Medications are increasingly recognized as an important component in the treatment of various addictions. Here is an overview of the most common medications used:
Drugs to treat Opioid Dependence
Addiction to narcotic pain medication is a national epidemic. According the the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 1.9 million Americans were addicted to prescription pain medication in 2010. Research has shown that medication assisted treatment can improve compliance, reduce relapse rates and reduce many of the societal impacts of drug use, such as criminal behavior and transmission of disease. Most of the drugs in this class are opioid antagonists or partial opioid agonists. They typically reduce cravings for the drug and do not produce the "high" of other opioids.
Methadone: This drug is a synthetic opioid agonist that has been used since the 1960's. It can help to reduce cravings and also prevent withdrawal effects.
Buprenorphine: This drug relieves cravings. Suboxone is a drug that combines buprenorphine and nalaxone, which will result in withdrawal type symptoms if the user shoots it to get high.
Naltrexone: This drug causes individuals who use the drug to become physically sick with withdrawal type symptoms, creating an aversion to the drug.
Drugs to treat Alcohol Dependence
Most of the drugs used to treat Alcohol Dependence are antagnoists, which means that they block the effects of alcohol and/or cause people to become very ill when they drink alcohol, causing an aversion to the substance. One of the downsides of these medications has been compliance; they are usually taken in daily pill form. Longer lasting forms of the drugs are now available.
Disulfiram: This drug causes one to become physically sick if one drinks alcohol while taking the drug.
Naltrexone: Also used in the treatment of opioid addiction, this drug reduces cravings and the pleasant effects of alcohol.
Acamprosate: This drug is used to treat the withdrawal symptoms associated with detoxing from alcohol.
Drugs to treat Nicotine Dependence
In addition to several nicotine replacement products on the market, there have been several drugs developed over the last few years to treat nicotine dependence.
Buproprion: Marketed as Zyban or Welbutrin, this is an anti-depressant that has been shown to reduce cravings for nicotine by increasing the same mood boosting chemicals in the brain that nicotine acts on. It is often used in conjunction with the nicotine patch.
Varenicline: This drug reduces cravings and also reduces the pleasurable effects of smoking.
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Drugs to treat Opioid Dependence
Addiction to narcotic pain medication is a national epidemic. According the the National Institute on Drug Abuse, an estimated 1.9 million Americans were addicted to prescription pain medication in 2010. Research has shown that medication assisted treatment can improve compliance, reduce relapse rates and reduce many of the societal impacts of drug use, such as criminal behavior and transmission of disease. Most of the drugs in this class are opioid antagonists or partial opioid agonists. They typically reduce cravings for the drug and do not produce the "high" of other opioids.
Methadone: This drug is a synthetic opioid agonist that has been used since the 1960's. It can help to reduce cravings and also prevent withdrawal effects.
Buprenorphine: This drug relieves cravings. Suboxone is a drug that combines buprenorphine and nalaxone, which will result in withdrawal type symptoms if the user shoots it to get high.
Naltrexone: This drug causes individuals who use the drug to become physically sick with withdrawal type symptoms, creating an aversion to the drug.
Drugs to treat Alcohol Dependence
Most of the drugs used to treat Alcohol Dependence are antagnoists, which means that they block the effects of alcohol and/or cause people to become very ill when they drink alcohol, causing an aversion to the substance. One of the downsides of these medications has been compliance; they are usually taken in daily pill form. Longer lasting forms of the drugs are now available.
Disulfiram: This drug causes one to become physically sick if one drinks alcohol while taking the drug.
Naltrexone: Also used in the treatment of opioid addiction, this drug reduces cravings and the pleasant effects of alcohol.
Acamprosate: This drug is used to treat the withdrawal symptoms associated with detoxing from alcohol.
Drugs to treat Nicotine Dependence
In addition to several nicotine replacement products on the market, there have been several drugs developed over the last few years to treat nicotine dependence.
Buproprion: Marketed as Zyban or Welbutrin, this is an anti-depressant that has been shown to reduce cravings for nicotine by increasing the same mood boosting chemicals in the brain that nicotine acts on. It is often used in conjunction with the nicotine patch.
Varenicline: This drug reduces cravings and also reduces the pleasurable effects of smoking.
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