New Shot to Treat Alcoholism 

 

Alcoholism is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world. Alcoholism is increasingly viewed as a chronic disease and is the cause of approximately 100,000 preventable deaths in the United States each year.

There are many treatment options such as Alcoholics Anonymous, addiction counseling, behavioral counseling, and medications.

As with all chronic diseases, long-term comprehensive management is necessary to sustain the desired result, which in this case is sobriety. The view of alcoholism as a chronic disease has led to the development of many new medications and in particular, a medication called Naltrexone.

Naltrexone was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 1994 for alcohol dependence. This drug has been shown to reduce the frequency of drinking and the likelihood that people will revert into heavy drinking.

This was the result of several years of intense research. Naltrexone works by blocking the bodys ability to use endorphins and opiates.

This medication can be used in two different ways. The first and most preferred treatment is used to decrease cravings for alcohol and to encourage abstinence.

When used in this manner the medication needs to be in the body continually without a lapse in blood serum levels.

The other treatment, which is called pharmacological extinction, combines Naltrexone with normal drinking habits in order to reverse the endorphin conditioning that causes alcohol addiction. When used in this manner the drug only needs to be taken when the person plans to drink alcohol.

However, since most alcoholics do not plan their drinking it is advised to use the drug on an on going basis to make sure it stays in the blood.

Experimental evidence indicates that the presence of Naltrexone causes the drinking of alcohol to have a reverse affect on alcoholism. In the past, Naltrexone has been taken orally on a daily basis.

Sticking to a daily medication routine is a general problem in medicine and especially in alcoholism. With this, came the development of a long-acting form of Naltrexone in the form of a shot.

An even better benefit of this long-acting shot is that it only needs to be given once a month.

The best results of this shot are with the highest dose possible which is 380 milligrams per injection but the shot is also available in 190-milligram injections. With most every person who uses the Naltrexone injection, it is well tolerated and they do not suffer from side effects.

If they do suffer from the side effects, they usually are not bad enough that the treatment has to be discontinued. The most common side effects with the injection are nausea, headache, and fatigue.

 Did You Know

 

Women process alcohol differently than men. Women who are alcoholics or even occasionally drink too much alcohol face much greater health risks than men who drink the same amounts.

Women who drink will get drunk faster than men get and become addicted to alcohol faster than men become. Although men are more likely to drink alcohol and drink in larger amounts, gender differences in body structure and chemistry cause women to absorb more alcohol, and take longer to break it down and remove.

In other words, upon drinking equal amounts, women have higher alcohol levels in their blood than men, and the immediate effects occur more quickly and last longer. These differences also make women more vulnerable to alcohol’s long-term effects on their health. 

Research has shown that they also suffer the consequences of abuse-related illnesses a lot quicker than men do.  The effects on the liver are more severe for women than for men and women have a higher risk of having alcohol-related liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis.  Proportionately, more women die of alcohol related cirrhosis than men do.

Some alcohol-related illnesses that female alcoholics are at risk for include heart disease, ulcers, reproductive problems, pancreatitis, memory loss, and osteoporosis.  In the late stages of alcoholism, women can develop hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition faster than men according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

Several recent research projects have determined that excessive alcohol consumption in women can result in breast cancer and different cancers of the digestive tract. 

A recent study showed that women who drink two to five alcoholic drinks per day have a 41 percent increase in their risk of getting breast cancer.  Research has shown that excessive drinking in women actually causes the brain to shrink. 

 

 
 
In addition to the treatment of alcoholism, Naltrexone can also be used to prevent relapse in alcoholics who have reached sobriety.
 
It is even more effective when combined with behavioral therapy. Although medications are not necessary for the successful treatment of alcoholism, they can be a big benefit.
 
Some may ease the transition to sobriety and others cause physical effects when the person drinks alcohol.
 
Interesting Facts

There are many alternatives to alcohol that can actually help a person to feel more creative, less stressed, more confident and even warm.

Exercise is one activity that can help relieve stress and help a person deal with his or her problems.
 
Regardless of the drug that it used or the purposes of the medication, research has shown that in most cases the desired effect is to have the alcoholic abstain from drinking alcohol.
 
The other suggested use of medications is a combined modality in which the medications are used in conjunction with other forms of treatment such as therapy or Alcoholics Anonymous.

 
 alcohol affects
 

Better Your Health

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What is the Attraction To Alcohol
Alcoholism is a Widespread Problem
◦ The Difference Between Alcohol Dependence And Alcohol Abuse
◦ FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 1
◦ FAQ's About Alcoholism Pt 2
◦ A Brief Summary Regarding Alcoholism
◦ Alcohol Abuse and the College Campus
◦ The Brain And Alcohol
◦ Health Risks For Women Alcoholics
◦ Holiday Survival Guide For The Alcoholic
◦ How A Child See's Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism Detoxification Steps
◦ Alcoholism and the Workplace
◦ The Children of Alcoholics
◦ Common Questions About Alcoholism
◦ Tests for Alcohol Use
◦ Do All Alcoholics Need a Rehab Center
◦ The Dangers and Penalties Of Drinking and Driving
◦ The War On Drunk Driving
◦ How To Determine When Someone Needs Professional Help
◦ Some Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
◦ Diet Hints To Assist With Alcoholism Withdrawal
◦ Helping Someone To Overcome Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism Risk Is Linked to Early Aged Drinking
◦ A Portrait Of An Alcoholic
◦ The Symptoms of Alcoholism
◦ Basic Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Hard Facts About Alcoholism
◦ Cautions Concerning Non Alcoholic Beer
◦ The College Campus And Alcoholism
◦ Dangers of Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 1-6
◦ Alcoholics Anonymous Steps 6-12
◦ What Causes An Alcoholic Blackout
◦ New Shot to Treat Alcoholism
◦ Alcoholism's Physical Effects
◦ Group Support For Alcoholism
◦ Threats From Alcoholism
◦ The Truth About Alcoholism
◦ Treating The Three Main Issues In Alcoholism
◦ Treatments for Alcoholism
◦ Vitamins and Supplements For The Alcoholic
◦ Recovering From Alcoholism
◦ Help Your Teen Avoid Becoming An Alcoholic
◦ What Is Alcholism
◦ Family Members Drinking Too Much
◦ Explain Alcoholism
◦ Who Are The Alcoholics
◦ Women Fighting The Consequences of Alcoholism
◦ Al Anon Support For The Alcoholic's Family
◦ Health Consequences Of Alcoholism
◦ Medications Used For Treating Alcoholism
◦ Screening Tests For Alcoholism
◦ What Is The Difference Between Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism
◦ What the Bible Says About Alcohol Abuse
◦ How to Stop Drinking Alcohol without AA
◦ The Truth About Alcoholics Anonymous
◦ Alcoholism - Curable or Just Controllable
◦ The Causes of Alcoholism
◦ So How Much Drinking Really Is Too Much?
◦ Is Alcoholism Hereditary
◦ What Children Need to Know About Alcohol
◦ How to Recognize When Children are Drinking
◦ What You Need to Know about how to Set Up an Intervention for an Alcoholic
◦ How to Quit Drinking Without Gaining Weight