Medication for Alcohol Addiction: What Actually Works
MBBS, DPM (Psychiatry),Abhasa Rehab and Wellness
Clinical Lead with 20 years of experience in addiction psychiatry
Dr. Naveen Kumar V
MBBS, DPM (Psychiatry),Abhasa Rehab and Wellness
Clinical Lead with 20 years of experience in addiction psychiatry
- Last Medically Reviewed: 2026-08-05
- Published: 2026-08-05
- Last Updated: 2026-08-05
- 17 min read
Key Takeaways
- Three medications are approved for alcohol use disorder and available in India: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. They work in completely different ways.
- A 2023 systematic review in JAMA pooled 118 trials and 20,976 participants, and it found oral naltrexone and acamprosate to be the two first-line options.[6] Both are used together with psychosocial treatment.
- None of these is a stand-alone cure. Every major evidence review pairs medication with therapy, not instead of it.
- Disulfiram carries a specific, serious alcohol reaction, so it needs medical supervision and a full list of hidden alcohol sources. See the safety box below.
- GLP-1 drugs (semaglutide, and the tirzepatide-based Zepbound) are early research for drinking. They are not an approved alcohol addiction treatment anywhere in the world.
- The right medication depends on liver health, other conditions, and history. That is a psychiatric assessment, not a self-choice.
QUICK ANSWER
Three medications are approved and widely used for alcohol use disorder: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Naltrexone lowers cravings, and it also blunts alcohol’s reward.
Acamprosate supports staying alcohol-free after detox, while disulfiram works as a deterrent. Each one is chosen through psychiatric assessment, and each works best alongside therapy.
You probably searched something like is there a tablet to stop drinking. Maybe for yourself. Maybe quietly, for someone at home.
Here’s the thing about that search from India. Most of what comes back was written for American readers, so it talks about American treatment centres and assumes an American way of prescribing. And almost none of it answers the newest question people are typing in, which is about GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and alcohol cravings.
So this page tries to do both. First, plain explanations of the medicines that truly have evidence behind them, and then an honest, unhyped account of the research still going on.
The scale first. According to the AIIMS-NIMHANS National Survey (2019), roughly 5.7 crore Indians live with harmful or dependent patterns of alcohol use.[1] Only about 2.6% of those who need treatment actually receive it.[1]
That gap is not mainly about whether medicines exist. It is about assessment, and very few people ever get sat down and properly checked.
What is medication-assisted treatment for alcohol use disorder?
QUICK ANSWER
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for alcohol use disorder means using an approved medicine to support recovery. A doctor chooses it after a clinical assessment.
The medicine can reduce cravings, reduce alcohol’s rewarding effect, or discourage drinking. The person also receives counselling or therapy. It supports recovery. It does not replace it.
Is There a Tablet to Stop Drinking? Understanding Medication-Assisted Treatment
QUICK ANSWER
Yes, but not a single magic tablet. Three medicines are approved for alcohol use disorder: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Each one targets something different.
One eases cravings. One helps a person stay alcohol-free. One works as a deterrent. A psychiatrist decides which fits after checking your drinking history, physical health, and mental health.
Doctors don’t treat “drinking” in general, and what they do treat is a defined condition.
The American Psychiatric Association names this condition alcohol use disorder (AUD). The definition comes from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR).[2] AUD is a pattern of alcohol use that causes real distress or impairment.
Doctors check for it against 11 criteria.[2] These include loss of control over amount, strong craving, tolerance, withdrawal, and continued drinking despite harm. How many criteria a person meets sets the severity, from mild to severe.
The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 uses a related category called alcohol dependence.[3] It describes a disorder of regulation that builds from repeated or continuous alcohol use. Its hallmarks are a strong inner drive to drink, impaired control, and alcohol taking priority over other activities.[3]
Both frameworks say the same thing in different words. This is a medical condition with a name and criteria, not a character problem.
That matters here. Medication is prescribed against a diagnosis, not against a habit you dislike.
Think of these medicines as doing one of three jobs.
Some turn down the pull. They reduce craving, or they make drinking less rewarding, and either way the urge gets easier to resist.
Some help the brain settle. Long-term drinking throws brain chemistry off balance, and these medicines support someone who has already stopped and wants to stay stopped.
And one acts as a deterrent. It makes drinking physically unpleasant, so the decision gets made in advance, not in the moment.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) publishes a guide called Medication for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder. It describes these medications as tools used together with counselling and psychosocial support, not on their own.[4]
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) makes the same point in its Core Resource on Alcohol. Medications for AUD are underused, and they are meant to sit inside a broader treatment plan.[5]
That theme repeats through this page because the evidence repeats it.
The rest of this guide follows a deliberate order.
First, the three established medicines, one section each: naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram. These have decades of trials behind them, and all three are available in India.
Then, clearly set apart below, the emerging research on GLP-1 drugs. It sits apart because the evidence sits apart, and mixing the two would suggest a certainty that does not exist.
Our alcohol addiction guide at Abhasa Rehab and Wellness carries a short three-row summary of these medications, and you will find it inside the treatment options section there. This page is the clinical expansion of that table, not a repeat of it.
If you’re at the stage of simply wanting to understand your options, that’s a good place to be. A conversation with a psychiatrist can start there, with questions rather than decisions.
Naltrexone for Alcohol: How It Reduces Cravings
QUICK ANSWER
Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors in the brain. That reduces the pleasant “lift” alcohol produces. It also lowers craving. A 2023 JAMA systematic review found oral naltrexone reduced return to heavy drinking, with a number needed to treat of 11. It is one of two first-line medicines for alcohol use disorder.
When someone drinks, part of the pleasant feeling comes from the brain’s own opioid system switching on. That’s the little inner “ahh” in the first drink.
Naltrexone sits on those receptors and quietly blocks them. The drink still goes in, but the reward signal that usually follows is much weaker.
Two things tend to happen. Craving eases, and if the person does drink, it is often easier to stop after one or two. The pull that usually builds is not there in the same way.
Naltrexone is one of the better-studied medicines in psychiatry.
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA in 2023 covered 118 clinical trials and 20,976 participants.[6]It found that oral naltrexone lowered the rate of returning to heavy drinking, with a number needed to treat of 11.
It also lowered the rate of returning to any drinking, with a number needed to treat of 18.[6] The authors concluded that oral naltrexone and acamprosate should be first-line pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder, used alongside psychosocial interventions.[6]
An earlier JAMA meta-analysis by Jonas and colleagues (2014) reached a similar conclusion. Its evidence base was different. It examined 123 studies, including 44 placebo-controlled naltrexone trials.[7]
What does “number needed to treat of 11” actually mean? For roughly every 11 people treated, one more person avoids returning to heavy drinking who otherwise would have.
That is a real, meaningful effect, but it is not a promise for any one person. And that is why it belongs inside a full treatment plan, not on its own.
Naltrexone often suits someone whose main problem is craving, and it works best while the person is still drinking or has stopped recently. Liver function has to allow it too.
Those conditions matter. The liver processes naltrexone, so someone with significant alcohol-related liver disease needs careful checking before it is even considered. That is a clinical judgement made with blood work in hand, not something to guess at.
That is the whole logic of this section in one line. Naltrexone is a strong option for some people, and the wrong option for others. The difference only shows up after an assessment.
At Abhasa, the psychiatric team checks whether a person is a suitable candidate for any medication, and this happens as part of the initial clinical review. It is a conversation, and no one is committed to anything by having it.
If cravings are the part you’re struggling with most, our article on managing alcohol cravings covers the non-medication side of the same problem.
Acamprosate: Supporting Long-Term Abstinence
QUICK ANSWER
Acamprosate helps rebalance brain chemistry that long-term drinking has disrupted. It works on the GABA and glutamate systems. Doctors use it after detox.
It helps someone who has already stopped to stay stopped. The 2023 JAMA review reported a number needed to treat of 11 for preventing return to any drinking.
What it does, in plain language
Heavy drinking over months and years pushes the brain out of balance. Alcohol calms the system down, so the brain adjusts by becoming more excitable, just to stay level.
Then the alcohol stops, but that adjustment is still running. The result is a brain stuck in an over-revved state. Think restless, tense, poor sleep, low mood, easily set off. This is a big part of why the weeks after detox feel so hard, and it is also why so many people go back.
Acamprosate is thought to work on this imbalance. It acts between the calming (GABA) and the excitatory (glutamate) systems, and it helps things settle closer to normal.
Acamprosate does not reduce craving the way naltrexone does, and it does not punish drinking the way disulfiram does. It supports the person who has already stopped, through the stretch where staying stopped is hardest.
What the evidence says
The 2023 JAMA systematic review found acamprosate lowered the risk of returning to any drinking, with a number needed to treat of 11.[6]
It named acamprosate alongside oral naltrexone as a first-line option.[6] The 2014 JAMA meta-analysis drew on 22 placebo-controlled acamprosate trials.[7] It reached a broadly similar conclusion.[7]
One practical point comes up often in Indian clinical practice. The kidneys clear acamprosate, not the liver, and a review in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry notes this makes it a useful option for people with liver impairment, where other choices are more limited.[8] Again, that is an assessment finding, not a self-selection rule.
Comparing the three established medicines
Here’s the same information side by side, and note what is deliberately absent. No doses, no schedules, no “how much.” Those belong in a prescription written for one specific person.
| Naltrexone | Acamprosate | Disulfiram | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
How it works
|
Naltrexone
Blocks opioid receptors, reducing alcohol's rewarding effect
|
Acamprosate
Helps rebalance GABA and glutamate activity disrupted by chronic drinking
|
Disulfiram
Blocks a step in how the body breaks down alcohol, causing a strong unpleasant reaction if alcohol is consumed
|
|
What it mainly targets
|
Naltrexone
Craving and the pull to keep drinking
|
Acamprosate
Staying alcohol-free after stopping
|
Disulfiram
The decision to drink at all
|
|
Typical stage of use
|
Naltrexone
While still drinking, or soon after stopping
|
Acamprosate
After detox is complete
|
Disulfiram
After detox, with supervision and consent
|
|
Main organ consideration
|
Naltrexone
Liver function must be assessed
|
Acamprosate
Often preferred where liver function is impaired; kidney function assessed
|
Disulfiram
Not suitable where certain heart or liver conditions are present
|
|
Habit-forming?
|
Naltrexone
No
|
Acamprosate
No
|
Disulfiram
No
|
|
Works alone?
|
Naltrexone
No. Evidence supports use with therapy
|
Acamprosate
No. Evidence supports use with therapy
|
Disulfiram
No. Evidence is strongest with supervised administration
|
Disulfiram (Antabuse): The Deterrent Medication and Its Safety Warning
QUICK ANSWER
Disulfiram blocks the enzyme that breaks down acetaldehyde, a by-product of alcohol. Acetaldehyde then builds up. If alcohol is consumed, this causes flushing, nausea, vomiting, and a racing heart. Disulfiram is a deterrent, not a craving reducer. It requires medical supervision and informed consent.
Your body breaks alcohol down in two steps. Alcohol becomes acetaldehyde, and then acetaldehyde becomes harmless acetic acid.
Disulfiram blocks the second step by inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase.[9] Acetaldehyde is a toxic compound, and when the body cannot clear it, it builds up fast. That fast build-up produces the reaction described in the box below.
People often ask for the “anti alcohol medicine” by name. This is it. Disulfiram is the oldest of the three, and most people know it by its brand name, Antabuse.
The logic here is behavioural, not chemical. Someone who takes disulfiram in the morning has already made the decision about the evening. Some people struggle most with in-the-moment choices, and for them, taking that daily argument off the table can help a lot.
The evidence for disulfiram has a distinctive shape. It performs well when someone else supervises the person taking it, and much less well when nobody supervises.
A meta-analysis by Skinner and colleagues, published in PLOS ONE in 2014, found disulfiram was safe and effective compared with other abstinence-supporting medications in supervised, open-label studies.[10] Supervision was central to that result.[10]
The 2014 JAMA review looked at only 4 placebo-controlled disulfiram trials.[7] That is a much thinner blinded evidence base than naltrexone’s 44.[7]
So it is honest to say disulfiram is not a first-line choice in current reviews. It does have a real, specific role, but that role needs the right person, the right setting, and supervision built in.
What happens if you drink alcohol while taking disulfiram?
Acetaldehyde builds up in the blood and causes a reaction within minutes. Common effects include facial flushing, throbbing headache, nausea and vomiting, sweating, breathlessness, a rapid heartbeat, chest discomfort, low blood pressure, and dizziness. In severe cases the cardiovascular effects can be dangerous and require emergency medical care.[9][11]
This reaction can be triggered by alcohol you didn’t know you consumed. Hidden sources documented in clinical guidance include:
- Mouthwash and some oral rinses.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitisers and some skin or face cleansers.
- Certain liquid cough and cold medicines, tonics, and elixirs.
- Cooking wine, vanilla and other extracts, and desserts prepared with liquor.
- Some fermented foods and overripe fruit preserves.
Because of this, disulfiram is only ever started under medical supervision. The person must be fully informed about the reaction. The person must also agree to it. It is never appropriate to obtain it privately. It is never appropriate to give it to someone without their knowledge. And it is never appropriate to continue it without medical review. Anyone taking disulfiram should tell every doctor, dentist, and pharmacist they see.
If a reaction occurs, seek medical care immediately. Call 108 or 112.
Sources: NIH-indexed clinical review on mitigating unintended effects of disulfiram[9]; Mayo Clinic disulfiram (oral route) drug information[11].
Here is how disulfiram sits against the other two. If someone asks for an “anti alcohol medicine name,” disulfiram is the deterrent answer, and naltrexone and acamprosate are the craving-reduction and abstinence-support answers. Both are covered in the two sections above. Different jobs. Different candidates.
GLP-1 Drugs and Alcohol Cravings: What the Emerging Research Actually Shows
Read this framing before anything else in this section. What follows is preliminary research. No GLP-1 medication is approved anywhere in the world as a treatment for alcohol use disorder, including in India.
Nothing here is a recommendation. Nothing here belongs in the same category as the three medicines above. It is included because the question is real. The search volume is real too. Silence would only leave people reading worse sources.
QUICK ANSWER
Do GLP-1 drugs reduce alcohol cravings? Early trials suggest semaglutide may reduce craving and heavy drinking in some groups. Results published in The Lancet in 2026 were encouraging.
]But these are small, early studies. No GLP-1 drug is approved for alcohol use disorder. It is not an established treatment.
People taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for diabetes or weight management started reporting something on their own. They said they wanted to drink less, and enough people said it that researchers went looking.
These drugs act on appetite and reward pathways in the brain, so there is at least a plausible reason why interest in food and alcohol might both fall. Plausible is not proven, though, and plenty of plausible ideas have failed in trials.
Two randomised controlled trials are the serious evidence so far, and both studied semaglutide.
Hendershot and colleagues published a phase 2 randomised clinical trial in JAMA Psychiatry in 2025.[12] It enrolled 48 non-treatment-seeking adults with alcohol use disorder over 9 weeks of outpatient treatment.[12]
Low-dose semaglutide reduced craving and some drinking outcomes. The authors concluded the findings justified larger trials.[12] Forty-eight participants over nine weeks is a signal worth following, but it is not a basis for treating anyone.
More recently, Klausen and colleagues published a trial in The Lancet in 2026. It ran for 26 weeks at a single centre, double-blind and placebo-controlled.[13] It enrolled 108 treatment-seeking participants with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder and co-existing obesity, all of whom received standard cognitive behavioural therapy.[13]
Heavy drinking days fell significantly more in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group. Drinks per drinking day fell further too.[13] The US National Institutes of Health summarised the finding this way: a weekly GLP-1 added to cognitive behavioural therapy further reduced heavy drinking.[14]
Notice what that second trial does and doesn’t show. Everyone in it also had obesity, everyone in it also received therapy, and it ran at a single centre with 108 people. Encouraging, genuinely. Definitive, no.
Here, the honest answer gets narrower, and searches for zepbound and alcoholism have risen sharply.
Zepbound is a brand of tirzepatide, and tirzepatide is a different molecule from semaglutide. The randomised trial evidence described above is not tirzepatide evidence.
What exists for tirzepatide is weaker in kind: animal studies, plus one observational study.[15] Published in Scientific Reports in 2023, it looked at people with obesity and reported reduced alcohol consumption among those taking semaglutide or tirzepatide.[15]
Observational findings cannot separate the drug’s effect from everything else changing in someone’s life. That is what randomised trials are for, and for tirzepatide and alcohol use disorder, those trials are still underway.
So no GLP-1 drug is approved for alcohol use disorder, and tirzepatide has less evidence than semaglutide. And nobody should start, stop, or switch any medication because of a promising headline.
At a glance: approved medicines vs. GLP-1 research
| Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Disulfiram | GLP-1 Drugs (Semaglutide, Tirzepatide) | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regulatory status for alcohol use disorder
|
Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Disulfiram
Approved and prescribed
|
GLP-1 Drugs (Semaglutide, Tirzepatide)
Not approved anywhere in the world
|
|
Evidence base
|
Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Disulfiram
Decades of trials; the 2023 JAMA review alone covers 118 trials and 20,976 participants[6]
|
GLP-1 Drugs (Semaglutide, Tirzepatide)
Two randomised trials so far, with 48 and 108 participants[[12][13]
|
|
Where it stands today
|
Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Disulfiram
First-line pharmacotherapy, used alongside therapy
|
GLP-1 Drugs (Semaglutide, Tirzepatide)
Early-stage research direction, not yet a treatment option
|
The two columns are not in competition. They are a timeline. One column is what a psychiatrist can prescribe today, and the other is what researchers are still testing.
What this means for you right now
Are you already prescribed a GLP-1 drug for diabetes or weight? Keep taking it as prescribed, and tell your psychiatrist about it too. It is useful information for the whole picture.
Wondering whether to seek one out for drinking? The useful step is not chasing the newest option, but getting assessed. Then someone can tell you what is truly evidence-based for your situation today.
Why Alcohol Medication Needs a Psychiatrist's Assessment, Not Self-Medication
QUICK ANSWER
Choosing an alcohol medication needs a psychiatric assessment. The right choice depends on liver and kidney function, withdrawal risk, co-occurring mental health conditions, other medicines being taken, and readiness to stop. The same medicine that helps one person can be unsuitable or unsafe for another.
What an assessment actually involves
An assessment is less daunting than it sounds. Mostly it is a long, careful conversation, plus some tests.
A psychiatrist will want to understand the drinking history in detail. How much. How long. What the last few weeks have looked like. And what happens when you stop. That last question matters a great deal.
Someone at risk of serious withdrawal needs medically supervised detox first, and any relapse-prevention medicine comes after that.
Physical health gets checked too. Liver and kidney function directly shape which options are open, and current medicines get reviewed for interactions. And mental health is assessed properly, not skimmed.
The dual diagnosis question
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and trauma-related conditions all change the picture. They affect which medication is right, what else needs treating at the same time, and the order in which the plan unfolds.
Abhasa’s dual diagnosis programme exists because these conditions travel together so often.
What Abhasa brings to this specific decision
Dr. Naveen Kumar V, MBBS, DPM (Psychiatry), leads a psychiatric team with more than 20 years of clinical experience in addiction psychiatry and dual diagnosis.
Psychiatrists make the medication decisions at Abhasa, and they do so after full history-taking and medical evaluation. Co-occurring conditions are screened for as standard, not as an add-on.
Every evidence review cited on this page says the same thing: medication works best combined with psychosocial treatment.
So medication at Abhasa is planned inside an individualised treatment plan with structured therapy. Our holistic approach to alcohol addiction treats medicine as one part, not the centrepiece.
And here is the line this whole section exists to make plain. This is a conversation to have with a psychiatrist, not a decision to make alone.
If you’d like to understand what an assessment would involve for your situation, a confidential consultation with our psychiatric team is a straightforward first step. No commitment attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
There isn’t one tablet that stops drinking by itself. But three approved medicines support the process in different ways: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. Which one suits a person depends on their health and drinking history. A psychiatrist decides that through a proper assessment.
Disulfiram is the medicine usually meant by this question, and it is sold under the brand name Antabuse. It acts as a deterrent by causing an unpleasant reaction if alcohol is consumed. Naltrexone and acamprosate are the other two approved options, and both work quite differently.
Early research suggests they might. A 2025 JAMA Psychiatry trial of 48 adults and a 2026 Lancet trial of 108 adults both found semaglutide reduced craving or heavy drinking.[12][13] These are small, early studies. No GLP-1 drug is approved for alcohol use disorder.
Drinking while taking disulfiram causes acetaldehyde to build up, and that produces flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting, sweating, breathlessness, rapid heartbeat, and low blood pressure. Severe reactions can affect the heart and need emergency care.[9][11] Hidden alcohol in mouthwash, sanitisers, and some cough medicines can trigger it too.
A prescribing psychiatrist answers this one person by person. The answer depends on the treatment goal, the person’s history, and their physical health. There is no safe blanket rule to give here, and anyone taking naltrexone should follow the guidance their own doctor gave them.
No. Every major evidence review, including the 2023 JAMA systematic review, positions these medicines as first-line options in combination with psychosocial treatment.[6] Medication can lower cravings, but it cannot rebuild routines, relationships, or coping skills.
Naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are not habit-forming, and they do not produce a high. None of them is a controlled or dependence-producing substance. They still need medical supervision, but the concern with them is suitability and safety, not addiction.
No. Zepbound (tirzepatide) is not approved for alcohol use disorder in India or anywhere else. The randomised trial evidence on GLP-1 drugs and drinking involves semaglutide, not tirzepatide. And even that is still early-stage research, not approved treatment.[12][13][15]
By assessing the full picture. That means drinking history and withdrawal risk, and it means liver and kidney function. It means co-occurring mental health conditions, other medicines being taken, previous treatment attempts, and the person’s own goals. Then the psychiatrist matches those findings against what each medicine does and requires.
Taking the Next Step
If you take one thing from this page, make it this. There is real, evidence-backed medical help for alcohol addiction, and it is more available in India than most people realise.
Not a miracle. Not a shortcut. Naltrexone and acamprosate have decades of trial data behind them, and disulfiram has a genuine role for the right person, with supervision.
Researchers are actively studying newer options too, and that’s a far better position than families were in twenty years ago.
What hasn’t changed is the starting point. Every one of these medicines begins the same way. Someone sits down with a psychiatrist and gets properly assessed.
That is not a hurdle placed in your way. It is the part that makes the rest of it safe and worth doing.
If you’re ready to understand what treatment could look like for you or someone in your family, the clinical team at Abhasa Rehab and Wellness offers a confidential consultation. You can ask questions without deciding anything.
And for the full picture of evidence-based alcohol addiction treatment, including detox, therapy, and aftercare, see our complete alcohol addiction guide. If you’d like to know what the admission process involves before speaking to anyone, our admission guide explains it step by step.
Talk to Abhasa’s clinical team confidentially.
Call info@abhasa.in or +91-73736-44444 Our compassionate team understands what you’re going through
Continue Learning
- How to Stop Drinking Alcohol - practical, day-to-day strategies for cutting down or quitting, alongside medical support.
- Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms - what withdrawal actually feels like, and why it needs medical supervision.
- Family Therapy for Alcohol Addiction - how the people around someone in recovery can help, and where therapy fits alongside medication.
- Alcohol Addiction: The Complete Guide - our pillar page covering causes, detox, therapy, and aftercare in full.
References
[1] Ambekar A, Agrawal A, Rao R, et al. “Magnitude of Substance Use in India” (AIIMS-NIMHANS National Survey). Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. 2019.
[2] American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Alcohol Use Disorder. 2022.
[3] World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics – 6C40.2 Alcohol dependence. https://icd.who.int/
[4] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Medication for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: A Brief Guide.” Publication No. SMA15-4907.
[5] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “Core Resource on Alcohol – Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder.” NIAAA, National Institutes of Health. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
[6] McPheeters M, O’Connor EA, Riley S, et al. “Pharmacotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” JAMA. 2023;330(17):1653-1665. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2811435
[7] Jonas DE, Amick HR, Feltner C, et al. “Pharmacotherapy for Adults With Alcohol Use Disorders in Outpatient Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” JAMA. 2014;311(18):1889-1900. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1869208
[8] “Pharmacoprophylaxis of Alcohol Dependence: Review and Update Part II – Efficacy.” Indian Journal of Psychiatry. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2899995/
[9] “Disulfiram – Mitigating Unintended Effects.” NIH National Library of Medicine, PubMed Central. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9952438/
[10] Skinner MD, Lahmek P, Pham H, Aubin HJ. “Disulfiram Efficacy in the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence: A Meta-Analysis.” PLOS ONE. 2014;9(2):e87366. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24520330/
[11] Mayo Clinic. “Disulfiram (Oral Route): Description, Precautions and Side Effects.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/disulfiram-oral-route/description/drg-20063488
[12] Hendershot CS, Bremmer MP, Paladino MB, et al. “Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Psychiatry. 2025;82(4):395-405. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11822619/
[13] Klausen MK, Justesen SK, Pedersen JJ, et al. “Once-weekly semaglutide versus placebo in patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” The Lancet. 2026;407:1687-1698. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42070571/
[14] National Institutes of Health. “Adding weekly GLP-1 to cognitive behavioral therapy further reduces heavy drinking.” NIH News Release, 2026. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/adding-weekly-glp-1-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-further-reduces-heavy-drinking
[15] “Semaglutide and Tirzepatide reduce alcohol consumption in individuals with obesity.” Scientific Reports. 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10684505/
- Medically Reviewed by
- Senior Consultant Psychiatrist & Medical Director
- Abhasa Rehab and Wellness
Medical Disclaimer:This article is for general information and education only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it must not be used to select, start, stop, or adjust any medication. No dosing information is provided here by design. Medication for alcohol use disorder should only be prescribed and monitored by a qualified doctor after an individual clinical assessment.
Stopping alcohol suddenly after prolonged heavy drinking can be medically dangerous. Speak to a doctor before stopping.
Seek immediate medical care if you or someone else experiences:
- Seizures or severe body tremors
- Confusion, disorientation, or hallucinations
- High fever with heavy sweating
- Chest pain, a racing heartbeat, or difficulty breathing
- A suspected disulfiram-alcohol reaction
Emergency and support numbers (India):
- Medical emergency / ambulance: 108 or 112
- Tele-MANAS (Government of India, 24/7): 14416 or 1-800-891-4416
- Vandrevala Foundation Helpline (24/7): +91 9999 666 555
- iCall: 9152987821
Our Editorial Process
This article was developed by the Abhasa Clinical Team and medically reviewed by Dr. Naveen Kumar V, MBBS, DPM (Psychiatry), Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Abhasa Rehab and Wellness, with over 20 years of clinical experience in addiction psychiatry and dual diagnosis.
Every clinical claim on this page is attributed inline to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 source. These include peer-reviewed journals (JAMA, JAMA Psychiatry, The Lancet, PLOS ONE, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Scientific Reports), government and institutional health bodies (SAMHSA, NIAAA, NIH, WHO, AIIMS-NIMHANS, Government of India), and established medical institutions (Mayo Clinic). Emerging research is labelled as emerging throughout, and it’s kept structurally separate from established treatment.
This page contains no dosing guidance and makes no recommendation for or against any specific medicine for any individual reader. It is reviewed on a fixed schedule and updated when guidance or evidence changes.