Anyone have experience with Campral for alcoholics?

Question

The drug company did a training, but I am wondering if there are people out there with experience with it. Did it work? Were there side effects?

http://www.campral.com/home.aspx

Answer 1

Essentially, like antabuse, Campral works to help alcoholics quit drinking if they are properly self motivated and intent on quitting.

It treats the psychological addiction and reduces cravings, and if they do drink it reduces the pleasure gained from drinking.

However, if the patient is not essentially of strong will, or otherwise not intent on quitting they will simply become noncompliant with the drug.

Research shows that Campral (acamprosate) is effective in helping alcohol dependent people quit drinking alcohol in conjunction with psychotherapy (cognitive behaviour therapy).

The main side effects are listed as: headache, diarrhoea, flatulence and nausea.

Campral has the advantage over antabuse that if the patient drinks, they will not become actually unwell. Antabuse (disulfiram) blocks an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol (might actually block the aldehyde dehydrogenase - I'll go look it up) and if the patient drinks while they are taking antabuse then they get violently ill.