Frequent use of alcohol is akin to walking along a precipice along a tight wire - equally exciting and intoxicating and equally deadly. Becoming an alcoholic can be very quickly, and get rid of the dependence will have a long time and not without the help of medications.
Drug treatment for alcoholism
Treatment of alcohol dependence is preferable to conduct in the hospital with the help of medications. This way, perhaps, will cost more financially, but recovery will go much faster and less painful.
Treatment for dependence on alcoholic drinks takes place in three stages:
- Treatment of withdrawal symptoms( hangovers) and relief of acute alcohol related disorders.
- Auxiliary therapy aimed at giving up alcohol.
- Motivation to conduct a sober lifestyle.
Initially, any competent narcologist will conduct a preliminary examination of the patient. The patient is offered to undergo cardiovascular system diagnostics with the help of a cardiogram and brain using an encephalogram. After a preliminary examination, the choice of the method of treatment is made. .
Correction of acute alcoholic disorders
Very rarely people with alcoholism turn to the narcologist for help in a state of persistent remission. Often patients enter a hospital in a state of strong alcohol intoxication with the corresponding manifestations. At the first stage it is important to conduct a competent removal of the patient from a drinking-bout and adjust, and it is better to prevent the emergence of withdrawal symptoms and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Untimely treatment of withdrawal can lead to acute alcoholic psychosis( delirium) and convulsive seizures.
Drugs that prevent the development of acute alcoholic psychosis and its complications are:
- diazepam( relium);
- elenium.
With severe liver damage, it is reasonable to use lighter medications:
- lorazepam( lorafen);
- oxazepam( nosepam).
These drugs do not create an increased burden on the liver and are used in the elderly and weakened people.
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The passage of the first stage of treatment, as a rule, does not take more than three days.
In addition to tranquilizers, the patient is prescribed:
- Vitaminotherapy to reduce the vitamin deficiency in the body and alleviate the hangover syndrome. Usually it is vitamins of group B, folic acid, magnesium.
- Correction of water-electrolyte balance by infusion of infusion solutions of electrolytes.
- In the severe course of the withdrawal syndrome, the apparatus methods for purifying the body of alcohol decay products-plasmapheresis and intestinal detoxification-are shown.
Intolerance of alcohol
After passing the detoxification of the body and withdrawal of the withdrawal syndrome, the patient needs supportive therapy aimed at a complete refusal to take alcohol. In this case, modern pharmaceuticals offer disulfiram-based drugs. These are various preparations for coding - Torpedo, Esperal, Teturam. Coding from drinking alcohol can be done by implanting an ampoule with the active substance, tablets, injection or the introduction of a gel.
The principle of this therapy is the manifestation of severe intoxication in the patient, even with a single use of alcohol. Disulfiram blocks the splitting of alcohol in the blood, which causes symptoms of poisoning: vomiting, headache, increased heart rate, heart failure. In the future, attempts to take alcoholic drinks are not undertaken by patients. This therapy is based on the patient's fear of drinking alcohol and does not affect his craving for alcohol.
It should be noted that there are a lot of contraindications to the use of disulfiram, among them:
- , oncological diseases;
- pregnancy and lactation period;
- tuberculosis;
- various diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- kidney disease;
- liver failure and many other limitations.
In case of contraindications, the patient may be offered support of the Spanish drug Colme, whose active substance - cyanamide - acts like disulfiram: there are unpleasant symptoms while drinking alcohol. The drug has no pronounced taste and smell, it is released in drops, can be added to food and drinks of the patient with alcoholism. Cyanamide is considered a less toxic drug and has a softer reaction in combination with alcohol compared with disulfiram.
Reduction of craving for alcohol
A more modern and quite often used method in anti-relapse therapy is treatment with naltrexone( Vivitrol, Prodetoxone).The effect of this substance on the body is manifested in blocking the positive effects of alcohol on the body. The patient uses alcohol, but the effect of intoxication does not occur. This reduces the craving for alcohol, the desire to consume alcohol as a means of relaxation disappears. A significant drawback of drugs with the active substance naltrexone is that with a strong desire to get drunk the patient can significantly exceed the dose of alcohol and get a strong alcohol poisoning.
Acamprosat is a new and quite effective drug for reducing the propensity to drink alcohol. It is believed that Acamprosat reduces the incidence of relapses and increases periods of sobriety. This drug is not addictive in patients with alcoholism and can be used for a fairly long time. It has few contraindications, does not affect the reaction rate, it is tolerated even during relapses. Due to the fact that the mechanism of action of the drug has been little studied, little is being done in Russia.
On the video about how Naltrexone works:
Treatment outside the
clinic Drug treatment for alcoholism at home is little different than from a stationary one. Moreover, with the advent of drugs such as Kolme and Lidevin, herbal remedies began to take second place, which often caused allergic reactions and poisoning in patients. A huge role in the effectiveness of home treatment is considered comprehensive support of loved ones and social adaptation of yesterday's alcoholic in society. It is necessary to find and constantly nourish motivation for a sober way of life, it is possible to change the environment or even change the place of residence in order to change the circle of communication of the patient.
Comments of
doctors Most of the leading narcologists of our country regretfully state that alcoholism is an incurable disease. The maximum that can be achieved in treatment is a long period of remission. According to the narcologist-psychiatrist of one of the profile clinics in Moscow to cure a patient without his attitude to a sober way of life is impossible. If there is a motivation for sobriety, you should immediately look for a good narcologist who possesses all the methods of treatment - psychological, medicamental and preparation of the family for the acceptance and support of the patient. The drug treatment method is very important, it lengthens and secures the sober phase of life, helps in the prevention of disruptions. Unfortunately, one drug treatment is indispensable. The success of treatment consists precisely in combining the psychological impact with the treatment of drugs.