The only study available on disulfiram showed reduced REM sleep .
Acamprosate showed no/little effect on self-reported sleep but improved sleep continuity and architecture measured by polysomnography .
The two opioidergic drugs naltrexone and nalmefene had mainly detrimental effect on sleep , giving increased insomnia and /or somnolence compared with placebo , although not always significant .
The meta- analysis confirmed significantly increased somnolence and insomnia in the naltrexone group , compared with the placebo .
Overall , the currently available evidence s show more sleep problems with the opioidergic drugs ( especially naltrexone ) , while acamprosate seems to be well tolerated or even beneficial .
Acamprosate might be a more suitable choice when patients with AUD report sleep problems .
Background : Sleep disorders are commonly associated with acute and chronic use of alcohol and with abstinence .
To date , there are four approved drugs to treat alcohol use disorder ( AUD ) : disulfiram , acamprosate , naltrexone , and nalmefene .
These AUD therapies reduce the craving and risk of relapse into heavy drinking , but little is known about their effect on sleep .
As recent evidence s indicate a crucial role of sleep disorders in AUD , cl aim ing that sleep problems may trigger alcohol abuse and relapses , it is fundamental to clarify the impact of those drugs on the sleep quality of AUD patients .
This systematic review aims to answer the question : how does the pharmacotherapy for AUD affect sleep ?
Acamprosate treatment in a long-term community-based alcohol rehabilitation programme.
AIMS To evaluate the efficacy of acamprosate in maintaining abstinence in weaned alcohol-dependent patients . DESIGN A multicentre , double-blind , r and omized control trial . Patients were individually r and omly allocated to active or placebo conditions . Abstinence was assessed during a 6-month treatment period and after a 6-month follow-up period . SETTING A community-based , outpatient alcohol rehabilitation programme . PARTICIPANTS Two hundred and forty-six alcohol-dependent patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years were recruited immediately following acute , inpatient withdrawal treatment . MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome measure was self-reported abstinence from alcohol since the previous sessions at 3 , 6 , 9 and 12 months following the start of treatment , with treatment taking place for a period of 6 months . FINDINGS A significantly higher proportion of patients in the acamprosate group were abstinent after 3 months and 6 months of treatment . The percentage of patients with continuous abstinence at the end of the treatment period was almost double for the acamprosate group than for the placebo group ( 40.7 % vs. 20.8 % , respectively ) . Acamprosate significantly increased the retention of patients in the treatment programme . Six months after drug treatment ceased , the criterion of abstinence since the previous visit was reached by significantly more patients from the acamprosate group ( 43.4 % ) than from the placebo group ( 29.8 % ) , but this difference was not statistically significant at the 3-month point after cessation of study medication . CONCLUSIONS Acamprosate may be a useful pharmacological compound for the long-term treatment of alcohol-dependence when applied in a community-based rehabilitation programme
The only study available on disulfiram showed reduced REM sleep .
Acamprosate showed no/little effect on self-reported sleep but improved sleep continuity and architecture measured by polysomnography .
The two opioidergic drugs naltrexone and nalmefene had mainly detrimental effect on sleep , giving increased insomnia and /or somnolence compared with placebo , although not always significant .
The meta- analysis confirmed significantly increased somnolence and insomnia in the naltrexone group , compared with the placebo .
Overall , the currently available evidence s show more sleep problems with the opioidergic drugs ( especially naltrexone ) , while acamprosate seems to be well tolerated or even beneficial .
Acamprosate might be a more suitable choice when patients with AUD report sleep problems .
Background : Sleep disorders are commonly associated with acute and chronic use of alcohol and with abstinence .
To date , there are four approved drugs to treat alcohol use disorder ( AUD ) : disulfiram , acamprosate , naltrexone , and nalmefene .
These AUD therapies reduce the craving and risk of relapse into heavy drinking , but little is known about their effect on sleep .
As recent evidence s indicate a crucial role of sleep disorders in AUD , cl aim ing that sleep problems may trigger alcohol abuse and relapses , it is fundamental to clarify the impact of those drugs on the sleep quality of AUD patients .
This systematic review aims to answer the question : how does the pharmacotherapy for AUD affect sleep ?