Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM

Fact Sheet

Topiramate (Eprontia, Qudexy XR, Topamax, Trokendi XR) Fact Sheet

April 21, 2026

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, Daniel Carlat, MD, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, is the first-line medication for alcohol use disorder (AUD)—though it is also approved for opioid use disorder (OUD).

Fact Sheet

Naltrexone (ReVia, Vivitrol) Fact Sheet

April 21, 2026

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, Daniel Carlat, MD, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, is the first-line medication for alcohol use disorder (AUD)—though it is also approved for opioid use disorder (OUD).

Fact Sheet

Gabapentin (Gralise, Horizant, Neurontin) Fact Sheet

April 21, 2026

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, Daniel Carlat, MD, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Gabapentin is effective as an off-label medication to ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms and to reduce cravings over the long term in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Fact Sheet

Disulfiram (Antabuse) Fact Sheet

April 21, 2026

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, Daniel Carlat, MD, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Disulfiram is an aversive treatment, causing a buildup of ethanol’s metabolite acetaldehyde in the serum, which in turn causes symptoms such as flushing, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting if patient consumes alcohol.

Fact Sheet

Acamprosate (Campral) Fact Sheet [G]

April 21, 2026

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, Daniel Carlat, MD, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Acamprosate is best for maintaining abstinence in patients who have already quit drinking, but it can be helpful even after patients relapse. Naltrexone is the better choice for patients who are still drinking, since it is better at helping patients quit. Acamprosate is preferred over naltrexone in patients with hepatic impairment.

Clinical Update

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Addiction Treatment: The Next Big Thing or Just Hype?

April 1, 2025

Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM and Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Michael Weaver, MD, DFASAM. Professor and Medical Director, Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction at the University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Drs. Weaver and Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

GLP-1 agonists have taken the world by storm, especially for weight loss—but emerging evidence suggests they may also play a role in addiction treatment. In this article, we review the latest research to highlight when these medications might offer the greatest benefit for patients with substance use disorders.

Fact Sheet

Medication Tapering Instructions

January 1, 2025

Daniel Carlat, MD, Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Regardless of which withdrawal regimen you choose, if your patient doesn’t understand the schedule of administration, they are unlikely to be successful.

Fact Sheet

Medical Issues and Alcohol Use Disorder

January 1, 2025

Daniel Carlat, MD, Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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While you will not be treating most medical complications of alcohol use, it’s important to ask patients about these things, especially as part of the motivational interviewing strategy.

Fact Sheet

How to Use Phenobarbital to Manage Alcohol Withdrawal

January 1, 2025

Daniel Carlat, MD, Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Phenobarbital is becoming more popular as a strategy for managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) as clinicians gain more experience with it.

Fact Sheet

How to Predict Severity of Alcohol Withdrawal

January 1, 2025

Daniel Carlat, MD, Michael Weaver, MD, FASAM, and Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP

Dr. Carlat, Dr. Weaver, and Dr. Puzantian have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.
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Predicting the severity of withdrawal is important for deciding on the right treatment setting.