Disulfiram Is Used To Treat Chronic Alcoholism. - Onlinepillmart

By Author: Richard MacLeod
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Disulfiram which also known as Antabuse and Antabus is a drug discovered in the 1920s and used to support the treatment of chronic alcoholism by producing an acute sensitivity to alcohol. It blocks the processing of alcohol in the body by inhibiting acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, thus causing an unpleasant reaction when alcohol is consumed. Disulfiram should be used in conjunction with counseling and support. It is also being studied as a treatment for cocaine dependence, as it prevents the breakdown of dopamine (a neurotransmitter whose release is stimulated by cocaine); the excess dopamine results in increased anxiety, higher blood pressure, restlessness, and other unpleasant symptoms.

USES: Alcohol abuse:

Under normal metabolism, alcohol is broken down in the liver by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde, which is then converted by the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to the harmless acetic acid. Disulfiram blocks this reaction at the intermediate stage by blocking acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. After alcohol intake under the influence of disulfiram, the concentration of acetaldehyde in the blood may ...
... be five to 10 times higher than that found during metabolism of the same amount of alcohol alone. As acetaldehyde is one of the major causes of the symptoms of a "hangover", this produces immediate and severe negative reaction to alcohol intake. Some five to 10 minutes after alcohol intake, the patient may experience the effects of a severe hangover for a period of 30 minutes up to several hours. Symptoms include flushing of the skin, accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, throbbing headache, visual disturbance, mental confusion, postural syncope, and circulatory collapse.
Disulfiram should not be taken if alcohol has been consumed in the last 12 hours. There is no tolerance to disulfiram: the longer it is taken, the stronger its effects. As disulfiram is absorbed slowly through the digestive tract and eliminated slowly by the body, the effects may last for up to two weeks after the initial intake; consequently, medical ethics dictate that patients must be fully informed about the disulfiram-alcohol reaction. A nine-year study published in 2006 found that incorporation of supervised disulfiram and a related compound calcium carbimide into a comprehensive treatment program resulted in an abstinence rate of over 50%.

Side effects:
The most common side effects (in the absence of alcohol) are drowsiness, headache, and a metallic or garlic taste in the mouth, though more severe side effects may occur. Tryptophol, a chemical compound that induces sleep in humans, is formed in the liver after disulfiram treatment.
Cases of disulfiram neurotoxicity have also occurred, causing extra pyramidal and other symptoms. Disulfiram disrupts metabolism of several other compounds, including acetaminophen, theophylline and caffeine. However, in most cases, this disruption is mild and presents itself as a 20-40% increase in the half-life of the compound at typical dosages of disulfiram.

Storage:
Store at room temperature. Protect from heat, light and moisture. Keep away from reach of children.

author bio :
Hi friends, this is Richard MacLeod from UK. I am completed P.HD in Pharmacy. Now working in onlinepillmart.com as medical adviser. Also i write blog on Men's and women’s health also other health related disease; like sale Meloxicam online Russia, Xenical, Mycophenolate mofetil, sale Nizoral online Russia, etc. For more please visit : http://onlinepillmart.com/