People who have alcohol use disorder drink regularly and in large amounts. When their bodies don’t have alcohol, they experience withdrawal symptoms. But you can suffer from a medically serious withdrawal syndrome if you stop abruptly after drinking four or more drinks a day. If you plan to reduce your drinking slowly (no more than 25% every 3 days), then it is quite possible to get off alcohol without medication.

Counselors can provide information about treatment options and local support groups. Doctors may recommend medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies to provide a holistic treatment approach. Some medications may cause side effects, and certain people should not take them. Naltrexone is not as effective in people who are drinking at treatment initiation. Treating any and all alcohol-related problems can improve your quality of life and your chances of staying sober. Part of recovering from alcohol use disorder is changing old behaviors and routines.

Many people don’t know it, but there are medications that treat alcohol use disorder,  the term for the condition that you may know of as alcoholism and alcohol abuse. However, medications for AUD may cause side effects or interact with other medications. Therefore, a person should speak with a healthcare professional for further guidance. A person typically begins using acamprosate on the fifth day after they stop drinking, with the medication reaching full effectiveness in 5-8 days. A person takes this medication three times a day or as a doctor advises. The chart below gives more information about each medicine.

1. One drawback is that you must take two pills three times every day.
2. Some medicines require that you stop drinking completely, while some drugs help you reduce cravings for alcohol.
3. Medicines are usually used with talk therapy and support groups to treat alcohol use disorder.
4. It was tested for safety and efficacy from 1982 until 1988 when it was authorized for use by the French government to treat alcoholism.

Disulfiram can be a powerful deterrent to help you stay abstinent, but it’s also a pretty severe way to keep yourself sober. In the past 20 to 30 years, other medication options—including naltrexone and acamprosate—have emerged. Both of these drugs are FDA-approved, and neither works by making you ill when you drink.

Who is at risk for alcohol use disorder?

When you drink alcohol while taking naltrexone, you can feel drunk, but you won’t feel the pleasure that usually comes with it. “You’re trying to make that relationship with alcohol have no rewards,” Holt says. Three drugs have FDA approval for alcohol use disorder, and each works differently. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) helpline provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for people in distress.

Which Medications Help To Stop Cravings for Alcohol?

Group therapy or a support group can help during rehab and help you stay on track as life gets back to normal. Unlike many other resources you may find online, the Navigator has no commercial sponsors. Instead, it is produced by the leading U.S. agency for scientific research on alcohol and health, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Residential treatment programs

Learn ways to compare the quality of your options and make the best choice for your situation. The easiest way to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records. The medications listed below are related to or used in the treatment of this condition.

It works by causing a severe adverse reaction when someone taking the medication consumes alcohol. Most people who take it will vomit after a drink of alcohol. This, in turn, is thought to create a deterrent to drinking. For serious alcohol use disorder, you may need a stay at a residential treatment facility.

This can make it easier for you to avoid alcohol, and eliminates a lot of common drinking triggers. While one medication may not suit all people, there are many options for each situation. These include medicines that are safer for people with advanced liver disease, choices for people who want to cut how to help an alcoholic in denial back gradually, and options that help people reinforce abstinence. While big advances have been made in treating alcoholism (or alcohol use disorder), many people still don’t know that these options exist, or how they work. You doctor also can refer you to a treatment center or experts who can help.

About Mayo Clinic

Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, with alcohol-related deaths increasing during the pandemic. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends that physicians offer pharmacotherapy with behavioral interventions for patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. Disulfiram has been commonly prescribed, but little evidence supports its effectiveness outside of supervised https://sober-house.org/ settings. Other medications, including varenicline and baclofen, may be beneficial in reducing heavy alcohol use. Antidepressants do not decrease alcohol use in patients who do not have mood disorders, but they may help patients who meet criteria for depression to decrease their alcohol intake. Systematic policies are needed to expand the use of medications when treating alcohol use disorder in inpatient and outpatient populations.