Abstract
Disulfiram and cyanamide are antidipsotropic agents, both of which inhibit the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase type 2. Alcohol consumption while taking these drugs results in acetaldehyde accumulation, leading to nausea, flushing, sweating, and tachycardia, thus creating a series of unpleasant symptoms that can be a useful deterrent to alcohol consumption. However, disulfiram and cyanamide are not simply “penalty drugs” that result in unpleasant symptoms from drinking; instead, treatment is intended to provide “psychological deterrence.”
Patients are informed about the unpleasant effects of reactions between disulfiram (or cyanamide) and ethanol and are encouraged to avoid them by abstaining from alcohol. Therefore, disulfiram and cyanamide represent a psychological approach to pharmacological therapy that works primarily through supportive care. The primary challenge to this therapy, however, is the difficulty in getting patients to take the medications on a consistent basis. Disulfiram and cyanamide are safe and efficacious in the supervised treatment of individuals with alcohol dependence who are motivated to discontinue alcohol use. Therefore, techniques that increase treatment adherence are important. However, these medications are not prescribed to simply mitigate anxiety in the patients’ family and/or administrator. To make these medicines more effective, it is vital to develop meaningful relationships with the patients and their families. It is important to ensure that patients understand the necessity of these medicines and their importance in maintaining abstinence. These agents are supplemental drugs that enhance motivation for abstinence in the course of psychotherapeutic treatment.
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Cho, T. (2020). Disulfiram and Cyanamide. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Mulsant, B., Le, W., Nagatsu, T. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_342-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_342-2
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Disulfiram and Cyanamide- Published:
- 05 June 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_342-2
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Disulfiram and Cyanamide- Published:
- 17 April 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_342-1