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 ?
Naltrexone as an adjunctive treatment for older patients with alcohol dependence.
The authors examined the efficacy of naltrexone as an adjunctive treatment for alcohol dependence in older adults . Forty-four veterans over 50 years of age were enrolled in a 12-week , double-blind , placebo-controlled efficacy study of naltrexone ( the equivalent of 50 mg per day ) . There were no differences in the frequency of any self-reported adverse effects or in liver enzyme values between the placebo- and naltrexone-treated groups . There were no differences between the treatment groups in the number of subjects remaining abstinent or in the number of subjects who relapsed . However , all placebo-treated subjects relapsed after sampling alcohol , whereas only three of six naltrexone-treated subjects met relapse criteria after alcohol exposure ( P = 0.024 ) . The authors conclude that naltrexone was well tolerated and efficacious in preventing relapse in subjects who drank
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 ?