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Campral Anyone here know anything about this drug? |
Looks like a close relative to Antabuse. http://www.campral.com/ I've never used it myself Anne, but wanted to throw this link in. |
It's supposed to help relieve cravings for alcohol and food. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ad.php?t=48262 http://www.doctordeluca.com/Document...ateSummary.htm http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/...Rx.htm#SERIES: Acamprosate Doorknob |
Hi, I am the guinea pig on this one. My last drinking day was Friday April 1st (thought it was an appropriate day) and Saturday April 2nd I started Campral. So far, it is working as described. I have had no cravings for alcohol at all. I have not been binge eating at night eiter. I had really expected to start eating a lot of sweets at night to stave off the cravings and 'reward' myself for making it another day, but I have not done so. Of course it's too early to tell, but maybe the drug companies have finally stumbled on to something. It has seemed to hit the mental reset button for me when all else had failed. The only side effect I have noticed is that my sex drive has been either out of control like a 15 year old boy working at a summer camp for college cheerleaders or it's been non-existent. This changes from day to day, so no worries. I have started a persistent cough - but I believe it's related to blood pressure medicine they prescribed me at the same time. About to look that one up in google. |
Thank you for this thread. My shrink gave me campral, and led me to believe it was generic prozac. I am just in shock right now. Not that I wouldn't want to take something that gets rid of cravings, but why would she lie to me? I feel really upset right now. |
Originally Posted by Greatful2004 Thank you for this thread. My shrink gave me campral, and led me to believe it was generic prozac. I am just in shock right now. Not that I wouldn't want to take something that gets rid of cravings, but why would she lie to me? I feel really upset right now. Doorknob |
Both Campral (Acamprosate) and ReVia (Naltrexone) work on the opiate receptors of the brain and in most cases totally eliminate the craving for alcohol. Both medications also help to extend sobriety through the extinction theory; were you to dring while taking the medication you would not receive a buzz and therefore no "positive" reinforcement. I have been taking Naltrexone ever since detox and have not had a drop of alcohol since. Why more people on this forum don't use it concerns me. |
Here's some more information about Acamprosate and other medications. I posted this on a thread in the AA forum. You might find that thread interesting for the responses from AA members. I'll post the link. Don S ------------------- Why is this medication prescribed? Acamprosate is used along with counseling and social support to help people who have stopped drinking large amounts of alcohol to avoid drinking alcohol again. Drinking alcohol for a long time changes the way the brain works. Acamprosate works by helping the brains of people who have drunk large amounts of alcohol to work normally again. Acamprosate does not prevent the withdrawal symptoms that people may experience when they stop drinking alcohol. Acamprosate has not been shown to work in people who have not stopped drinking alcohol or in people who drink large amounts of alcohol and also overuse or abuse other substances such as street drugs or prescription medications. Acamprosate will not cause you to have an unpleasant reaction if you drink alcohol during treatment. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...er/a604028.html ---------------- Comparing the three alcohol-abuse treatment drugs: Antabuse: "Alcohol is broken down in a stepwise fashion by enzymes in the liver. Antabuse blocks one of these enzyme steps. This causes a build up of a compound called acetaldehyde. Antabuse has very few side effects as long as you do not drink alcohol. If people who take Antabuse drink, they will usually experience flushing, nausea, vomiting, thirst, heart palpitations, and low blood pressure. So, Antabuse does not alter cravings but it produces a rather nasty set of side effects if you drink. Naltrexone, on the other hand, works to reduce cravings for alcohol. Naltrexone blocks special receptors in the brain called opiate receptors. ....Naltrexone blocks these receptors and reduces the craving for alcohol. Like Antabuse, naltrexone has very few side effects on its own. Because it blocks opiate receptors it does interact with narcotic pain relievers and reduces their effectiveness. Naltrexone can also produce withdrawal symptoms in people who are taking narcotic drugs for a long period of time. Unfortunately, naltrexone does not look like it works for everyone. Acamprosate works by blocking yet another pathway in the brain and reduces the pleasure of drinking. The combination of naltrexone and acamprosate looks like it is better in reducing alcohol cravings and drinking relapse than either drug alone." http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtI...489/381584.html ------------------ "Acamprosate works by stabilizing a brain chemical system called the glutamate system," explains Ray Anton, M.D., Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs at the Medical University of South Carolina. "The glutamate system is one of the most strongly affected by chronic alcohol use," Dr. Anton said, adding: "Following the initiation of abstinence, it takes considerable time for the brain chemistry of this system to become `normal' again. It is thought that acamprosate helps speed this process so that the person has a greater chance of staying abstinent by not ‘turning to the bottle’ to feel normal. Acamprosate is well tolerated but needs to be taken a few times per day, unlike disulfiram and naltrexone, which can be taken once per day." http://www.asam.org/news/FDA%20APPR...SATE%202004.htm -------------------- Acamprosate works by stimulating the production of the brain chemical, gaba. The irritability and dysphoria that often occurs in early recovery is partially the result of gaba depletion. Since one of the factors that contributes to alcohol relapse in early recovery is negative mood states, it is believed that acamprosate will reduce the severity of these relapse triggers and will contribute to achievement and maintenance of alcohol abstinence in the early weeks and months of recovery. http://www.counselormagazine.com/pf... Treatment.asp This article begins with an interesting editorial: It may be impossible to believe today, but for decades, many professionals vehemently opposed the use of medications for the treatment of schizophrenia. They'd assert, 'You can't undo bad parenting with a pill.' .... In many ways, the substance-abuse treatment field is where the schizophrenia field was 50 years ago. The understanding of alcoholism and addiction as diseases of the brain is rapidly gaining great acceptance..... For many years, there was considerable resistance to the use of medications to help alcoholics through alcohol withdrawal. Some thought that if withdrawal were made too easy and comfortable, there would be no deterrent to returning to alcohol use. However, in the past 50 years, this 'let them suffer, it's good for them' attitude has been deemed medically unsafe, ethically barbaric and grounds for malpractice. It is likely that as science continues to produce medications that have clearly demonstrated efficacy in reducing relapse to alcohol use, these medications will gain increasing application. Don S |
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Thanks everyone for your comments! Thank you, Don, for your (as usual) enlightening words and links! And thank you Hotmarriedguy for your personal experience. I hope it is continuing to work for you. And Greatful - I hope you've talked to your doctor! That sounds strange and unethical, describing one drug as another. take care, all. --anne |
I'm not going back to that shrink. If I decide I want to take the campral, I'll get it from my PCP. I'm not sure I want to take it though. I've made it over 3 weeks on my own, and I don't think I want to be taking another pill and rock the boat at this point. I read the post on the AA forum. I wouldn't take a pill so that I could drink and not get drunk. I would take it only if I thought it would increase my chances of staying sober. Thanks for the info Don! |
Hi greatful2004, it's great that you have made it three weeks on your own! As far as weather or not to take the campral, I wouldn't worry about it so much. From everything I have read on Campral it is very different that Naltrexone. Naltrexone does reduce your enjoyment of alcohol if you do happen to drink while taking it, but campral has no such effect. But, if you do drink while taking campral, it ceases to do anything about your cravings until the alcohol is back out of your system and the drug has a chance to work again. Based on my readings, my opinion is that campral is more natural than naltrexone. I wish I could describe it another way, but it seems that it is less harsh on your body and more like a super vitamin - or more like something that does what a great deal time and good nutrition would do for your brain. I was once on Human Growth Hormone after I seperated my shoulder and did extensive damage to it. The HGH speeded my recovery to an amazing three months! It did what would have been done naturally, but in much less time. I am doing great on it so far. Between it and me reminding myself of the wasted years - watching my life actually fall apart around me while I drank - both have kept me sober. Anyways, take what you can from this and if you decide to give the campral another go then great, if not, that's great too - juts keep up the good work and stay sober. |
Lisinopril for high B P will definatley make you cough Both my wife and I had to switch to something else |
welcome, fawnsloft, and just a heads up that this thread is over ten years old. no doubt, though, there will be volks having the same questions still. |
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