Addiction Treatment Medications

Dealing with addiction isn’t easy, especially without professional help. Fortunately, addiction treatment medications can help people who are struggling with addiction to certain substances, such as opioids or alcohol.^1,2

Keep reading to learn about drugs for alcohol addiction, medications used for addiction to other substances like opioids, and how to find effective drug addiction treatment that suits your needs.

What Are Addiction Treatment Medications?

Doctors may prescribe addiction treatment medications during the withdrawal and/or maintenance phase of treatment to address alcohol or drug addiction, such as opioid use disorder (OUD) or alcohol use disorder (AUD).^1,2

While medications can be valuable for helping people stop substance use and stay sober, they are usually just one component of a comprehensive substance addiction treatment plan, which should also include counseling and behavioral therapies.³

How Do Addiction Treatment Medications Work?

Addiction treatment medications can be employed at different stages of treatment as part of a comprehensive approach to addiction recovery, and are particularly useful for people who are dealing with opioid or alcohol use disorder.^1,2 

Addiction treatment that incorporates medications can support people throughout the entire recovery process, starting with detoxification and withdrawal management, and continuing in the longer term with ongoing maintenance care.^2,3

When used appropriately and under medical supervision, these medications are generally safe and effective, can help people attain and sustain sobriety, help them avoid relapse, and can ultimately save lives.³

Alcohol Addiction Medications

Treatment for AUD is not one-size-fits-all but may include a combination of approaches, including medications, to address each person’s unique needs.⁴ 

The most effective treatment plans are individualized and include different components, such as:^2,4

• Behavioral therapy to help people change negative thoughts and behaviors related to their alcohol use. Psychosocial interventions (including behavioral therapy), can increase adherence to an addiction medication regimen, as well as overall treatment outcomes.
• Mutual-support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
• Medications that help people reduce or stop drinking and prevent relapse. By helping to manage cravings and increase abstinence, AUD medications can increase patient engagement with psychosocial interventions. 

There are three FDA-approved medications for the treatment of AUD:⁴

• Disulfiram (formerly known by the brand name Antabuse).
• Naltrexone (including the extended release formulation Vivitrol).
• Acamprosate (formerly sold under the brand name Campral).

Your physician may also decide to prescribe other, off-label medications at their discretion to address symptoms of AUD.5

Acamprosate

Acamprosate, available as a generic and formerly under the brand name Campral, is an AUD treatment medication that is used to help people reduce or stop drinking alcohol.^3,6 

It is believed to help restore balance to certain brain chemicals, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, that can become imbalanced due to ongoing alcohol use.^2,3

Doctors may prescribe acamprosate to motivated people shortly after they have achieved abstinence, and they can continue to take it on an ongoing basis to help them maintain sobriety.^2,3,6

Acamprosate may help people maintain abstinence by minimizing protracted withdrawal symptoms, reducing cravings, and alleviating other negative symptoms that can sometimes occur with ongoing abstinence.^2,5

Disulfiram

Disulfiram, available as a generic and formerly under the brand name Antabuse. It is an alcohol addiction medication that acts as an alcohol deterrent by interfering with a metabolic step, thereby increasing sensitivity to alcohol, resulting in a very unpleasant reaction when the person taking it drinks alcohol, even if it’s a small amount.^3,7 

Doctors prescribe it to highly motivated people who want to avoid alcohol and remain sober while receiving alcohol addiction treatment that includes behavioral and other supportive therapies.³

A range of uncomfortable, potentially severe symptoms may arise if a person takes disulfiram and then subsequently drinks alcohol.² These symptoms can last as long as it takes for the alcohol to be completely metabolized and may include:⁷

• Headache.
• Flushing.
• Sweating.
• Thirst.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Hyperventilation.
• Heart palpitations.
• Feelings of uneasiness.

Naltrexone

Naltrexone is a medication that is used to treat AUD and opioid use disorder (OUD). It is available in both a long-acting monthly injectable form, marketed as Vivitrol, and an immediate release, daily oral tablet; both forms can be used to treat AUD as well as OUD, though the extended-release injectable may be associated with better compliance with the medication regimen and treatment adherence.^2,3

The extended-release injectable form (Vivitrol) is intended for people who have stopped consuming alcohol for several days before the start of treatment.² It is important for for patients to disclose any history of opioid use, as it can trigger serious and prolonged opioid withdrawal symptoms in people who remain significantly opioid dependent at treatment initiation.²

Naltrexone can help people recovering from AUD by reducing heavy drinking, cravings, total drinking days, alcohol intake, and the risk of relapse.²

Medications for Opioid Drug Addiction

People who are struggling with opioid addiction are often prescribed certain medications as a part of a comprehensive and holistic substance use disorder treatment plan.¹

The FDA has approved the following treatment medications for OUD:¹

• Methadone
• Buprenorphine
• Naltrexone

Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine is a medication known as a partial opioid agonist, meaning it only partially activates opioid receptors, thereby minimizing the risks of adverse side effects such as respiratory depression, as well as the pronounced, rewarding euphoria associated with full agonists like heroin.² 

Doctors prescribe it to block the effects of other opioids (should they be used while on buprenorphine treatment), reduce cravings, and alleviate withdrawal symptoms in people struggling with OUD.² A key benefit of buprenorphine is that it can be prescribed by qualified medical professionals from office-based clinical practice, unlike methadone, which can only be dispensed in licensed opioid treatment programs (OTPs).¹

For opioid use disorder, it is available in 2 formulations: pure buprenorphine and the combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Suboxone.² 

Buprenorphine is effective for helping people during both the detoxification and maintenance phases of treatment, and may help people reduce opioid use and stay in treatment.¹

Methadone

Methadone is an OUD medication known as a full opioid agonist, which means it binds to and fully activates opioid receptors, which are the same opioid receptors that are activated by other opioids, like heroin or fentanyl.^1,8 

Methadone is a very long-acting opioid, meaning that its full effects build over time and last relatively longer than many shorter-acting opioid agonist drugs. When taken as directed under the guidance of a treatment professional, methadone can suppress opioid withdrawal, reduce opioid cravings, and block the effects of other opioid drugs, should they be used while methadone remains active in the system.^1,8

Doctors may prescribe methadone during the detoxification and maintenance phases of treatment.³ Methadone may only be dispensed  from licensed opioid treatment programs (OTPs), though take-home doses may be available to people who have successfully been on methadone maintenance for certain lengths of time.¹

Does Insurance Cover Addiction Medication? 

Addiction treatment and addiction medications may be partially or fully covered by your insurance. Coverage varies by provider, so it’s important to check your specific benefits.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act and Mental Health Parity laws, most private insurance plans must cover mental health and substance use treatment at the same level as other medical care.

To find out if your plan covers addiction treatment medications  or rehab services, contact your insurance provider directly—or call us at . Our admissions team can quickly verify your coverage, discuss using insurance to pay for addiction treatment, and explain strategies for paying for rehab.

You can also quickly check your insurance coverage for rehab by using our .

Alcohol & Drug Addiction Treatment in Riverview, FL

If you’re struggling with alcohol or drug addiction, or you know someone who is, we are here to help. River Oaks Treatment Center, an inpatient rehab facility near Tampa, offers expert, evidence-based treatment for OUD and AUD, with individualized treatment plans geared to each person’s unique needs. 

We offer all levels of addiction treatment, including detox, inpatient rehab, and outpatient care.

Please call us at to learn more about our rehab services and discuss how to start treatment. The start of your recovery journey is just a phone call away.