Alcohol use disorder<unk>  has been best studied as a treatment for alcoholism.<unk>  has been shown to decrease the amount and frequency of drinking. It does not appear to change the percentage of people drinking. Its overall benefit has been described as "modest". Acamprosate may work better than<unk>  for eliminating drinking, while<unk>  may decrease the desire for alcohol to a greater extent. The Sinclair method is a method of using opiate antagonists such as<unk>  to treat alcoholism. The person takes the medication once, about an hour before drinking, to avoid side effects that arise from chronic use. The opioid antagonist is thought to block the positive-reinforcement effects of alcohol and may assist the person to stop or reduce drinking. Opioid use Long-acting injectable<unk>  is an opioid antagonist, blocking the effects of heroin and other opioids, and decreases heroin use compared to a placebo. Unlike methadone and buprenorphine, it is not a controlled medication. It may decrease cravings for opioids after a number of weeks, and decreases the risk of overdose, at least during the time period that<unk>  is still active, though concern about risk of overdose for those stopping treatment remains. It is given once per month and has better compliance and effect for opioid use than the oral formulation. A drawback of injectable<unk>  as compared to methadone and buprenorphine is the requirement for a period of opioid abstinence before starting the medication, as the injection can otherwise cause sudden and intense opioid withdrawal. This "hurdle" is responsible for worse patient uptake with long-acting injectable<unk>  as compared with buprenorphine. Among patients able to successfully initiate injectable<unk> , long-term rates were similar Another concern is that while methadone and buprenorphine patients maintain high drug tolerance in the event of return to street drug use,<unk>  allows tolerance to fade, leading to risk of overdose in people who relapse and thus higher mortality. Guidelines from the World Health Organization cite evidence of superiority in reducing mortality and retaining patients in care with opioid agonists (methadone or buprenorphine), concluding that most patients should be advised to use agonists rather than antagonists like<unk> . A 2011 review found insufficient evidence to determine the effect of<unk>  taken by mouth in opioid dependence. While some do well with this formulation, it must be taken daily, and a person whose cravings become overwhelming can obtain opioid intoxication simply by skipping a dose. Due to this issue, the usefulness of oral<unk>  in opioid use disorders is limited by the low retention in treatment.<unk>  by mouth remains an ideal treatment for a small number of people with opioid use, usually those with a stable social situation and motivation. With additional contingency management support,<unk>  may be effective in a broader population. Others<unk>  is not useful for quitting smoking.<unk>  has also been under investigation for reducing behavioral addictions such as gambling or kleptomania as well as compulsive sexual behaviors in both offenders and non-offenders (e.g. compulsive porn viewing and masturbation). The results were promising. In one study, the majority of sexual offenders reported a strong reduction in sexual urges and fantasies which reverted back to baseline once the medication was discontinued. Diverse case reports showed cessation of gambling and other compulsive behaviors as well, as long as the medication was taken. Available forms<unk>  is available and most commonly used in the form of an oral tablet (50 mg). Vivitrol, a<unk>  formulation for depot injection containing 380 mg of the medication per vial, is also available. Additionally,<unk>  subcutaneous implants that are surgically implanted are available. While these are manufactured in Australia, they are not authorized for use within Australia, but only for export. By 2009,<unk>  implants showed superior efficacy in the treatment of heroin dependence when compared to the oral form.
Naltrexone
Normethadone
Isomethadone
Methadone
Buprenorphine
Guanfacine
Nabilone
Atomoxetine