DrugsusedintheTreatmentofAlcoholAbuseAddiction.ppt

Drugs used in the Treatment of Alcohol Abuse/Addiction Tristan Knowles Alcoholism Treatment Lots of alcoholism treatments use a combination of psychological means (such as CBT) in combination with aversion therapy aided by drugs. Most drugs used in treating alcoholism are aimed at creating adverse reaction to imbibing alcohol. Currently on the market, there are a limited number of drugs to treat alcoholism. Disulfiram (Antabuse) Under normal conditions, alcohol is broken down by alcohol dehydrogenase into acetaldehyde, which is further broken down into acetic acid by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Antabuse works by blocking acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, causing an excess build up of acetaldehyde. Symptoms/Effects of Antabuse Due to the excess build up of acetaldehyde in the bloodstream, patients may feel nausea, vomit, have headaches, chest pain, and several other symptoms after only five to ten minutes after drinking. There appears to be no “tolerance” to Antabuse; extended use of the drug only adds to its effect as it is both absorbed and excreted slowly by the body. More Antabuse Due to its slow excretion from the body, Antabuse can be effective 5-7 days from the last dose. Therefore, patients using Antabuse to treat alcoholism must continually take the drug (this drug can be court mandated). Antabuse also shows some effects as a dopamine breakdown inhibitor, and therefore is also being investigated as a treatment for cocaine addiction. Negative Aspects of Antabuse Due to its interaction with the enzyme dopamine-beta-hydroxylase , which breaks down doapmine, Antabuse adverse affects when combined with drugs affecting the release and re-uptake of dopamine (Such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Cocaine). Metabolism of other drugs may be inhibited by Antabuse (such as Benzodiazepines, morphine, and barbituates). Extremely important to take under consideration when someone is undergoing other medical treatment along with the treatment for alcohol addiction. Naltrexone (Revia or