An overview of medications for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and alcohol dependence with an emphasis on the use of older and newer anticonvulsants.
There is a growing interest in the development of new pharmacological tools for treating alcohol withdrawal and dependence. A number of anticonvulsants including valproate and carbamazepine have been shown to be safe and effective alternatives to benzodiazepines for treating alcohol withdrawal. These agents are relatively safe, are free from demonstrated abuse liability, and do not usually potentiate the psychomotor and cognitive effects of alcohol. For the treatment of alcohol dependence, there is a growing literature on the utility of medications that have neurochemical effects at opioid, serotonergic, GABAergic, and glutamate receptors. Furthermore, as a class of medication, there appears to be a growing interest in investigating the utility of novel anticonvulsants such as topiramate for the treatment of alcohol dependence.
Department of Psychiatric Medicine, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800623, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0623, USA. aitdaoud@virginia.edu
Nassima
N
Ait-Daoud
Robert J
RJ
Malcolm
Bankole A
BA
Johnson
D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020751:Alcohol-Induced Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012107:Research Design; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000427:Alcohol Deterrents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists