Can Campral Help Your Recovery

Can Campral Help Your Recovery Addiction Coping and Recovery Overcoming Addiction Print Can Campral Help Your Recovery From Alcohol? It may help reduce your symptoms and alcohol cravings once youve quit. By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on November 21, 2019 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD Updated on January 24, 2020 Merck More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Overcoming Addiction Methods and Support Personal Stories Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use In This Article Table of Contents Expand Overview Dosage Side Effects Who Should Take It What It Does Not Do Effectiveness View All Back To Top If you are struggling with anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness since giving up alcoholâ€"and youre feeling tempted to hit the bottle again for reliefâ€"the medication Campral  (acamprosate calcium) may help restore the balance of your brains neurotransmitters and ease your symptoms, thereby reducing your cravings.   Campral was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcohol dependence or alcoholism in the United States in 2004, but it has been used widely in Europe for many years. More than 1.5 million people have been treated worldwide with Campral.?? Campral is given to people who have already stopped drinking alcohol. It does not work in a person who continues to drink alcohol, nor does it help ease withdrawal symptoms. Rather, it helps the person who has given up drinking to maintain sobriety by reducing the desire for alcohol.   Campral is not a standalone treatment for alcohol addiction. Treatment for alcohol withdrawal should only be provided by a trained healthcare professional as symptoms can range from uncomfortable to life-threatening. Overview Campral is believed to restore chemical balance in the brain that is disrupted by long-term or chronic alcohol abuse. In other words, it helps the brain to begin working normally again by correcting the underlying neurochemical changes caused by chronic drinking. In this way, it helps people maintain  alcohol abstinence.?? When a person drinks heavily or frequently, the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain changes. Specifically, drinking decreases the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, creating a sedative effect. When someone with alcohol dependence quits drinking, glutamate increases, resulting in central nervous system hyperactivity and excitability. This can cause the person to crave alcohol to quell uncomfortable symptoms. Campral is thought to somewhat inhibit the release of glutamate as well as activate taurine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, ultimately decreasing the level of excitation the person experiences.   While Antabuse works by making someone sick if they drink alcohol and Naltrexone blocks the high people get when drinking, Campral reduces the physical distress and emotional discomfort people usually experience when they quit drinking. Campral reduces many of the post-acute withdrawal symptoms that many people experience during the early stages of alcohol abstinence, such as sweating, anxiety and sleep disturbances.?? Dosage Campral is typically prescribed in 333 mg time-release tablets, with two tablets (666 mg) taken three times a day. Some people may do fine with lower doses. Because Campral tablets are time-release, they should be swallowed whole and never crushed, cut or chewed. Campral is contraindicated in people with severe kidney impairment, but lower doses may be prescribed in less severe cases.?? Because the side effects of Campral are few and mild and because Campral is not addictive, it is usually prescribed for up to 12 months after ceasing alcohol consumption.?? How Anti-Alcohol Drugs Can Help Break the Habit Side Effects Campral was generally well-tolerated in clinical trials and the side effects that were reported are usually mild and temporary, including:?? DiarrheaDizzinessGasDry mouthHeadachesInsomniaItchingJoint or muscle painLoss of appetiteVomitingSweating Reasons to Call Your Doctor In rare cases, Campral can cause more severe side effects. Anyone who experiences any of the following symptoms should stop taking Campral immediately and contact their healthcare provider:Anxiety or nervousnessBurning, prickling or tingling in arms, legs, hands, or feetDepressionChest painsPassing urine less oftenSuicidal thoughts Who Should Take It People who have stopped drinking alcohol can begin taking Campral. It does not work if you are still drinking, or if you are using illicit drugs or abusing or overusing prescription medications. Campral should not be taken if you have any of the following conditions:?? DepressionKidney diseaseSuicidal thoughtsAllergic reaction to Campral, sulfites or other medicinesAllergic reaction to foods, dyes or preservativesPregnant or trying to get pregnantBreastfeeding What It Does Not Do Campral does not help someone quit drinking; it helps those who have already withdrawn from alcohol to maintain abstinence. Campral does not help with withdrawal symptoms experienced while going through early detoxification from alcohol. However, Campral has been shown to reduce sleep disturbances commonly experienced during early sobriety by recovering alcoholics.?? Effectiveness As with all other medications approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence, Campral is most effective as a part of an overall program of recovery including therapy, counseling and/or support group participation. During the FDA clinical trials, Campral was three times more effective than a placebo in maintaining abstinence from alcohol as part of an overall support program. However, the more recent COMBINE (Combining Medications and Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism) study, surprisingly found that Campral was no more effective than a placebo.?? In other words, like all other treatments and approaches to maintaining alcohol abstinence, Campral does not work for everyone. Its not a magic bullet. But it may be a useful tool in your recovery arsenal.   Effective Alcoholism Treatments