Campral |
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Campral is prescribed to treat alcohol dependence.
Acamprosate is thought to stabilize the chemical balance in the brain that would otherwise be disrupted by alcoholism, possibly by blocking glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, while gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptors are activated. Reports indicate that acamprosate only works with a combination of attending support groups and abstinence from alcohol. Certain serious side effects include allergic reactions, irregular heartbeats, and low or high blood pressure, while less serious side effects include headaches, insomnia, and impotence. Acamprosate should not be taken by people with kidney problems or allergies to the drug.
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| Dosage |
Packing |
Price |
Add to basket |
| 333 mg |
84 tab ($1.2 per tab) |
USD 102.00 |
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| 333 mg |
168 tab ($1.1 per tab) |
USD 185.00 |
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Campral: Medications and Prescriptions
Generic name: acamprosate
Product Brand Name: Campral
Product Manufacturer: Merck, France
Campral description
Why is Campral prescribed?
Campral is prescribed to treat alcohol dependence. It helps people who have already stopped drinking alcohol keep from starting again. You must be alcohol-free before taking Campral for it to work. You must also be prepared to follow a complete alcohol treatment plan that includes mental and behavioral health counseling. Campral is thought to work by restoring and regulating brain chemicals that have been disrupted by long-term exposure to alcohol. Campral is not used for any type of substance dependence other than alcohol.
Mechanism of action:
Glutamate, as amino acid, is one of the most important messenger substances used by the nervous system. The cell membrane of the receiving neuron has NMDA receptors that bund the incoming glutamate. Binding leads to a flood of sodium and calcium ions inside the neuron, setting off an action potential that arouses the cell. Alcohol blocks the binding of glutamate to NMDA receptors – slowing or stopping the forwarding of messages. To compensate – and raise the chance of capturing glutamate – the number of receptors and their sensitivity are increased in the brain of people who chronically consume alcohol.
Yet if the alcohol supply is interrupted – duting a period of abstinence or even duting a single night’s sleep for the most dependent alcoholics – the receptors continue to be more sensitive, because the brain cann not adjust quicly enough to the new chemical situation. As a result, neurons overreact to glutamate. This hyperexcitatory condition is a major factor leading to withdrawal symptoms such as craving, unstable blood circulation and anxiety. The excessive activity can also kill off large numbers of neurons – essentially by poisoning them with too many chemicals – causing dementia or lasting damage of the nervous system.
Mechanism: Acamprosate suppress NMDA receptors and seems especially helpful for persons suffering conditioned withdrawal. Clinical studies shows patients remain dry for the first year after detoxification while taking acamprosate. The drug is particularly effective during the first few hard month os abstinence, when relapce rates are the highest.
Most important fact about Campral:
Individuals being treated with Campral and their caregivers should be aware that alcohol dependence and mental health problems frequently occur together. Pay special attention to any worsening of depression or any new symptoms that occur while taking Campral--especially agitation, anxiety, hostility, and suicidal thoughts or behavior--and report them to the doctor immediately.
How should you take Campral?
Campral may be taken with food or on an empty stomach. However, taking it with meals may make it easier to keep on a regular schedule. Continue taking Campral regularly even if you experience a relapse.
--If you miss a dose...
Take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and return to your regular schedule. Do not take two doses at once.
--Storage instructions...
Store at room temperature.
Campral side effects
Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, tell your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe to continue using Campral.
Side effects may include:
Anxiety, body pain or weakness, chest pain, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, heart failure, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, kidney failure, nausea, seizure, sudden death, and suicidal thinking or suicide attempt
Why should Campral not be prescribed?
You cannot use Campral if you have severe kidney disease. You must also avoid the drug if it causes an allergic reaction.
Special warnings about Campral
You must completely avoid alcohol while taking Campral. If you begin drinking again, keep taking Campral and call your doctor right away to discuss your relapse. Campral does not relieve the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Use Campral with caution if you have kidney problems. Because mental health problems and alcoholism frequently occur together, tell your doctor about any change in mood or behavior while using Campral (see "Most important fact about Campral"). Campral could affect your judgment, thinking, or motor skills. Do not drive, operate dangerous machinery, or participate in hazardous activities until you know how Campral affects you.
Possible food and drug interactions when taking Campral
At this time, there are no documented drug interactions with Campral. However, you should always tell the doctor about any medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Campral has not been studied in pregnant women and should be used only if the benefits outweigh the potential risks. Be sure to tell your doctor if you're pregnant or plan to become pregnant. In lab studies Campral showed up in the milk of breastfeeding animals. It is not known whether Campral appears in human breast milk. Your doctor may advise you not to breastfeed while taking this drug.
Recommended dosage for Campral:
ADULTS
The usual starting dose is two tablets (each tablet contains 333 milligrams) taken three times a day, for a total of six tablets a day. Your doctor may lower the dose as needed. People with moderate kidney disease take half the regular dose—one tablet three times a day.
CHILDREN
The safety and effectiveness of Campral have not been studied in children.
Overdosage
Any medication taken in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Symptoms of overdose may include: Diarrhea
Campral notes:
Manufactured by a French company named Merck, Campral is the product brand name of acamprosate. Campral is an alcoholism medicine that is beneficiary for people who have stopped drinking. It cannot be prescribed to patients who are not hundred percent alcohol free or are not ready to undergo a total alcohol treatment, including the health counseling related to the mental and behavioral conditions. In addition, patients with addictions other than alcoholism cannot be prescribed to have the campral drug.
Campral medication helps to revive the brain chemicals and bring them back to normal functioning, after the same is hindered by the continuous exposure to alcohol for a long time. It is vital to understand that the brain cells of an alcoholic are overtly sensitive and drug acamprosate mechanism of action, reduces this hyper sensitivity of the brain cells. During the time a patient, who has undergone a detoxification, takes Campral, it helps him/her to stay away from the urge to start drinking alcohol again.
Campral reviews have shown that a few of the patients, who have been prescribed to take the drug, might develop symptoms of agitation, anxiety, hostility, and suicidal thoughts or behavior. Any such symptoms should immediately be reported to the doctor. Moreover, people taking care of alcohol dependent patients need to remember that alcohol dependence can be a major cause of mental health problems, and to treat the patient, alcoholism medicine needs to be combined with much love and care.
Although, Campral costs are quite high, it is still a preferred medicine for alcoholics. An 84 tablet packing of Campral 333 mg costs USD 98.00. Campral can be taken either empty stomach or with meals. Even if a patient forgets to take a dose, it should be given to him/her as soon as one remembers about it, unless it is time for the next dose.
Campral update:
Campral known in the medical terminology as acamprosate is a drug used worldwide for curing alcohol addiction. The repercussions of this drug are to counteract the production of glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and stimulate the creation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptors which have been affected adversely when alcohol intake is curtailed. For people facing alcohol problems, this drug can be used for recovery during a period of their self-restraint from alcohol and when they are attending alcohol support groups.
Apart from making patients leave alcohol, it also reduces the potent side-effects caused by leaving alcohol immediately like brain injuries and death. Brain damage results subsequently after alcohol withdrawal when neurons die due to insufficient blood flow schemia).
People suffering from severe kidney ailments should not ingest this drug. Certain adverse effects of its consumption can include irregular heartbeats, erratic blood pressure, impotency and insomnia. The consumption of this drug can’t result in any kind of an addiction. It has been legalized in the European markets in 1989.
More information about Campral:
Campral, containing the active ingredient acamprosate calcium is an FDA approved prescription only medication that is used to keep former alcoholics away from their drinking habits. In other words, it is a treatment for alcoholism. It is manufactured and marketed in the US by Forest Laboratories; outside the US its marketing is handled by Merck KGaA.
Campral comes in the form of white tablets, each containing 300mg of the active substance acamprosate calcium. This active substance works in the brain to dull the effects of alcohol; it provides neuro-protection to people suffering from alcoholism and helps them get rid of the addiction. As a long-standing and widely prescribed medication, Campral has been successfully used by more than 1.5 million people worldwide.
Campral’s mode of action is to restore the chemical balance of substances in the brain that have been affected by alcoholism. However, Campral only works if the patient has stopped drinking completely. Prior to starting treatment with this drug, the patient must have gone through complete detoxification. Campral can help such a patient stay away from alcohol; however, it is not effective if the person is an active alcoholic.
The drug is an easy to use one that just requires the patient to stick to a regular dosage schedule. It can be taken with or without food, but preferably around the meal times. Most adult patients who are started on Campral are prescribed a dosage of six tablets a day to be taken in batches of two tablets, thrice daily. It is usually advised only to adult patients as its effects in children have not been studied.
Similarly, this drug has also not been studied sufficiently for pregnant or breast-feeding women and so should be taken with care by both groups. Always talk to your doctor before starting on its treatment if you are pregnant or have recently delivered a baby.
As a drug for the treatment of alcoholism, Campral is bound to have certain side effects on account of its action in the brain. Among the major known side effects of this drug, anxiety, chest pain, body pain, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and insomnia are more common. On rare occasions, there have also been reports of more serious side effects like heart failure, kidney failure, seizure, sudden death, and suicidal thoughts. Patients on Campral must be closely monitored during treatment to ensure avoidance of any such side effects.
Campral is an effective medication and treatment if it is taken regularly and for the period prescribed by your doctor. You must continue taking Campral for the entire period advised even if you suffer a relapse and start drinking again during treatment; just make sure you talk to your doctor immediately. This is most important because while Campral can help you stay away from alcohol, it does not provide any relief against the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
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Drug category:Alcohol addiction
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