The New Shot To Treat Alcoholism
Alcoholism is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world. Alcoholism is increasingly viewed as a chronic disease and is the cause of approximately 100,000 preventable deaths in the United States each year. There are many treatment options such as Alcoholics Anonymous, addiction counseling, behavioral counseling, and medications. As with all chronic diseases, long-term comprehensive management is necessary to sustain the desired result, which in this case is sobriety. The view of alcoholism as a chronic disease has led to the development of many new medications and in particular, a medication called Naltrexone.
Naltrexone was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 1994 for alcohol dependence. This drug has been shown to reduce the frequency of drinking and the likelihood that people will revert into heavy drinking. This was the result of several years of intense research. Naltrexone works by blocking the body’s ability to use endorphins and opiates. This medication can be used in two different ways. The first and most preferred treatment is used to decrease cravings for alcohol and to encourage abstinence. When used in this manner the medication needs to be in the body continually without a lapse in blood serum levels.
The other treatment, which is called pharmacological extinction, combines Naltrexone with normal drinking habits in order to reverse the endorphin conditioning that causes alcohol addiction. When used in this manner the drug only needs to be taken when the person plans to drink alcohol. However, since most alcoholics do not plan their drinking it is advised to use the drug on an on going basis to make sure it stays in the blood. Experimental evidence indicates that the presence of Naltrexone causes the drinking of alcohol to have a reverse affect on alcoholism.
In the past, Naltrexone has been taken orally on a daily basis. Sticking to a daily medication routine is a general problem in medicine and especially in alcoholism. With this, came the development of a long-acting form of Naltrexone in the form of a shot. An even better benefit of this long-acting shot is that it only needs to be given once a month. The best results of this shot are with the highest dose possible which is 380 milligrams per injection but the shot is also available in 190-milligram injections.
With most every person who uses the Naltrexone injection, it is well tolerated and they do not suffer from side effects. If they do suffer from the side effects, they usually are not bad enough that the treatment has to be discontinued. The most common side effects with the injection are nausea, headache, and fatigue.
In addition to the treatment of alcoholism, Naltrexone can also be used to prevent relapse in alcoholics who have reached sobriety. It is even more effective when combined with behavioral therapy.
Although medications are not necessary for the successful treatment of alcoholism, they can be a big benefit. Some may ease the transition to sobriety and others cause physical effects when the person drinks alcohol. Regardless of the drug that it used or the purposes of the medication, research has shown that in most cases the desired effect is to have the alcoholic abstain from drinking alcohol. The other suggested use of medications is a combined modality in which the medications are used in conjunction with other forms of treatment such as therapy or Alcoholics Anonymous.
Recommended Reading
- The Truth About Alcoholism
- What Is Alcoholism
- Alcoholism Is It Curable Or Controllable
- Treatments For Alcoholism Part Two
- Commonly Asked Questions Regarding Alcoholism
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