Alcohol use disorder - Articles - Page 2

Clinical Update

Gabapentin: A Double-Edged Sword

April 1, 2023

Shram Shukla, MD. Addiction psychiatry fellow, Yale School of Medicine. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Shukla and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Gabapentin has become one of the most widely prescribed medications in America. At the same time, concerns have emerged about its association with opioid overdose deaths. In this article, we review the data behind gabapentin treatment: when it should be used, how to use it, and when it should be avoided.

Expert Q&A

Substance-Induced Depression: Diagnosis and Treatment

April 1, 2023

Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD

Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD

Associate professor, Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina. Charleston, SC.

Dr. Tolliver has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

“When tailoring medication choice, a careful history can guide you. If I’m treating a patient who drinks excessively at night to sleep or who struggles with insomnia when they try to stop drinking, I’ll start with a sedating antidepressant like mirtazapine. That’s not an evidence-based decision, it’s a clinical decision that I think can be helpful.”

Dr. Tolliver gives us a framework to understand the relation between depression, substance use, and substance-induced mood disorders.

Clinical Update

Naltrexone: A Jack of All Trades?

April 1, 2023

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD. Psychiatry resident, Yale University. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Nunes and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Naltrexone was once hailed as a treatment for all addictive disorders. While the hype has not entirely panned out, it still holds an important place in our armamentarium of addiction treatments. Here, we review the evidence for its use and provide prescribing recommendations.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Thiamine Supplementation in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder

January 30, 2023

Peter J. Farago, MD.

Peter J. Farago, MD. Dr. Farago has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

We review an article that examines rates of thiamine supplementation for those with alcohol use disorder in the real world. Researchers wondered, how often is thiamine supplemented properly? The answer they found: not that often.

CLINICAL UPDATE

Alcohol Use Disorder and Thiamine Supplementation

January 30, 2023

Audrey Abelleira, PharmD, BCPP

Audrey Abelleira, PharmD, BCPP. Clinical pharmacist practitioner, Pain Management and Opioid Safety Program Coordinator, VA Connecticut Healthcare System. Clinical instructor, Yale School of Medicine. New Haven, CT.

Dr. Abelleira has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

We all learn that patients with alcohol use disorder should receive thiamine supplementation. But why, and how should it be given? We discuss the pathophysiology that underlies thiamine deficiency in alcohol use disorder and why it is so important. We then go over the latest thiamine supplementation guidelines.

EXPERT Q&A

Managing Alcohol Withdrawal in the Emergency Department

January 30, 2023

Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD

Brian Fuehrlein, MD, PhD.

Addiction psychiatrist. Associate professor of psychiatry, Yale University. Director of the psychiatric emergency department at VA Connecticut. West Haven, CT.

Dr. Fuehrlein has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Alcohol withdrawal is among the most commonly encountered scenarios managed by psychiatrists in the ED. Here, Dr. Fuehrlein discusses the natural history of alcohol withdrawal, how best to assess withdrawal risk, and choose between treatment options.

EXPERT Q&A

Psychiatric Issues in Organ Transplantation

January 2, 2023

Paula C. Zimbrean, MD, FAPA, FACLP

Paula C. Zimbrean, MD, FAPA, FACLP

Associate professor of psychiatry and surgery (transplant), Yale University School of Medicine; Chair, Transplant Psychiatry Special Interest Group, Academy of Consultation Psychiatry. New Haven, CT.

Dr. Zimbrean has consulted for Ultragenyx and Vivet Therapeutics, and has consulted and advised for Alexion. Relevant financial relationships listed for the author have been mitigated.

Growing numbers of patients receive organ transplants every year. This Q&A reviews the unique considerations that arise when these patients require psychiatric care.

Should Prolonged Abstinence From Alcohol Be Required Before Liver Transplant?

July 1, 2022

Sonya Bakshi, MD and Deepti Anbarasan, MD.

Sonya Bakshi, MD, and Deepti Anbarasan, MD.

Dr. Bakshi and Dr. Anbarasan, authors for this educational activity, have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Patients with alcohol-associated liver disease have traditionally needed to demonstrate an ability to refrain from drinking for 6 months before being deemed eligible for a liver transplant, despite the absence of research findings to support this requirement. Findings from this retrospective study show that a waiting period is not associated with improved outcomes.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Should Prolonged Abstinence From Alcohol Be Required Before Liver Transplant?

July 1, 2022

Deepti Anbarasan, MD. and Sonya Bakshi, MD

Sonya Bakshi, MD, and Deepti Anbarasan, MD.

Dr. Bakshi and Dr. Anbarasan, authors for this educational activity, have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Patients with alcohol-associated liver disease have traditionally needed to demonstrate an ability to refrain from drinking for 6 months before being deemed eligible for a liver transplant, despite the absence of research findings to support this requirement. Findings from this retrospective study show that a waiting period is not associated with improved outcomes.

Treating Agitation in ICU Patients with AUD?

May 1, 2022

Jedidiah Perdue, MD, MPH

Jedidiah Perdue, MD. Dr. Perdue has disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Patients with AUD who are hospitalized in ICUs have high rates of agitation. Researchers here investigate whether treatment with baclofen might improve outcomes.