New Drug Helps Treat Alcoholism

FYI If anyone's interested: There's a fairly new drug on the market that is for treating alcoholics who are new in recovery. It's supposed to lessen withdrawl (withdrawal) and help prevent relapse. It's called CAMPRAL. Here's some info taken from Campral's website:

Campral (acamprosate calcium) Delayed-Release Tablets were approved by the FDA on July 29, 2004. Campral is the first new medication approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, as it is commonly referred to, in a decade.

Campral is a medication that helps people stay alcohol-free in combination with counseling or support groups once they have stopped drinking. Campral is thought to restore the normal brain balance, which has been disturbed in someone who is alcohol dependent.

Campral helps reduce the physical distress and emotional discomfort (e.g. sweating, anxiety, sleep disturbances) associated with staying alcohol-free. This, in combination with counseling and support groups, makes it easier for people not to drink.

In several clinical trials, Campral was shown to help up to 3 times more people stay alcohol-free than placebo pills (sugar pills). In addition, for patients who did experience a slip, or relapse, Campral prolonged the periods of abstinence and reduced the number and severity of relapses.

Campral can be taken with many other medications, including medications for anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Campral is not addictive.

You Can Start Campral When You are Alcohol-free
If you are interested in seeking treatment for alcoholism, talk to your doctor about Campral. Treatment should begin as soon as possible following alcohol withdrawal, once you have achieved abstinence. The recommended daily dose is two 333 mg tablets taken three times per day that you can take with your meals. Should you relapse, treatment can be continued and you should discuss your relapse with your doctor.

Campral should be used as part of a comprehensive management program that includes psychosocial support such as counseling and support groups.

[ggin35]

Anything for vicaholism? Just kidden:)

[hungarian_doctor]

The mechanism of action of Campral® (acamprosate calcium) Delayed-Release Tablets in maintenance of alcohol abstinence is not completely understood. Originally, several neurotransmitter systems, including GABA, were investigated for a possible role in Campral's mechanism of action. However, recent evidence suggests Campral's main interaction is with the glutamate system. Chronic alcohol exposure is hypothesized to alter the normal balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition. A glutamate receptor modulator, Campral is believed to act on the biochemical systems that are involved in alcohol dependence. Campral interacts with neurotransmitter systems and is hypothesized to restore the normal balance.

Campral's mechanism of action is different from that ascribed to currently available medications which either block the "high" associated with alcohol or induce vomiting if alcohol is ingested. It is the first medication to impact the biological processes of the disease. Campral alleviates the physiological and psychological distress during the post-acute withdrawal period, making it easier not to drink