Acamprosate for Out Patient Treatmentof Alcohol Dependence

Overview

In psychiatric out-patient departments the number of patients treated on account of alcoholdependence is increasing. Drinking has a serious impact on family and professional life and isa complex medical, social and economic problem.In psychiatry different ways of treatment of addiction were used but only now we have theopportunity to combine them or use new preparations focused on a specific type of addiction.One of the most recent substances used as an anticraving substance is also calcium acetylhomotaurinateor calcium acetylamino propane sulphonate (acamprosate). In the submitted study wetried to find out whether acamprosate can help in the treatment of alcohol addiction syndrome.The study comprised 23 patients, 9 women and 14 men who were followed up from Jan. 1 2001 toOct. 31 2001. The mean period of drinking was 10.47 years (range 2 years – 39 years) with a meanperiod of abstinence of 7.52 months (range 5 weeks to 10 months). The mean age of the patients43.26 years (range 27 to 59 years). Abstinence was violated after acamprosate by 5 patients, bythree patients within three months and two patients after three months of abstaining. None of thepatients discontinued acamprosate treatment because of undesirable effects of the drug.

Key words:
alcohol dependence, acamprosate, craving, period of abstinence