain their sobriety by seeking treatment for their addiction.

One of the first medications developed and prescribed for the treatment of alcohol is “Disulfiram” which is more commonly known as “Antabuse”. Antabuse acts as a deterrent to drinking alcohol as it causes a severe reaction when someone consumes an alcoholic beverage and reacts in a similar a manner as is experienced with a hangover such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, headache, and other symptoms which are generally associated with the after effects of drinking alcohol.

“Naltrexone” is drug which is used in both the treatment of alcohol and individuals who are addicted to opioids which are drugs such as cocaine or heroine. This medication works in such a way as to block the effects from alcohol or drugs so the user does not get that “buzz” or “high” which they normally would experience when using these substance.

“Campral” or “Acamprosate Calcium” is one of the most recent drugs approved by the “FDA” in the year of 2004 for the treatment of alcohol but has been used worldwide for many years. Campral has been effective in helping alcoholics abstain from drinking by reducing the effects of alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as the anxiety and sleeplessness which often occurs soon after the alcohol begins to leave their system.