Are there medications that can help patients cut down or abstain?
Medications for alcohol dependence approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include Disulfuram (Antabuse), Naltrexone and Acamprosate. The NIAAA Clinician’s Guide has helpful information for use of these. All three of these medications have been shown to be effective for some patients and can be managed in the primary care setting with support from a primary care-mental health team. In addition, recent trials have shown other medications to be associated with decreased drinking including: Topiramate 25 Baclofen,26 Gabapentin,27, and Prazosin.28 If patients have other indications for these medications, they may also benefit from their potential effect on alcohol dependence. Patients who are unable or unwilling initially to consider abstinence as a goal might benefit from medications for alcohol dependence. The NIAAA Clinician’s Guide and the NIAAA COMBINE Medical Management Treatment Manual list information and contraindications to FDA approved medications. The COMBINE tria
