Effective Medicine For Alcohol Addiction Treatment
- November 21, 2025
- Posted by: olivia rodrigo
- Category: Uncategorized
Alcohol addiction is a growing health concern worldwide. Many people struggle not only with the physical effects of alcohol but also with the emotional and psychological problems of alcohol that come with it. Medication for alcohol makes the recovery process safer, easier,and successful when we combine it with therapy, counselling, and support. The counselling, support groups, and lifestyle changes play essential roles in recovery, one more powerful tool often helps people regain control is medicine for alcohol addiction.
In this blog, we learn about the popular medicines that are used to treat alcohol addiction, and also discuss topics like what alcoholism is, its benefits, differences, advantages, and disadvantages, and who may need them.
What Is Alcohol Addiction?
It is also known as Alcohol use disorder. In this condition, you have a strong craving and dependence on alcohol. Sometimes you are not able to control this situation. It is a toxic and addictive substance that affects our brain reward system or affects the communication pathways by releasing dopamine in the brain and increasing neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin. Taking so much alcohol is risky because it causes serious problems like liver disease, and heart issues. It increases the risk of accidents and injuries, and also leads to psychological problems.
What Are Medications For Alcoholism?
Here, we describe some popular medicines that are used in the treatment of alcohol addiction
like Disulfiram and Naltrexone. Some other medicines used in alcohol addiction are:
Acamprosate
Acamproste(Campral) is an effective and doctor-approved medicine that helps people that have already stopped drinking alcohol to reduce the craving for alcohol. It is used to overcome the aftereffects of alcohol addiction. It works by balancing the brain chemical-like neurotransmitters that increase due to the AUD. This medicine is also prescribed for liver-related problems and for those who are taking opioids. The side effects of acamprosate include Anxiety, sleeping problems, Depression, and Nausea.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is a doctor-prescribed and approved medication mainly used to manage alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. It helps the person that already stopped drinking alcohol by reducing cravings and feelings of pleasure from alcohol. This medicine works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain to prevent the brain. The effect of this medicine starts within 30 minutes. But if you’re taking these medicines, don’t drink before and after taking the naltrexone. It is also used for other purposes. The side effects of Naltrexone include headache, anxiety, rash, itching, swelling of the face/throat, liver damage and difficulty breathing.
Disulfiram
Disulfiram is a doctor-prescribed and approved medication used as the secondary treatment for chronic alcoholism. This medicine enhances and improves the effect of the primary treatment. It works by blocking the Acetaldehyde and ALDH enzymes. Its effect starts within 10-30 minutes. But if you’re taking disulfiram while you drink alcohol, it increases the acetaldehyde levels in the bloodstream. So be careful when you take this medicine, and at least take 12 hours after alcohol use. The side effects of disulfiram include drowsiness, skin related problems, mood changes, nerve damage, and sexual problems.
The above-mentioned drugs are not the complete solution to stop alcohol addiction. It helps us reduce alcohol dependence, but only if you have already stopped drinking. They make the recovery process easier.
Why Are Medicines Used for Alcohol Addiction?
The uses of the alcohol medication are:
- Manage Withdrawal Symptoms: When an individual quits drinking, they can experience anxiety, sweating, shaking, and serious complications. These medications assist in alleviating these symptoms.
- Reduce Cravings: High alcohol desire is one of the largest causes of people returning. Certain drugs suppress such cravings and make the individual remain sober.
- Prevent Relapse: Some drugs render the process of taking alcohol less enjoyable or have some adverse consequences when alcohol is taken in. This prevents drinking and helps in long time recovery.
The Difference Between Popular Medications
The comparison between medicines that are the most commonly used in the treatment of Alcohol addiction:
| Key factors | Acamprosate | Naltrexone | Disulfiram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use for | Maintenance of abstinence from alcohol | Alcohol use disorder & Opioid use disorder | Mainly used as an adjunct treatment for chronic alcoholism |
| Other uses | Fragile X syndrome, binge-eating disorder, and other addiction treatment, like cocaine | Weight Management and Behavioural Disorders | Cocaine addiction and cancers, neurological disorders, and parasitic infections |
| How to work | Balance of neurotransmitters in the brain | Blocking opioid receptors in the brain reduces cravings and the rewarding effects of alcohol | Blocking the enzyme Acetaldehyde |
| Benefits | Help to stop drinking | Preventing relapse helps to reduce cravings | Help maintain abstinence from drinking |
| Side effects | Dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision and gastrointestinal side effects | Issues in sleeping, anxiety, nervousness, muscle pain, fatigue, and tiredness | Headache, nausea, sweating, chest pain, and Difficulty in breathing |
| Action time | 5-8 days to reach full effectiveness | Yes, it works quickly within a few hours | The effect is present within a few hours of the initial dose |
| Duration of effect | 20-33 hours | 24 hours for the oral form | Effects may last for up to two weeks after the last dose |
| Precaution | Avoid alcohol during this period | You must be opioid-free & not drink alcohol during this period | Avoid all types of alcohol and Drug Interactions |
| Risk | Kidney Impairment, Suicidal Ideation & Depression | Opioid Overdose Risk & Liver Function | Risky for liver patients |
What Are The Benefits Of These Medications?
The medications used in alcohol addiction have a beneficial effect if you have already quit alcohol and just want help to reduce the aftereffects of alcohol.
The benefits of these medications are:
- Reduce the risk of relapse
- Reduces the craving for alcohol
- Supports long-term sobriety
- Helps repair brain chemistry
- Improves mental health
Pros and Cons of alcohol medicines
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reduce the alcohol craving | Side effects |
| Blocks the aftereffects of alcohol | Alcohol drug infections |
| Balance the brain chemicals that are imbalanced due to alcohol | Not a complete solution to alcohol addiction |
| Improve the overall health | Sometimes affects your health |
| Reduce the risk of dependence | If you’re taking these medicines while drinking, these medicines also have the reverse side effects. |
Which Medicine Is Best To Stop Alcohol?
The best medicines to help stop alcohol dependence depend on a person’s health and addiction level. But if you search the effective and most commonly used options are Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram. These medicines are the most commonly prescribed by the doctors. Naltrexone helps to decrease cravings and makes drinking less enjoyable. The mechanism of action of acamprosate is to soothe the brain and reduce the desire to drink following withdrawal. Disulfiram makes a distasteful response when one consumes alcohol. These medications are effective and they are better being used in combination with counselling, support and healthy lifestyle modifications. Although, when taking these medicines, you must first consult with a doctor and can then assist in making a decision that will be safe and most effective in treating your condition.
Can Medicine Alone Cure Alcoholism
No, Medicines help to recover with other factors like therapies, support groups and so on. Medication is a tool that helps you walk the recovery path while increasing your strength and control. The medication does not cure alcoholism alone. It helps make the situation and journey easy and comfortable. But without changing the lifestyle and without other treatment like counselling and therapy, and family support, nothing is possible. Eating healthy food is also good for health, and doing exercise, yoga and other circular activities to avoid drinking.
Conclusion
The conclusion is that the journey to leave alcohol addiction is possible, but not easy for everyone. The medications used are not a complete solution to stop AUD. They help us overcome the addiction to alcohol and its side effects after stopping alcohol. Medication helps us after leaving alcohol to reduce the craving and other types of reactions. If you want to leave this addiction completely, try therapies and individual, couple and group counselling with medication. And change your daily routine and lifestyle, stay positive and dedicated to this journey. Without dedication and discipline, a situation may worsen. So our concern is first to take the doctor’s advice, then start the treatment.
