Tratamento farmacológico da síndrome da dependência do álcool.

Abstract

Since ancient times the man makes use of alcoholic beverages for several purposes from religious to recreational. Ethanol is a chemical substance used to prepare alcoholic beverages, which have neurological activity. The perception of substance misuse has gained a new insight that moving from an allowed and common practice for the conception of a complex disease and until now with difficult treatment. The increase in the number of people with alcohol-related problems concerns the health departments, and causes various social and clinical consequences. In Brazil, searches show an increase in alcohol use with regional differences. There are still questions that regarding the alcohol performance in the body. However, several systems have been already identified as participants of their neurological actions, which the best described are GABA, glutamate and endogenous opioids. This integrative review was conducted aiming to compile the largest possible quantity of information about the pharmaceuticals used to the treatment for Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) addressing their main aspects. The search was performed in electronic databases published between the years 2004 and 2014. Only three drugs have approval for the treatment of SDA - oral and injectable naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram – that act generating aversion to alcohol or reducing the desire for it. Other medications are in study such as topiramate, baclofen, antidepressants and ondansetron. Although, they show discrepancies in efficacy studies, and demonstrate positive results in the treatment of specific groups of alcoholics. For the initial phase of treatment, in other words, for the withdrawal of alcohol drugs are used to contain or prevent the Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS). The most effective drugs for this purpose are the benzodiazepines; furthermore exist research around other drugs with similar efficacy to the first but with less abusive potential. These alternatives currently available are insufficient for the treatment of SDA therefore some new molecular targets are being proposed as neurotransmitter systems involved in the pathogenesis of alcoholism, genetic changes that promote variations in the drugs response and active pharmaceutical ingredient extracted from plants equipped with action in reliance.