question about the drugs for alcoholism

[me145]

Hey guys. how do these more serious drugs like topomax and cambral help with the alcohol problem? is it they do not let you get buzzed? or is it they take away the good feelings? I know antabuse works by making you ill if you drink...These drugs really seem to work from the posts Ive read, and it makes me wonder if people who are serious alcoholics should just use drugs to help themselves. So how exactly are they working to help?

[Determinator]

question about the drugs for alcoholism

Hi Me145 great questions and I'm no doc, but I've been on campral for a while. Campral helps to reestablish your brains nerotransmitters to pre-alcoholic levels and to stabilize them. kind of like an anti depressant in a way. Topa is very different and I've not used that myself.
I've found Campral is pretty subtle and I've had a few accidents (got wasted) while on it...no magic bullets! tho it does help a lot if I do my part. I think diet and nutrition are equally if not even more critical in recovery and leading a basically healthful life.

[ratana]

question about the drugs for alcoholism

Hi Me,

I posted about this before and I know that is is just me, but I took Naltrexone twice and absolutely hated it, I felt like I was poisoned and was going to die. I threw it out. But everyone has a different body chemistry so who knows.
Anectodally, I have been taking the kudzu and L-Glut, but did not take anything Wednesday night and drank almost two bottles of wine. Cause and effect? I don't know, there were stress factors, too, that I anticipated but ignored. I have to agree with Determinator that diet and nutrition are v. important, & I am finding that exercise is equally helpful. The nights I run, I don't drink because I already feel high from the endorphins.

[vino_grrl]

question about the drugs for alcoholism

there are lots of places online where you can read the more 'official' descriptions of why topamax seems to work to help alcoholics. it doesn't work like antabuse (i.e., it doesn't make you sick; you can still drink while you're on it, which is why it works for those of us who want to moderate, not quit). rather, it works (or at least, they think it works) by 'washing' excess dopamine from the brain. without that dopamine flood, you don't have the 'i need more! i need more! i need more!' feeling you get after you have that first glass that keeps you from stopping. one can feel like enough. or even like too much ... the way it used to before you built up such a huge tolerance. this is why it also works well for food addicts, nicotine addicts, etc. (i.e., other addiction issues that likely have their roots in dopamine imbalance).