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Suggest Medication To Control Alcohol Consumption
Question: I'm looking for a medication (not one with severe side effects like TOPOMATE) to help reduce my alcohol consumption to 1 or 2 per day. I am a 70 year-old male in pretty good health - not heart disease, diabetes, very good blood pressure (115/65-70), a nopn-smoker all my life, and slim (very low visceral fat. The reason I am a realtively heavy drinker (3 times 50 ml drink per day at night, for about 10 years) are as follows:- Severe health problems (including psychiatric) of our only son, not enough connection with my spouse, and no paid work which makes me stay at home most of the tome with my spouse, causing friction.
I do have psteoarthrits in my hands and low back, which limits what kindof resistance exercise I can do. Swimmin gis one of the few beneficial exercises I can do without aggravating the arthritis.
Drinking alcohol at night also improves my mood (makes me forget my worries easier) helps me fall asleep sooner. at night.
MY GP (family doctor ) has put me on 20 mg PROZAC (Fluoxetine) poer day, Takem at night since it causes a slight drowsy effect), but Prozac does not really help much.
Whtat type of medication would help me reduce alcohol consumption.
BTW, My liver function test results (taken again recently) , as also the Cholesterol, tryglycerides,etc were pretty good.
Thanks in advance. XXXXXXX
I do have psteoarthrits in my hands and low back, which limits what kindof resistance exercise I can do. Swimmin gis one of the few beneficial exercises I can do without aggravating the arthritis.
Drinking alcohol at night also improves my mood (makes me forget my worries easier) helps me fall asleep sooner. at night.
MY GP (family doctor ) has put me on 20 mg PROZAC (Fluoxetine) poer day, Takem at night since it causes a slight drowsy effect), but Prozac does not really help much.
Whtat type of medication would help me reduce alcohol consumption.
BTW, My liver function test results (taken again recently) , as also the Cholesterol, tryglycerides,etc were pretty good.
Thanks in advance. XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
several modalities can be helpful.
Detailed Answer:
First, the medications have not had great success rates (each about 25%).
Second, they do not address the social situation(s) at the root of the situation.
That being said..... here are the medications that are used:
Antabuse. It is a twice a day pill that causes severe nausea and vomiting if any alcohol is taken. It reinforces not taking any alcohol. Furthermore, the bad feelings after any alcohol that is taken triggers an aversion to even thinking about alcohol afterwards.
Campral. It lowers cravings somewhat (but has a significant success rate that fake drugs do not have...so, it does have a real effect).
Naloxone. It blocks narcotic receptors. Some/most of the pleasure of drinking in some people is associated with narcotic receptors. This blocks those. It also has a significantly higher success rate than fake drugs and
all of these are FDA approved for alcoholism
They are not that expensive. Antabuse is very inexpensive.
ANd... counseling, AA (programs that involve spouses) are also available and likely to be of benefit in people who have significant social and psychiatric issues.
All of these can be taken together. They do not have interactions with each other (antabuse with alcohol) nor do they have much interaction with Prozac. Frankly if it makes you drowsy, that alone makes it a very worthwhile drug. Sleep is an issue in most people coming off of alcohol, even small amounts.
several modalities can be helpful.
Detailed Answer:
First, the medications have not had great success rates (each about 25%).
Second, they do not address the social situation(s) at the root of the situation.
That being said..... here are the medications that are used:
Antabuse. It is a twice a day pill that causes severe nausea and vomiting if any alcohol is taken. It reinforces not taking any alcohol. Furthermore, the bad feelings after any alcohol that is taken triggers an aversion to even thinking about alcohol afterwards.
Campral. It lowers cravings somewhat (but has a significant success rate that fake drugs do not have...so, it does have a real effect).
Naloxone. It blocks narcotic receptors. Some/most of the pleasure of drinking in some people is associated with narcotic receptors. This blocks those. It also has a significantly higher success rate than fake drugs and
all of these are FDA approved for alcoholism
They are not that expensive. Antabuse is very inexpensive.
ANd... counseling, AA (programs that involve spouses) are also available and likely to be of benefit in people who have significant social and psychiatric issues.
All of these can be taken together. They do not have interactions with each other (antabuse with alcohol) nor do they have much interaction with Prozac. Frankly if it makes you drowsy, that alone makes it a very worthwhile drug. Sleep is an issue in most people coming off of alcohol, even small amounts.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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