New Medicine to help alcohol addiction

[Dandi59]

I heard there is new medication to help curb the need to drink alcohol.  I heard it was originally used for tobacco.
Can you please let me know if there is medication that can help with alcohol addiction?
Greatly Appreciate Any Help,
Sandi

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

The one other medication is acamprosate, or 'Campral'.  I think GA Guy is right about the Chantix-- seems I read something about a study showing it reducing alcohol cravings as well.  All of the meds above work differently.  Naltrexone blocks opiate receptors, and it is thought that alcohol causes release  of endorphins and that is one reason for the addictive nature of alcohol.  Curiously, naltrexone reduces cravings for alcohol, but does NOT reduce cravings for opiates!

Chantix causes dopamine release in the brain;  the main problem with the medication is that it can cause depression and even psychosis-- all temporarily, until the med is stopped.

Antabuse makes people sick if they drink, but hard-care alcoholics learn to drink on it and just deal with the sickness.  Drinking too much while on the med can be fatal.

Finally, Campral is an interesting, newish medication that a person can 'drink on', but that reduces interest in alcohol.  It helps maintain sobriety, but even if a person is drinking, they seem to just drink less-- without even thinking about it.  The main problem is that it has to be taken three times per day-- and that is hard to remember!

[GA Guy]

Sandi, Sounds like you're referring to Chantix...which is a drug to help people stop smoking. Try plugging it into the search engine. Campral and Naltrexone are used to reduce alcohol cravings as well. Antabuse is used by alcoholics as well. Try searching the web for these names and do some research until the doc can answer.