Highly appreciable in alcohol dependence
- Decreases the rate of relapse and helps maintain abstinence
- Improves life expectancy and reduces lifetime medical costs in alcoholic patients
- Offers a favorable safety profile.
Acamprosate also helps decrease alcohol dependence. It decreases the rate of relapse and helps
maintain abstinence. Its mechanism of action is unknown. It improves life expectancy and reduces
lifetime medical costs in alcoholic patients. It has a favorable safety profile.
[Jaurigue MM, Cappell MS. : World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Mar 7;20(9):2143-58]
* An approved medication in advanced continents
Acamprosate has been approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence in Europe since 1989, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only recently approved the use of acamprosate for alcohol dependence in 2004.
[Yahn SL, Watterson LR, Olive MF. : Subst Abuse. 2013;6:1-12]
* Well compared with naltrexone and disulfiram
- Feasible prescription in presence of hepatitis or liver diseases
In comparison with naltrexone and disulfiram, which are the other FDA-approved treatments for
alcohol dependence, acamprosate is unique in that it is not metabolized by the liver and is also not
impacted by alcohol use, so can be administered to patients with hepatitis or liver disease (a common comorbid condition among individuals with alcohol dependence) and to patients who continue drinking alcohol.
[Witkiewitz K1, Saville K, Hamreus K. : Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2012;8:45-53]
* Exhibits no serious health risks, no abuse potential
* Free from drug-drug interactions
More specifically, it does not appear to interact with alcohol or compounds commonly prescribed for treating alcoholism (e.g.,disulfiram, antidepressants, anxiolytics, neuroleptics, or hypnotics) nor does it appear to interact adversely with naltrexone.
[Barbara J. Mason and Charles J. Heyser : CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2010 March ; 9(1): 2332
* Indication & Dosage :
- Alcoholism (four to six tablets (333 mg each) per day i.e. two tablets two to three times daily)
- Sensorineural tinnitus (333 mg 1 tab TDS for 45 days)
- Autistic spectrum disorder(333 mg/day to a maximum of 1,332 mg/day, divided three times daily)