Medications approved to treat alcoholism have come a long way in the last 40 to 50 years. As of today, only three medications, Antabuse, Naltrexone, and Campral are FDA approved to treat alcohol dependence.
The first medication indicated for the treatment of alcoholism, Antabuse, was introduced in 1948 by a Danish Drug Company searching for a cure for parasitic infestations. They found that when alcohol was consumed while taking the drug severe unpleasant symptoms occurred. This medication produces strong hangover type symptoms five to ten minutes after alcohol is consumed, and the effects last for hours. Antabuse, however, only works if the patient takes it as prescribed, and if the alcoholic wants to drink he simply stops taking it and resumes drinking.
Naltrexone has been used and studied for a number of years to treat alcoholism and opiate addiction alike, due to it’s opioid antagonist properties. Naltrexone works by reducing the positive effects produced when alcohol is introduced into the body. Over time the payoff received from drinking becomes less and less appealing. This medication has shown some success when used in conjunction with psychotherapy.
The newest and most effective pharmacotherapy for alcoholism is Campral. Approved for treatment of alcoholism in 2004, Campral has proven to reduce long term and short term relapse rates in alcoholics when combined with psychotherapy. This drug works to restore the brain chemistry back to normal, and reduces the physical and emotional distress caused by cessation of drinking.
Each of these medications have been proven effective in their own way only when used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan including individual and group counseling, along with support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. The efficacy of these treatments alone has not been proven, but together can bring hope to the previously hopeless and give them a leg up in the uphill climb to recovery.