Drugs that can Help Reduce Alcohol Cravings Underused; Study Finds

Medications that can help thousands of people cope with alcohol-use disorders aren't being prescribed by doctors as often as they should, a new study finds.

Around 18 million people in the U.S have an alcohol-use disorder. People with alcohol-related problems have a three-fold increased risk of early death. Counselling along with medication can help alcoholics reduce cravings. According to the researchers, less than ten percent of all patients with AUDs receive medication for their condition.

According to data collected by Bloomberg, 178,000 prescriptions for Disulfiram were filed last year as compared to 335,000 prescriptions for naltrexone and 132,000 for acamprosate. 

Naltrexone and acamprosate reduce the need to consume alcohol by altering the brain's reward system, according to New York Times.  Naltrexone belongs to a class of drugs called opiate antagonists. According to Medline Plus, Naltrexone can cause liver damage when taken in large doses.

The present study, conducted by researchers at the North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues, was based on data from 122 studies that included a total of 22,803 participants. The team found that both naltrexone and acamprosate helped people reduce their alcohol consumption, according to a news release.

When treating alcoholics, doctors prefer to use a drug called disulfiram, which has been around since the 1950s. However, the study found that disulfiram didn't lead to a reduction in alcohol intake.

Research has also shown that two other drugs, nalmefene and topiramate, can help alcoholics cope with the disorder, according to the latest study.

"When clinicians decide to use one of the medications, a number of factors may help with choosing which medication to prescribe including the medication's efficacy, administration frequency, cost, adverse events, and availability," the authors conclude.

According to Katharine A. Bradley, M.D., and Daniel R. Kivlahan, Ph.D., patients should have an easy access to drugs and other therapies that are proven to be effective in treating alcoholism.

"Patients with AUDs should be offered options including medications, evidence-based behavioral treatments, and mutual support for recovery. Moreover, patients should expect shared decision making about the best options for them," the duo wrote in an editorial accompanying the study.

The study is published in the journal JAMA. The research was funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.