Esperal implant for alcoholism

Alcoholism treatment.

Alcoholism treatment is important and complicated. Alcoholism can be a very difficult form of addiction to come out of, just like any other case of substance abuse. An alcohol addict derives some pleasure from taking alcohol, which the addict cannot do without. An alcohol addict feels moody if alcohol is not taken for some period of time. However, alcohol addiction can cost people a lot of things. They can have damaged relationships, reduced performance at work, and many health issues, such as extensive liver damage and abdominal obesity, commonly called beer belly, which is linked to diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Most people who are addicted to alcohol want to stop taking alcohol but discover that it is difficult for them to stop taking alcohol. So, there is a need for effective alcoholism treatment.

Alcohol addiction is a disease that claims the lives of millions of people around the world. This affects not only the person who consumes alcohol but also his family and society as a whole. Fortunately, alcoholism can be cured with modern medical procedures. However, this requires the cooperation of drug addicts and doctors, as well as those closest to the person struggling with addiction.
In this article, we will look at the antabuse implant for alcoholism treatment, a procedure that is a vital part of alcoholism treatment. You will be able to find out what antabuse implants are, how they work, how safe they are, and why they are so helpful in alcoholism treatment.

Implants for alcoholism treatment

Implants for alcoholism treatment, aka Esperal, are the newest and most effective treatment for alcohol addiction. The method’s popularity is growing fast in the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Disulfiram, first discovered in the 1930s, is a substance that has been used to treat alcoholism for almost a century. Although this form of medication is nothing new, to date, it remains one of the most effective substances for preventing alcoholism. Antabuse works by preventing the normal processing of ethanol in the digestive system. Instead, acetaldehyde, a dangerous substance, builds up, leading to nausea, rapid heartbeat, and many other uncomfortable symptoms that should seriously discourage a patient from consuming alcohol.

The breakthrough in alcoholism treatment came in the 1960s with the first Antabuse implants. After this point, a constant release of the substance into the bloodstream was guaranteed. This made it impossible to return to alcohol without consequences.
Most importantly, the implants for alcoholism provide a period of time during which the person is completely protected from the effects of alcohol. During this time, the individual has a chance to solve any physical and mental problems that may cause a desire to return to destructive habits. Therefore, antabuse implants are treated as an additional layer of protection in the difficult period of rehabilitation after the end of treatment.

The Esperal implant for alcoholism treatment is the most technologically sophisticated device. The Esperal implant for alcoholism is a microchip that the doctor can turn on and off and has a digital identity. It works simply. If you consume alcohol within the safe limit (a bottle of kombucha or one bottle of non-alcoholic beer), no effects will occur. However, if you exceed the predetermined recommended level, the Esperal implant for alcoholism will release disulfiram into the bloodstream and cause a severe disulfiram ethanol reaction (DER). These “unpleasant” side effects will motivate you to stop drinking alcohol. After about five years, the chip will dissolve on its own. It’s a painless process, and the chip is inserted with a high-pressure air syringe. You will not feel pain, cuts, bleeding, stitches, scars, or marks.

Disulfiram in the Esperal implant

When tetraethylthiuram disulfide, also known as disulfiram (Antabuse), came out, it was a huge breakthrough in alcoholism treatment. Though, in itself, it is not a complete treatment of alcoholism, as you will need to combine it with other methods that address the underlying issues, it deals with the component of psychological dependence on alcohol. Alcoholics take a lot of alcohol, partly because it gives them some pleasure. Disulfiram gives you an unpleasant experience when taken with alcohol. If you take alcohol when taking disulfiram, you will most likely react with symptoms like throbbing headaches, heat flushes, chest pain, palpitations, breathing difficulty, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and discomfort. This will happen even if you take small quantities of alcohol, and it will get worse if you take large quantities of alcohol. This reaction is usually not life-threatening, however. It becomes easier to withdraw from alcohol when it becomes unpleasant. However, a caveat is that when disulfiram is taken as a tablet, it only stays in your body for a short while. So, in many cases of addiction being treated with disulfiram pills, they stop taking the pills and resume taking alcohol after a few days without having any adverse effects. However, there is now a more effective alcoholism treatment that can keep disulfiram in your blood for longer, and you cannot just stop it at will—introducing the Esperal implant.

Esperal implant: an effective alcoholism treatment

What is the difference between Esperal implant and Antabuse pills? That may be the question on your mind. They contain the same drug, which is disulfiram; however, they are used differently. Every day, people take the pills by mouth, but some parts of the body also receive implants under the skin. The implants are better than the pills and are more effective in controlling the desire for alcohol because they make it easier to adhere to your treatment. Instead of taking the pills every day, you can have an implant in your body that will be effective for up to 5 years. Another reason why the Esperal implant is a more effective alcoholism treatment than disulfiram pills is that you need to consult the doctor if you want to stop. You cannot just decide to stop “secretly” and keep taking your alcohol. This makes you hate alcohol more because you know the consequences of taking alcohol when the Esperal implant is in your body.

How safe is this form of therapy?

The implant procedure under the skin is painless, and the effects are immediately visible. The entire process is very simple and is considered a well-tolerated procedure. After receiving the implant, the person will be protected against the effects of alcohol. This is because a precise dose of the drug is automatically released from the implant into the bloodstream each day for up to one month after surgery.
The implant can be injected under the skin, usually around the shoulder. However, implants can also be placed in other areas, such as the forearm, stomach, or buttocks.
As for safety, this procedure has been performed successfully for many years and has proven reliable.

Types of implants for alcoholism

Currently, there are two types of implants in use for alcoholism treatment. Although they operate on similar principles, they differ fundamentally. Let’s look at them in more detail:

Disulfiram implants

At the time of consumption, alcohol is broken down and neutralized in the liver. However, when a person is injected with a disulfiram implant, that process is stopped. As a result, a buildup of acetaldehyde occurs when alcohol is consumed, which immediately causes symptoms that mimic those of a hangover. In addition to nausea, severe headaches, hyperventilation, and dizziness, many other symptoms can also occur.
The insertion procedure is simple and leaves no scars, nor does it require subsequent stitches. Since the Disulfiram implant effectively prevents a person from consuming alcohol, it gives them enough time to regain inner strength and continue with recovery.

Naltrexone implants

This form of implant was invented after Disulfiram. Pills appeared in 1984, and implants first appeared in 2006. Since then, naltrexone implants have been used to treat alcohol dependence. The implant works by blocking receptors in the brain.
Before naltrexone therapy, patients must undergo a complete detoxification procedure that removes all traces of alcohol from the body. If the detox is performed correctly, patients will experience negative symptoms such as nausea and vomiting immediately after implantation.
After this, patients experience a reduction in the need for alcohol consumption. In this way, naltrexone helps them with their rehabilitation process while they are still getting used to living without alcohol.
Of course, the treatment with naltrexone implants can only be performed in medical facilities and under the strict supervision of doctors, who will make sure that everything runs properly following the treatment protocol.

Can an Esperal implant for alcoholism be used for alcohol addiction alone?

The Esperal implant for alcoholism treatment is very effective in treating alcoholism, especially the psychological desire to drink. However, they do not reduce the cravings for alcohol directly; they make taking alcohol unpleasant to the extent that you would rather avoid taking it. They improve their discipline by avoiding alcohol. If you use only the Esperal implant in the treatment of alcoholism, the cravings will still remain and will come back after you have stopped using the implants. We do not think anyone would want to use an Esperal implant for the rest of their lives. Hence, it is not effective when used alone. Most cases of psychological disorders usually require more than one method of treatment for complete treatment. In cases of addiction, there is more to it than just cravings for alcohol. Treatments like hypnosis, acupuncture, and other complementary treatments help address other issues that surround alcohol dependence, such as tolerance to alcohol and physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. More so, they help you to deal directly with your cravings for alcohol, while the Esperal implant helps to reduce your cravings by making alcohol unpleasant. When used together with other methods of treatment, the Esperal implant is a very effective alcoholism treatment.

The newest version of the Esperal implant contains a 3-month supply of Naltrexone, the medicine that significantly reduces the craving for alcohol. The Naltrexone from the implant continuously drips into the bloodstream during the first 50–60 days, maintaining the appropriate level of the medicine. As a result, a patient with a Naltrexone+ implant loses any interest in alcohol consumption.

You can have your Esperal implant embedded into your body at the Philadelphia Addiction Center, led by Dr. Victor Tsan. The implantation process is simple and painless. No bleeding, no stitches, no recovery, no downtime. The procedure takes approximately 3.5 hours, including 1 hour of NADA acupuncture and 1.5 hours of clinical hypnosis, and the implantation itself takes a few seconds with the help of an air-pressure syringe made by the German company Injex.

If you or someone you know and care about needs treatment for alcohol addiction, contact our clinic, and we’ll work with you through the whole process.

There are some requirements and limitations before and after the implantation of an Esperal implant for alcoholism:

1. A patient should decide for himself or herself whether he or she wants this particular type of alcoholism treatment.
2. A patient must be completely sober for two weeks before the implantation.
3. A patient shouldn’t drink coffee on the day of implantation.

Many things are allowed before and after the implantation of an Esperal implant for alcoholism:

1. A patient can use perfume.
2. A patient can use a mouthwash that contains alcohol.
3. A patient can use “Nyquil for Cold and Flu.”
4. Before implantation, the patient may use Antabuse, aka Disulfiram.
5. A patient can undergo medical procedures, tests, and surgeries right before and after implantation.
6. A patient may take any medicines prescribed by a physician even if they contain alcohol because all alcohol used in the pharmaceutical industry is chemically marked. Esperal can read the marker and not initiate the Disulfiram Ethanol Reaction (DER).
7. It is OK to eat any food prepared with alcohol (wine, cognac, vodka, or beer) because, during the cooking process, alcohol vaporizes, leaving only a pleasant taste.

Alcoholism treatment in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Addiction Center, a division of the Philadelphia Holistic Clinic, is the home for disulfiram implants for alcoholism treatment. For more details, contact our clinic at (267) 403-3085 or use our online scheduling system.