Drug Treatment for Alcohol Dependence

Overview

The subject of the article is a review of therapeutical possibilities of drug treatment for alcoholdependence. The authors mention advances and shortcomings of aversive drugs, opioid antagonists,GABA agonists an NMDA antagonists, dopaminergic drugs, and other pharmacologicaltreatment modalities. Drug therapy should be considered to all patients in whom alcoholdependence is diagnosed who do not have medical contraindication and who are willing to takeit. The motivation of patient seems to be the strongest predictor of the outcome and the drugtherapy is, by the author’s opinion, only the adjuvant one and may help to cope with cravingand prevent relapses.

Key words:
alcohol dependence - drug therapy . disulfiram- naltrexone - acamprosate - tiapride