Can acamprosate be used for detoxification?
Research on the effectiveness of acamprosate in treating the symptoms of acute withdrawal has been inconclusive, and FDA has not approved its use for this purpose. However, patients who are already taking acamprosate and who relapse may be medically withdrawn from alcohol without discontinuing acamprosate. How safe is acamprosate? Acamprosate is not addicting and appears to have no potential for abuse; patients maintained on the drug have developed no known tolerance for or dependence on it. It also carries little overdose risk. Even at overdoses up to 56 grams (a normal daily dose is 2 grams), acamprosate was generally well tolerated by patients (Thomson Healthcare, Inc. 2005). Because acamprosate is not metabolized by the liver, it can be used by individuals with liver disease. Because acamprosate is excreted primarily from the kidneys, patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min) should not use acamprosate. Those with moderate renal impairment (creatinine
