3.1 — Are medications helpful for me
Alongside counselling, certain medicines can reduce cravings and help prevent relapse. These aren’t “quick fixes” — they work best combined with the coping skills you’re building. Common options your doctor may consider:
- Acamprosate — helps rebalance brain chemistry disrupted by long-term drinking, reducing craving intensity. Taken as tablets, usually a few times a day.
- Naltrexone — reduces the rewarding/pleasurable effect of alcohol if you do drink, making relapse less reinforcing. Not suitable if you’re also on opioid painkillers or have significant liver disease — your doctor will check this.
- Baclofen — increasingly used, particularly helpful for patients with liver disease where other options may be limited. Dose is usually built up gradually under medical supervision.