[Evaluation of drug treatment of primary alcoholism].
Clinical improvement (abstinence and sobriety) can be obtained in 30% of alcohol dependent (primary) patients at one year when therapy consists of meetings and talking with physicians. The association of drugs led to 40% clinical improvement in controlled studies. These drugs are acamprosate (Aotal), which is well tolerated and shown to be beneficial at one year, naltrexone (Revia), also well tolerated with a follow-up of 3 months, and lithium (Téralithe), to be used more cautiously, with a follow-up of one year. Disulfirame (Espéral), is poorly effective in its usual oral prescription, but is useful when prescribed with the assistance of a close relation. The authors propose an individual drug approach to each patient, with assessment of results at a set date.
D000077443:Acamprosate; D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D013654:Taurine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome