ABSTRACT
The drug acamprosate, which reduces craving in alcohol dependence, modulates the biology of the conditioned response. It is well worth paying attention to the role of environmental 'cues' in drug use; while fighting in Vietnam many American soldiers took heroin-like drugs in order to cope with their experiences. Assessing intake, giving advice on reducing consumption and 'motivational interviewing' has been found to be effective in bringing about significant reductions in alcohol consumption. Sudden cessation of alcohol in the dependent can be life threatening. It is easy to forget that alcohol withdrawal could be the cause of acute confusion. The drug stimulates the brain receptor as alcohol and with a reducing dose helps to reduce the withdrawal symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating and tremor, and helps to prevent convulsions. Acamprosate is believed to act by modulating disturbance in the gammaaminobutyric acid/glutamate system associated with alcohol dependence and the drug compensatory conditioned response.
