Chemical protection against alcohol is the introduction into the body of special drugs incompatible with ethanol. When drinking alcohol on the background of these funds, the patient experiences a sharp deterioration in well-being. Reception of alcoholic beverages becomes almost impossible. In everyday life, such a procedure is called "chemical coding." After chemical protection, a person is forced to abstain from alcohol, since even small doses of ethanol cause a sharply negative reaction of the body. As a result, the patient’s painful craving for alcohol gradually disappears.
How does it work
What is the principle of chemical protection against alcohol? The active components of coding drugs inhibit the function of liver enzymes responsible for ethanol processing. As a result, a toxic alcohol metabolite, acetaldehyde, accumulates in the blood. It causes a sharp deterioration in well-being after taking alcohol on the background of chemical protection.
The active ingredient in most of these drugs is disulfiram. This substance is harmless, it leads to a negative reaction of the body only when drinking alcohol. Nowadays, drugs are also produced with other active ingredients, for example, with cyanamide (Kolme drops). They act more gently than disulfiram-based medicines.
Drugs are administered intramuscularly or intravenously. Chemical protection against alcohol in the form of medications for oral administration is less commonly used. Some medicines are also available in the form of implants for administration under the skin.
Indications and contraindications
The main indication for chemical protection against alcohol is severe forms of alcohol dependence. This method is used in cases where other methods of treatment of chronic alcoholism do not give results. Narcologists recommend chemical protection for patients prone to frequent breakdowns. This method is suitable for alcoholics at stages 2 and 3 of the disease, when a person is no longer able to independently control the attraction to alcohol.
Before chemical protection it is necessary to consult with a narcologist. The introduction of disulfiram-based drugs is absolutely contraindicated in the following diseases and conditions:
- severe pathologies of the heart and blood vessels;
- diseases of the liver and kidneys;
- tuberculosis
- inflammation of the optic and auditory nerve;
- epilepsy;
- glaucoma
- gastric ulcer with bleeding;
- oncological diseases;
- mental pathologies;
- infectious lesions of the central nervous system;
- pregnancy and lactation.
This method is used with caution in the treatment of patients older than 60 years who have had a stroke or other organic pathology of the brain.
Effects
What are the consequences of chemical protection against alcohol? If a person completely abstains from alcohol, then no negative reactions are noted in him. Deterioration of health occurs only when taking alcohol. The interaction in the body of drugs for chemical protection and ethanol is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- facial redness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- irregular blood pressure;
- severe headache;
- sensation of heat;
- trembling
- sharp weakness;
- tachycardia;
- feeling of anxiety and fear.
Patients endure this condition very hard. In the future, patients are forced to abandon alcohol in order to avoid the appearance of unpleasant and painful symptoms.
It is important to remember that such a severe reaction can occur not only after taking alcoholic beverages. Even the use of products with a meager content of ethanol (for example, kefir or kvass) can lead to poor health. A disulfiram-like reaction also occurs after taking alcohol-based drugs. Therefore, after chemical protection against alcohol, all foods and drinks containing ethanol should be excluded from the diet. Alcohol-based drug tinctures must be replaced with analogs in the form of tablets.
What rules should be followed
Before chemical protection against alcohol should undergo a complete medical examination. This will help identify possible contraindications to the procedure.
10 days before the introduction of drugs, it is necessary to completely eliminate the use of alcohol. Before the procedure, the body must be completely cleared of ethanol. If the drugs were administered in the form of subcutaneous implants, then you should not take a bath for 5 days after chemical protection.
It must be remembered that chemical protection against alcohol is quite effective, but it is not a panacea. The success of such treatment largely depends on the person’s desire to get rid of addiction. Chemical coding is primarily based on the fear of feeling unwell after taking alcohol. However, at the same time, the craving for alcohol does not always disappear. Therefore, after the procedure, it is useful to attend special psychotherapeutic sessions. This will reduce the likelihood of a breakdown.
The following is a short overview of the most common drugs for chemical protection.
Teturam
This is an old proven disulfiram-based product. "Teturam" is produced in the form of tablets for oral administration and for implantation. Oral administration of the drug is recommended for those patients who are determined to stop drinking and can control their desire for alcohol.
If the patient is prone to breakdowns, then doctors recommend implantation of the drug. Under local anesthesia, the doctor makes an incision in the left iliac region and injects tablets under the skin. Then a suture is placed on the wound. The drug is valid for about 8 months. Then the procedure is repeated or the patient is transferred to the oral administration of the drug.
The cost of tablets for oral administration is about 50-60 rubles. The price of the drug for implantation is much more expensive - from 140 to 250 rubles.
Esperal
This preparation is completely analogous to Teturam in composition. Esperal is produced not only in the form of tablets, but also in the injectable form, as well as in the form of capsules.
Oral administration of tablets is possible only with the patient's strong desire to stop taking alcohol. The most commonly used capsule implantation under the skin and injections.
With subcutaneous implantation, a small incision is made on the skin. Then, a capsule with the active substance is introduced into the fiber. The incision site is sutured. As a result, the drug is constantly present in the body. A small amount of disulfiram penetrates the blood from the capsule. However, even this small dose is enough for a pronounced reaction to alcohol. The effect of the drug lasts from 3 months to 5 years.
Often patients are interested in the cost of hemming with Esperal. The price of the procedure may be different. It depends on the clinic where the coding is performed. In Moscow drug treatment centers, capsule implantation can cost from 2,000 to 12,000 rubles.
The injection form of Esperal is a gel. It is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously. After 2 days, the gel is encapsulated. At this point, the patient may have a temperature increase of up to 37.5 degrees. However, it is temporary and passes quickly. The coding effect lasts from 1 year to 5 years. During this time, the active component of the Esperal preparation is constantly released into the blood. The price of the procedure can reach 12,000 rubles.
Aquilong
Nowadays, drug treatment clinics often offer intravenous coding with Aquilong. What it is?
The structure of this drug is completely similar to Teturam and Esperali. Its active component is also disulfiram.
Aquilong is administered intravenously for 3 days. It has a prolonged action and is able to accumulate in the body. At the end of therapy, a special provocation is performed. The patient is given a drink of some vodka. This leads to unpleasant symptoms. As a result, a negative reaction to alcohol is fixed in the psyche of the patient.
The effect of the drug lasts from several months to 5 years. It depends on the dosage of the medication. The cost of the course of injections "Aquilonga" in drug treatment clinics ranges from 6500 to 8000 rubles.
Colme
This drug is only available as drops for oral administration. Its active ingredient is cyanamide. When this substance interacts with alcohol, a disulfiram-like reaction occurs.
Cyanamide acts faster than disulfiram, but has a more short-term effect. When this substance interacts with alcohol, the patient does not experience jumps in blood pressure.
This drug must be constantly taken on its own, so it is suitable only for those patients who firmly decided to stop drinking. The price of drops in pharmacy chains is from 1000 to 1500 rubles.
"Metadoxyl"
The drug "Metadoxyl" does not apply to chemical protection products. This medicine has a detoxification and hepatoprotective effect. It increases the activity of liver enzymes responsible for the processing of ethyl alcohol. As a result, alcohol is rapidly eliminated from the body. In addition, the drug reduces the harmful effects of alcohol on hepatocytes.
Narcologists recommend taking this drug before coding in order to completely clear the body of alcohol. Also, "Metadoxil" is prescribed after an alcoholic breakdown on the background of chemical protection. The drug eliminates the effects of acetaldehyde poisoning and protects hepatocytes. The medicine is also used as part of the complex treatment of alcoholic liver lesions.
"Metadoxil" in pharmacies costs about 1000 rubles. This medication can only be taken as prescribed by your doctor. It should not be used by asthmatics, since this drug can provoke an allergy. Such a contraindication is indicated in the instructions for use with Metadoxil. Reviews of the price of the drug indicate that for many people this remedy seems too expensive. However, patients note the high effectiveness of the drug.
Reviews
You can find different reviews of alcoholics about disulfiram. Most patients report that chemical protection helps them stay sober for many years. Some alcohol-dependent people have reported single failures after coding. They were accompanied by a pronounced deterioration in well-being due to the reaction of disulfiram with alcohol. After this, most patients did not return to drinking alcohol, fearing the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.
Negative feedback from alcoholics about disulfiram is associated with side effects of an injection or implantation. Some patients after the coding procedure felt a metallic taste in their mouth, fever, headache. It is important to remember that such a body reaction to the administration of disulfiram is the norm. This unpleasant symptomatology usually disappears a few days after the introduction of chemical protection. As the body adapts to the drug, the patient's condition is fully normalized.