Risk Factors for Alcohol Use Disorder

A former Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Wayne Macfadden MD specializes in Psychiatric treatments for Substance Use Disorders. As a Psychiatrist for the Spirit Lake Reservation, Wayne Macfadden MD evaluates and prescribes medication for patients facing issues such as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Dependency on alcohol so severe that it negatively impacts health, employability, and relationships. AUD can occur in people from any socio-economic background or ethnicity. However, some risk factors can increase the chances of developing AUD.

Habitual binge drinking, defined as consuming five or more alcoholic beverages in one day, can lead to AUD. The disorder is also more common in men who routinely have more than 15 drinks a week or women who have at least 12 drinks a week.

AUD often runs in families. Having a close family member with AUD increases susceptibility. AUD is also comorbid with other mental issues such as Schizophrenia and Major Depression.

 

Medication for Alcohol Use Disorder

Wayne Macfadden MD, works at the Spirit Lake Indian Nation Tribe Health Center in Fort Totten, North Dakota, where his responsibilities include evaluating and treating Alcohol Use Disorder. Wayne Macfadden, MD, often uses medication-assisted therapy (MAT) when treating alcohol abuse.

Medication-assisted treatment is not always a widely used option for treating Alcohol Use Disorder, but there are FDA approved medications for this purpose. These drugs are for patients trying to prevent a return to heavy alcohol drinking. Only those trained in its administration should be using this treatment option.

Disulfiram, also known as Antabuse, was the first FDA approved drug for Alcohol Use Disorder. This medication, approved in 1951, induces adverse reactions in the alcohol drinker, causing nausea, vomiting, headaches, and hangovers. These adverse reactions may be serious, and have thus deterred many people from using this medication.

Naltrexone comes as a pill and a long acting injection solution. This drug blocks the high a substance user derives from drinking alcohol. It was previously used only for drug use, but was approved for the treatment of alcohol abuse by the FDA in 1994. It also reduces the craving for alcohol in some substance users.

Acamprosate, is the newest (oral) drug approved for alcohol abuse by the FDA (2004). However, it has been used in Europe since the early 1980s. This medication reduces the severity of the withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety felt by those who stop drinking alcohol.