3 Medications That Help You Stop Drinking Alcohol

For example, drowsiness and headaches are common side effects of Antabuse. Studies of daidzin may lead to an anti-drinking drug for alcohol treatment that causes fewer side effects. More remedies are needed to help drinkers who overdo it cut down, Penetar says. The medications approved for treating alcohol abuse and dependence don’t work for everyone, he says. The number of participants who drank each available beer during the 1.5 hour drinking session following administration of placebo or kudzu. Cognitive behavioral therapy with a psychologist or psychiatrist is a very effective treatment approach for alcohol addiction.

Kudzu did what it was supposed to do – it curbed my drinking noticeably. But as soon as the capsules ran out, I concluded that it hadn’t totally “cured” my problem and that I would eventually find something better. Because my drinking levels were so stupendously high in the first place, kudzu did not turn me into a moderate drinker by any stretch of the imagination. As expected, I didn’t really feel anything after taking kudzu until I began drinking. I recall feeling a very slight prickly feeling in my skin after I’d had a few drinks, and a mild head rush. I did not feel more drunk than usual, but I definitely drank less.

Substance Abuse And Addiction Health Center

The Chinese noticed that people who consumed the plant started to drink less. According to traditional Chinese medicine, kudzu has cooling properties that balance the heat and false energy created by alcohol. There’s some evidence that acupuncture, mindfulness, and meditation help during AUD treatment. Some herbal remedies, including kudzu, ashwagandha, and milk thistle, could support your recovery, too. Keung, not directly involved in Lukas’ study, said he has extracted a compound from kudzu root that he hopes to turn into a drug for reducing alcoholics’ cravings. Currently, commonly prescribed anti-drinking drugs such as disulfiram , naltrexone , and acamprosate , cause several side effects.

This allowed the researchers to view each subject under each condition and allowed them to rule out the order of treatment as a factor. Take supplements beyond the recommended daily allowance only under a doctor’s supervision. High doses of vitamin A can damage the liver, and may cause alcoholic liver disease to develop more quickly in people who drink heavily. Alcoholism is characterized by cravings for alcohol and an inability to stop drinking. It is accompanied by a physical dependence and an increased tolerance for alcohol (meaning the person needs to drink greater amounts to feel “good”). Before entering recovery, most alcoholics deny they have a problem. People who abuse alcohol, but are not dependent on it, may have similar symptoms, but they do not feel the same craving to drink and usually do not experience withdrawal symptoms.

Potential Benefits Of Kudzu Root

However, studies looking at the effects of kudzu extracts have produced mixed findings, Penetar says. Risk factors for relapse can include environment cues, any mood-altering substance, and stress. Even though alcohol abuse is a serious condition with potentially dire consequences, it is treatable.

Some research specifically on the kudzu species Pueraria mirifica suggests that doses of 50–100 mg per day appear to have a low risk of adverse side effects . You may be wondering how people use kudzu root and what to know when considering whether to give it a try. Dr. Rebeca Eriksen is the Nutritional Consultant for Fit Recovery. She has a PhD in Nutritional Genetics from Imperial College London, and over ten years of clinical experience designing custom nutritional repair regimens for patients recovering from alcohol addiction. In addition to her work at the exclusive Executive Health clinic in Marbella, Spain, she helps to keep Fit Recovery up to date with emerging research. Kudzu can be purchased with ease online and it won’t break the bank. However, there are a lot of supplements that claim to contain kudzu that are mostly cheap fillers.

Drinking Problems

Conversely, saikosaponins did not affect an increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and experimental cirrhosis in rats caused by carbon tetrachloride intoxication . One of the herbals in Declincol, Gentian, is considered the king of the bitter herbs. In tests, it was found that the bitter taste from Gentian can still be perceived even when diluted down to 1 part in 12,000 . Tangerine Peel has some bitter qualities as well, and is an excellent complement to the actions of Gentian. Tangerine Peel delivers several novel flavonoids that all offer numerous health advantages including enhancing metabolism, promoting detoxification, and protecting cells from free radical damage.

• Even though alcohol abuse is a serious condition with potentially dire consequences, it is treatable.
• However, the researchers did note that treatment with kudzu caused an increase in heart rate, skin temperature and blood ethanol levels in the participants.
• The room contained a small sink with an under-the-counter refrigerator where the beverages were kept.
• In the 1980s, animal studies showed that naltrexone also reduced alcohol consumption.
• Harvard researchers first discovered the anti-drinking effects of the kudzu extract in 2005.

People have also used it in traditional Chinese medicine for heart disease, but scientists need to do more research on this . This article examines the benefits, uses, and potential side effects of kudzu root. People have used kudzu root in Eastern medicine for many years. More recently, kudzu root has made its way to Western countries as an herbal supplement. Natural therapies could help reduce cravings and ease withdrawal symptoms. Some research shows that milk thistle may help those looking to treat alcohol-related liver disease.

Kudzu Vine Extract For Alcohol Treatment

“It was tested on golden hamsters, which apparently have a penchant for alcoholism, and it lowered their craving for alcohol,” Cozzo said. “The history of kudzu in the United States is a compelling story, but also a cautionary tale of how good plants can go bad,” the article concludes. “Without a doubt, kudzu is here to stay. Although landowners can get effective kudzu control, eradication from the United States is not currently feasible.” Written informed consent was obtained from the patient Sober living houses for the publication of this pilot study and the accompanying data. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor- in-Chief of this journal. Declinol utilizes a proprietary and patent-pending encapsulation technology that enhances the absorption and bio-availability of its herbal compounds. The active ingredients are all encapsulated, or enveloped, using specific processing techniques, within phosphatidyl choline based spheres that act as transport vehicles.

Is considered safe, with few side effects other than the potential for an allergic reaction to the plant. Penetar holds the investigational new-drug application for puerarin. McLean Hospital has a licensing agreement with NPI for the extract. Today, it’s used in China and other countries to treat coronary problems and blood-flow problems, Penetar says. Bohn MJ, Krahn DD, Staehler BA. Development and initial validation of a measure of drinking urges in abstinent alcoholics. Drinking alcohol while pregnant can seriously damage the baby, causing a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome causes irreversible physical and mental disabilities.

The Drug-Nutrient Interactions table may not include every possible interaction. Taking medicines with meals, on an empty stomach, or with alcohol may influence their effects. For details, refer to the manufacturers’ package information as these are not covered in this table. If you take medications, always discuss the potential risks and benefits of adding a supplement with your doctor or pharmacist. Traditional Chinese medicine, animal research, and some preliminary studies have found extracts of this herb may help reduce alcohol cravings, though some studies have not shown benefit. No side effects have been reported in clinical studies when kudzu is taken by mouth.

Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Dietary soy isoflavones occur bound to sugars that are not readily absorbed and may be modified extensively in the gastrointestinal tract, although the degree of metabolism and absorption varies considerably among individuals.

1 Alcohol Consumption

This type of therapy, which is geared toward changing your beliefs and thought process about drinking, can help you cope with stress and control your behavior. Talk to your doctor about finding a qualified cognitive behavioral therapist. As of the last update, we found no reported interactions between this supplement and medicines. If you take medication, always discuss the potential risks and benefits of adding a new supplement with your doctor or how to reduce alcohol cravings naturally pharmacist. The 1985 Chinese Pharmacopoeia suggests 9–15 grams of kudzu root per day.6 In China, standardized root extracts (10 mg tablet is equivalent to 1.5 grams of the crude root) are used to treat angina pectoris. Some sources recommend 30–120 mg of the extract two to three times per day. Naturopathic physician Maura Henninger notes in an article on Huffington Post that B vitamins are essential in breaking addictions to both alcohol and drugs.

Most importantly extracts of Tangerine Peel have been shown to enhance learning and memory. Kawahata et al. recently reported on the enhancement properties of Tangerine Peel extracts to facilitate potently- mediated transcription linked to the upstream cAMP/PKA/ERK/CREB pathway in hippocampal neurons. This may have important anti-alcohol relapse benefits based on dopaminergic genetics and its relationship to executive function and good decision making necessary for appropriate relapse prevention .

However, it could take longer depending on the severity of a patient’s alcohol dependence. There are various medicines available to help people stop drinking.

In retrospect, my experience demonstrates the utility of kudzu for alcoholism. If I had been committed to using kudzu to wean off of alcohol and then quit, it might have been a very valuable part of my recovery. I did not know at the time that people also use kudzu to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms; nor did I care, because I did not intend to quit at the time.

Advanced Study

Puerarin injection products are not available in North America. Some early research suggests that puerarin, a chemical in kudzu, might improve signs and symptoms of chest pain when taken by mouth or injected intravenously . Some evidence suggests that using IV puerarin along with usual treatment might be more effective than usual treatment alone.