Implants for alcoholics
Implants for alcoholics have recently been the most demanded treatment for alcohol addiction in the US and Europe. Millions of individuals all over the world suffer from the disease of alcoholism, which obliterates their lives. Alcohol consumption harms the drinker, their families, the wider community, and themselves. Fortunately, using contemporary medical techniques, alcoholism can be treated. However, for this to work, support from the addicts, medical professionals, and those closest to the addict is necessary.
This article will examine implants for alcoholism, an intervention that is an essential component of alcoholism treatment. You may find out what Antabuse implants are, how they function, whether they are safe, and why they are so effective for treating alcoholism.
How do implants for alcoholics function? What are they?
Disulfiram, a drug initially developed in the 1930s, has been used to treat alcoholism for almost a century. Even though this drug is nothing new, it is still one of the best treatments for preventing alcoholism today—antabuse functions by obstructing the digestive system’s natural ethanol metabolism. Instead, a hazardous chemical called acetaldehyde builds up, causing unpleasant symptoms including nausea, a rapid heartbeat, and many more that should strongly dissuade the patient from drinking alcohol.
Antabuse, or Disulfiram, as it is commonly known, was once only offered as a pill. One of the earliest treatments for alcoholism that the FDA has licensed is this drug. Even though the tablets worked, it was challenging to implement therapy since patients occasionally would purposely skip doses and start drinking again.
When implants for alcoholics were first developed in the 1960s, a breakthrough occurred. After that, the ongoing absorption of the drug into the blood was assured. This made it hard to use alcohol again without suffering harmful effects.
Most significantly, implants for alcoholics offer a window when the user is shielded from alcohol’s effects. The person can then address any health or psychological problems that might motivate the urge to resume damaging behaviors. Because of this, Antabuse implants are viewed as an additional layer of defense during the challenging resocialization phase that follows therapy.
What variety of Implants for alcoholics are there?
Presently, there are three different kinds of implants. They are fundamentally distinct, even if they operate under identical principles. Let’s examine them in greater detail:
Disulfiram-based implants for alcoholics
Alcohol is digested and neutralized in the liver after intake. However, that process is stopped when a Disulfiram-based Implant for alcoholics is embedded into a person’s body. As a result, drinking alcohol causes an accumulation of acetaldehyde, which instantly causes symptoms that resemble a hangover. Numerous other symptoms may also be present, including nausea, excruciating headaches, hyperventilation, and vertigo.
The insertion process is simple, painless, straightforward, leaves no scars, and doesn’t require stitches afterward. The Disulfiram Implant for alcoholics successfully prevents an individual from ingesting alcohol, giving them ample time to rediscover their inner strength and complete their recovery.
Implantable naltrexone
This kind of implant for alcoholics was developed in response to Disulfiram. The first medications arrived in 1984, and the first implants surfaced in 2006. Since then, naltrexone implants have been utilized to treat alcohol addiction. The implant blocks the brain’s receptors from functioning.
Patients must undergo a thorough detox process to remove all traces of alcohol from their systems before beginning naltrexone therapy. If the detox is done correctly, patients will suffer unpleasant symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, immediately after receiving the implant.
Patients then experience a decrease in the desire to drink alcohol. In this way, naltrexone supports people as they go through recovery and adjust to life without alcohol.
Naturally, naltrexone implant therapy can only be carried out in hospitals and under the strict supervision of medical professionals who will ensure that everything proceeds as planned.
Esperal Implant for alcoholics
The newest model of implants for alcoholics, created by the French company Esperal, contains both Disulfiram and Naltrexone; thus, this type of implant is the most effective.
Can an implant for alcoholism treat addiction on its own?
Antabuse implants for alcoholics are essential in helping people kick the habit of consuming alcohol as a coping mechanism for everyday stress. When people stop drinking alcohol, they look for healthier alternatives to cope with their issues. Implants are effective in their own right but cannot cure alcoholism’s physical and psychological dependence.
To achieve that, a person must complete a comprehensive addiction treatment program meant to curb alcohol cravings permanently. The medical professionals must consider the patient’s physical and mental health and prescribe the appropriate medication to eliminate all withdrawal symptoms and address any psychological issues that impede the patient’s full recovery.
How safe is this kind of treatment?
An implant for alcoholics can be inserted under the skin without causing any discomfort, and the effects show up immediately. The entire treatment is relatively straightforward and is regarded as being well-tolerated. The person will be shielded from alcohol’s effects after getting the implant for alcoholism. This is because, after the treatment, a specific quantity of medication (Naltrexone) is automatically released from the implant into the bloodstream every day for up to three months.
The implant is often inserted under the skin in the shoulder region. But other places, like the gluteus or the forearm, can also receive implants.
This approach has been used effectively for many years and has proven reliable regarding safety.
What potential negative consequences are there?
Alcohol and disulfiram do not mix well because disulfiram is a very potent and targeted antagonist to alcohol. Some might attempt to combine these two medications, even though several side effects can and will happen. If that occurs, the body has a powerful reaction that causes symptoms that resemble a hangover but are typically considerably more severe.
In Esperal implants for alcoholics, these two ingredients are isolated one from another, and only Naltrexone is infused into the bloodstream daily. Conversely, disulfiram is unavailable in patients’ bloodstreams unless they consume alcohol. Only elevation of the level of alcohol in the patient’s bloodstream initiates the release of disulfiram.
Antabuse recipients who try drinking alcohol may encounter some or all of the following symptoms:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Erratic and rapid heartbeat
- An abrupt decrease in blood pressure
- Bad headaches
- Severe hot flashes associated with skin burning and itching
- Breathing difficulty
- Hyperventilation
- Severe gastric pain
- Severe perspiration
- Seizures
Depending on the amount of alcohol drunk and the individual’s grit, these symptoms may be more or less noticeable. Alcohol use is, however, strictly prohibited when taking an antabuse implant because it increases the risk of several problems. This is why the implants are thought to be so successful; due to the severe side effects, former addicts develop a strong aversion to alcohol.
Why Antabuse implants for alcoholics offer an extraordinary chance to resume living soberly
The next natural step after a successful alcoholism treatment program that includes thorough detoxification, counseling, and the administration of appropriate medicine is the Antabuse implant, which will give another level of support to the person during the rehabilitation process. In this method, patients are given a chance to refuse alcohol permanently and can go back to their regular lives with little likelihood of relapsing.
The Philadelphia Addiction Center provides an alcoholism treatment program using French-made Antabuse/Naltrexone implants – Esperal.
Contact our clinic at (267) 403-3085 to schedule your appointment for treatment using the implants for alcoholics that may change your life forever.
The implant for alcoholism is effective for approximately 4.5 years, depending on the patient’s weight.
For an appointment, contact our office or use the widget below. You must be sober for 12–14 days before the procedure.
