[Evaluation of drug treatment of primary alcoholism]

Clinical improvement (abstinence and sobriety) can be obtained in 30% of alcohol dependent (primary) patients at one year when therapy consists of meetings and talking with physicians. The association of drugs led to 40% clinical improvement in controlled studies. These drugs are acamprosate (Aotal), which is well tolerated and shown to be beneficial at one year, naltrexone (Revia), also well tolerated with a follow-up of 3 months, and lithium (Téralithe), to be used more cautiously, with a follow-up of one year. Disulfirame (Espéral), is poorly effective in its usual oral prescription, but is useful when prescribed with the assistance of a close relation. The authors propose an individual drug approach to each patient, with assessment of results at a set date.