What replacement drugs are used to treat opiate, alcohol, and tobacco addictions?
• Methadone (opiates) • Suboxone (opiates) • Campral (alcohol dependence) • Zyban (tobacco) • Chantix (tobacco) How do these drugs work and what are common side effects? For opiate or opioid replacement drugs (like Methadone and Suboxone), most users do not report severe side effects. Depending on which drug is being used, minor side effects, such as headaches, mood swings, trouble sleeping, nausea, rashes, sweating, drowsiness, and/or libido changes, may occur. Sweating, in particular, can be problematic for patients taking methadone, even at the correct dosage. Patients may be advised to make lifestyle changes like wearing different types of clothing or using a different antiperspirant. Although the mechanisms that make Campral effective in treating alcohol dependence are not fully understood, it is believed that the drug restores certain aspects of brain chemistry that have been disrupted by alcoholism. The most common side effects, as reported by the drug’s website, are diarrhea, f
