Alcohol Use Disorder

Do not delay treatment for alcohol use disorder due to a fear of the process. Baltimore Psychiatry can prescribe medication that can reduce and usually eliminate alcohol cravings so you do not suffer!

Our offering is primarily for acamprosate which is a medication that can eliminate alcohol cravings. It is not fully understood how this medication works. When someone abuses alcohol for a period of time they may experience brain chemistry changes as the brain attempts to adapt to the constant presence of alcohol. When the alcohol is then withdrawn the imbalance in brain chemistry may persist for an extended period of time. During this time the individual feels very uncomfortable, depressed, anxious, bored, and craves alcohol to "feel normal."

Acamprosate is believed to work by re-balancing brain chemistry to the state it was in prior to changes that occurred as a result of alcohol abuse. The medication has few side effects and is generally well tolerated. It typically takes somewhere around 7 days for this medication to begin working and then it often works very well.

In limited circumstances we may also consider prescribing antabuse, which makes someone incredibly ill if they attempt to drink alcohol. For a number of reasons it is not our first choice of treatment but may be ideal for certain patients or situations.

Unfortunately we cannot treat anyone physically dependent on alcohol. Withdrawal from alcohol can cause seizures and even be fatal. Alcohol detox requires controlled substance medications, vital signs monitoring, and other close supervision, which we cannot provide in this practice setting. Once a detox has been completed and someone is no longer dependent on alcohol we may be able to provide the treatment they need.