Alcoholism is a disease that, without specific treatment, can be detrimental to the human body. Various factors contribute to the consumption of strong drinks, as a rule, this is a psychological problem. As in the fight against other bad habits, the difficulty in treating alcoholism lies in the difficulty of taking the first step towards healing.
Addiction to alcohol is the main cause of the disease. Today, there are a great many drugs that are aimed at combating a terrible ailment.
Esperal is one of the most effective drugs in the fight against alcoholism. The medicine belongs to the French organization Sanofi-Aventis France, and is manufactured by Sofarimex Industria Quimica Pharmaceuticals LDA.
Regular use of Esperal tablets promotes the development of a persistent negative effect on alcohol.
Release form, composition
The drug is in the form of tablets for oral administration, gel for external use and capsules for subcutaneous implantation. The main active substance contained in the drug is disulfiram. Additional components are:
- polyvinylpyrrolidone;
- magnesium salt of stearic acid;
- cellulose gum;
- cellulose.
The cost of the drug is 1800 rubles (20 tablets).
pharmachologic effect
The effect of the drug on the body consists in the formation of certain circumstances that are a source of disgust and nausea for any products containing ethyl alcohol. The use of such drinks during treatment leads to a sharp deterioration in the general condition of the body.
As a result of alcohol abuse, the liver begins to produce a special enzyme, the vocation of which is to eliminate the action of ethanol. This enzyme destroys alcohol, dividing it into parts. Subsequently, this decomposition in the body produces a toxin methyl formaldehyde. It is with its occurrence that such unpleasant symptoms as dizziness and nausea can be correlated.
The principle of the tablets is to block the production of the enzyme - acetic aldehyde. Therefore, ethanol, entering the body in which disulfiram predominates, does not break down.
According to reviews, “Esperal” is used at the addiction stage, when the patient is no longer able to control the amount of strong drinks consumed. After administration, the drug is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The maximum therapeutic effect occurs eleven to twelve hours after ingestion of the drug. The effect of the drug persists for fourteen days after discontinuation of treatment.
The use of Esperal in the form of implants helps to maintain a certain concentration of the active substance in the body. Before starting use, the patient should avoid drinking alcohol for two to three days.
Patients claim in their reviews of Esperal tablets that the body's reaction to the intake of heating fluids while using the medicine can be either instantaneous or delayed. With delayed exposure, the patient may develop toxic hepatitis, which can affect the liver, kidneys, pancreas.
Esperal tablets: instructions for use
As a rule, taking the drug is necessary according to the scheme prescribed by the narcologist, based on the age and degree of the disease. Before starting therapy, a thorough study is carried out to assess the general condition of the body, in order to further prevent possible side effects and complications.
How to take Esperal tablets? It must be remembered that treatment should be started every other day, and even better five to seven days after the last binge.
Tablets are administered orally at 500 milligrams once a day during meals, according to an individual scheme, further reducing the dosage to 250 or 125 milligrams per day. Depending on the state of health of the patient, you can both increase and lower the dose of the drug.
After about seven to ten days, an alcohol-teturam test is carried out:
- take twenty or thirty milliliters of an alcohol-containing drink (ethanol 40%) after taking the medicine at a dosage of 500 milligrams;
- with an imperceptible reaction, the amount of alcohol is increased by ten or twenty milliliters.
As a rule, this procedure is repeated after one to two days in a hospital and after four to five days as an outpatient, with the adjustment of the amount of alcohol and Esperal if necessary. In the future, the medicine can be taken in a maintenance dosage of 150-200 milligrams per day for three years.
If the patient suddenly decided to refuse to take the medication, then after about fourteen days he may again return to alcohol.
Contraindications
According to the instructions, Esperal tablets from alcohol have a number of restrictions on the use of:
- A prolonged metabolic disorder, which is based on a lack of peptide hormone production and an increase in glucose levels.
- Severe liver failure (a disease that is characterized by damage to one or more functions of the liver as a result of instant or chronic violation of its tissue).
- Pregnancy.
- A mental disorder that affects the state of the human nervous system.
- Epilepsy (a long-term neurological disorder, which manifests itself in the body’s propensity for a sharp appearance of convulsive seizures).
- Convulsive syndrome (involuntary muscle contractions caused by hyperactivity or irritation of neurons.).
- Hypersensitivity to the active substance or additional trace elements of the drug.
As well, Esperal should be taken with caution in case of renal failure and disease, which is caused by a decrease in thyroid function and insufficient production of hormones by it.
Side effects
The drug may cause some negative reactions if used improperly:
- Taste of iron in the mouth.
- Migraine.
- Pronounced mental disorders, in which mental reactions do not coincide with the real situation.
- Allergy.
- A disease that includes many different disorders of peripheral nerve endings.
- Confused consciousness (a darkened state in which certain microelements of various syndromes are combined: amentia and delirium).
- Memory impairment.
- Gastritis (a long-running disease, characterized by dystrophic and inflammatory changes in the gastric mucosa, proceeds with a violation of regeneration).
- Optic neuritis (damage to the optic nerve of an inflammatory nature).
- Inflammation, which is qualified by the formation of a blood clot in the cerebral arteries, veins and sinuses.
- The inflammatory process in the liver is usually of viral origin.
- Slowly developing mental state, which is accompanied by various diseases.
Interaction with other drugs
When taking Esperal with drugs containing isoniazids, they affect the behavior and coordination of the patient. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to take medications, which include ethanol.
And it is also not recommended to use Esperal with preparations that contain nitroimidazole and phenytoin. Reception of these funds can cause clouding of consciousness, memory loss, problems with blood coagulation.
According to the instructions and reviews, Esperal (alcohol tablets) must be taken with extreme caution together with anticoagulants. These medications can affect the functioning of the liver, which leads to poisoning of the body.
Analogs
"Esperal" in tablets has substitute drugs for both the basic substance and the spectrum of action:
- Disulfiram.
- Teturam.
- Antabus.
- Naltrexone.
- Antaxon
- "Lidevin."
Antabus is an analogue of Esperal
Milky effervescent tablets, which, in combination with ethyl alcohol, cause some negative effects. Taking strong drinks after using it is extremely unpleasant, which creates a complete aversion to the smell and taste of alcohol.
The drug is available in two dosages (0.2 and 0.4 grams). One tablet contains the active substance disulfiram, as well as additional components:
- polyvinylpyrrolidone;
- corn starch;
- dioxide succinic acid;
- talc;
- magnesium salt of stearic acid;
- sodium bicarbonate;
- silica;
- cellulose.
The drug is used with caution in diabetes mellitus, renal failure, liver disease, lesions of the upper and lower respiratory tract, epilepsy and seizures.
Mode of application
An effervescent tablet is taken orally, previously dissolved in a glass of water. The medicine is used only under the supervision of a doctor. Treatment, as with Esperal, begins with a clinical examination. The medication is taken according to an individual regimen prescribed by a narcologist 0.2 or 0.5 grams once or twice a day. Ascorbic acid lowers the effect of disulfiram on ethanol. The cost of the drug is 500 rubles.
Disulfiram
The drug is used to get rid of alcoholism. Available in the form of tablets for implantation, in glass bottles (10 pieces).
After introduction into the body, the capsule is rapidly and completely absorbed. The drug can not be prescribed without the consent of the patient. It is prohibited to use the medicine in the first trimester. Implantation is carried out after disinfection of the skin surface and local anesthesia, making an incision in the anterolateral part of the abdominal wall, which is within the gum. The cut should be low to prevent belt friction. The procedure must be performed four times, placing the capsules around the incision site star-shaped.
The total dosage is eight to ten tablets, treatment can be repeated after ten months. Before implantation, it is recommended to excommunicate the patient from alcohol. The cost of the drug is 1000 rubles.
Teturam
Anti-alcohol medication, available in tablet form. One capsule contains:
- disulfiram - 100, 150, 200 or 250 milligrams;
- potato starch;
- aerosil;
- stearic acid.
The drug can be used both in chronic alcoholism and in its relapse. The action of Tetarum is based on the blocking of alcohol dehydrogenase, which is involved in the metabolism of ethyl alcohol. This leads to an increase in the concentration of the metabolite of ethanol - acetic aldehyde, which provokes undesirable reactions of the body, which make drinking alcohol extremely unpleasant.
The drug is rapidly metabolized and easily excreted from the body. The maximum therapeutic effect overtakes twelve hours after administration. Its duration is from ten to fourteen days. The medicine is taken two tablets a day for 150-200 milligrams with an individual treatment regimen. The cost of the drug varies from 150 to 300 rubles.
Naltrexone
The medicine is prescribed for the treatment of opium addiction and alcoholism. The drug is an opioid antagonist, helps to cure substance abuse, as well as drug addiction. Naltrexone is available in the following forms:
- white tablets with risk;
- gelatin capsules;
- powder for injection;
- a syringe in a sterile package containing a gel, which is used for filing during implantation.
Unlike previous drugs, this medication contains a completely different active substance that is different from Esperal - naltrexone, 50 milligrams.
Auxiliary trace elements are:
- lactose;
- magnesium stearate.
The drug actively blocks the action of opioids that are produced in the body, as well as narcotic opioids coming from the external environment. Naltrexone acts on the body one to two hours after taking the medicine. The medication is well absorbed and broken down in the liver. In the treatment of alcohol dependence, the drug is prescribed in a dosage of 50 milligrams per day, it is necessary to take "Naltrexone" for six months. The drug is dispensed only by prescription, the cost of the medicine varies from 700 to 1000 rubles.
Reviews
Narcologists leave only positive feedback about Esperal. The drug is effective and suitable for absolutely all patients. In addition, the medication has a milder effect on the body than its analogues.
According to the reviews of experts, we can conclude that for successful therapy, it is important not only the medicine itself, but also the patient’s desire to return to normal life again. Taking medication alone does not always lead to recovery. For effective treatment, complex therapy is needed that combines the medicinal and psychological effects. Only under this condition can we talk about a complete rejection of alcohol. If this approach is not applied, then the Esperal treatment will stop the addiction only for a short time. Since during therapy, the patient is forced to stop drinking alcohol, but only when the course stops, he will start drinking again.
As a rule, in order to completely stop drinking alcohol, a person must have willpower and stop the attraction to alcohol-containing liquids. The use of the drug helps to reduce pain when you refuse to take strong drinks. Will there be a positive trend in the treatment depends only on the person himself.
Reviews of Esperal tablets from patients taking the medicine vary widely. Those people who deliberately took the drug to combat alcohol addiction say that they are no longer drawn to alcohol. But the relatives of people who did not arbitrarily take the drug, who poured the medicine into food, tell us that Esperal made it worse.
Where can I buy the drug?
The drug is sold in almost every pharmacy, the drug is available on prescription. Before buying a medicine, it is recommended to visit a narcologist to clarify some of the nuances in the use of Esperal.