Posted by: xantham The story of Irish soccer sensation George Best, who died last November at 59, resonates with many of the 18 million Americans who abuse or are addicted to alcohol.
The Manchester United player had wowed the world in the '60s and '70s with his fancy footwork and Gaelic good looks. But he died heavily in debt after falling off the wagon following an operation to replace his liver, irreparably damaged after decades of hard drinking.
Like many alcoholics, Best's drive to drink transcended his will to survive.
Until recently, physicians had little in their arsenal to help drinkers conquer their cravings. That might explain why so few seek help -- just 1.5 million Americans underwent any kind of treatment for "alcohol problems" in 2002, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services. Some drugs are available now to treat alcoholism, including ReVia, which has had limited success because it must be taken daily -- an obstacle for some alcoholics. Antabuse is a harsh deterrent that causes flushing, sweating, nausea and rapid heartbeat. A third treatment, Campral, should only be taken after the patient has achieved sobriety.
And last Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Vivitrol, developed by Massachusetts-based Alkermes. Vivitrol is a monthly injection form of ReVia and works by dampening the desire for alcohol. Clinical trials demonstrated that patients who took the drug in tandem with counseling cut their heavy drinking days from 19 a month to just three. Another group that received a placebo and counseling drank six days a month.
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xantham
on Apr 19 : 15:58
finally.. but I still want to drink a lot. I can turn my 30 day a month habit into uh 4, every saturday of the month. oh and everyday I have off hmm well everyday would be fine. fuck that injection |
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