It’s not easy to quit drinking. Alcohol is difficult to avoid, and you will often end up around people who drink. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. In addition to proven methods like therapy and social support, there are now three medications that can help make staying sober a little easier.
Antabuse
Antabuse, or disulfiram, is the medication that has been around the longest. Antabuse is taken daily. When you drink, alcohol is processed in the liver first into acetaldehyde, then into acetate. Antabuse prevents this second step from happening, leading to a buildup of acetaldehyde, which is extremely toxic. When you try to drink while on Antabuse, you become violently ill, typically with headache, nausea, and vomiting. Antabuse is a long-acting drug and takes about two weeks to leave your system, during which time, drinking is likely to make you ill. Because of the violent and long-acting effects, Antabuse has been shown in studies to be slightly more effective in helping people stay abstinent than the other medications.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone can be taken daily as pill, or in a monthly injection under the brand name Vivitrol. Naltrexone works differently from Antabuse. Whereas Antabuse essentially punishes you for drinking, naltrexone withholds the reward from drinking. It blocks the opioid receptors in the brain so that when you do drink, you get no pleasure from it. You still have the impaired cognition, speech, and coordination, but drinking is no longer enjoyable. If you do have a drink while on naltrexone, you are less likely to keep drinking. Eventually you learn that it’s not worth the effort. This is the idea behind a specific naltrexone protocol called the Sinclair Method. In the Sinclair Method, you take naltrexone an hour before you plan to drink. When your brain doesn’t respond to alcohol the way you expect, you gradually start unlearning your addiction. Antabuse appears to be more effective for total abstinence, but naltrexone appears to be effective in significantly reducing alcohol consumption.
Campral
Campral, or acamprosate, is the newest drug approved for treating alcohol addiction. It works by reducing the anxiety, cravings, restlessness, and insomnia typically associated with alcohol withdrawal. Acamprosate works by compensating for the change in levels of neurotransmitters that happens suddenly when you quit drinking. Alcohol enhances the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and inhibits the effect of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. This is why alcohol calms you down. However, your brain chemistry eventually compensates and you build a tolerance. When you quit drinking, suddenly you have too little GABA and too much glutamate, which causes the symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, and insomnia. Acamprosate even out that imbalance a bit, making withdrawal more tolerable.
If you’re struggling with substance use, Recovery Ways can help. We offer intensive outpatient treatment as well as residential treatment. Recovery Ways is a premier drug and alcohol addiction treatment facility located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective, accessible substance abuse treatment to as many people as possible. Request information online or call us today at 1-888-986-7848.
