Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by repeated use of alcohol despite significant problems associated with its use.
A problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least 2
of the following, occurring within a 12
-month period:
Criteria A and B
of the criteria set for alcohol withdrawal), orWILD
and ADDICCT
eD
can be used to remember the criteria for alcohol use disorder.
W
- Work, school, home obligations failureI
- InterpersonaL
or social consequencesD
- Dangerous useand
A
- Activities given up or reducedD
- Dependence (tolerance)D
- Dependence (withdrawal)I
- Internal consequences (physical or psychological)C
- Can't cut down or control useC
- CravingsT
- Time-consuming useD
- Duration or amount is greater than intendedSpecify if:
3
months but for less than 12
months (with the exception that Criterion A4
, “Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use alcohol,” may be met).12
months or longer (with the exception that Criterion A4
, “Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use alcohol,” may be met).Specify if:
2
to 3
symptoms4
to 5
symptoms6
+ symptomsImportant questions to ask on alcohol use history include:
Type A alcoholism individuals typically respond better to sertraline, compared to Type B who have no improvement.[18]
Name | Rater | Description | Download |
---|---|---|---|
CAGE | Patient | The CAGE Questionnaire is an acronym formed from the 4 questions on the questionnaire (Cutting down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye opener). The CAGE is a simple screening questionnaire for alcohol use disorder. Two “yes” is a positive screen for males; one “yes” is a positive for females. | Download |
AUDIT | Patient | The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire. It asks questions about past-year quantity and frequency of drinking, consequences of drinking (e.g., blackouts), and questions similar to the CAGE. It may be more accurate than the CAGE in identifying alcohol use disorders. Also, unlike the CAGE, it can help distinguish alcohol dependence from hazardous or at-risk drinking. | Download |
Name | Mechansim | Dose | Adverse Events, Side Effects, and Contraindications | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Naltrexone | • Blocks mu opioid receptor and reduces the euphoria of EtOH | • 25mg PO daily x 3 days, then increase to 50mg PO daily • Can titrate up to 150mg PO daily • No need to abstain before starting | • Can cause reversible elevations in AST/ALT, order first at baseline, and check again in 1 month's time. Stop if more than 3x LFT elevation. Can also cause GI side effects. • Contraindications: opioid use (due to it competitively displacing opioid medications from their binding sites and precipitating withdrawal), hepatitis, liver failure | Particularly effective for those who report a high euphoria immediately after drinking. Naltrexone has a NNT of about 9. |
Acamprosate (“Campral”) | • Glutamate antagonist, mimics GABA • Not entirely understood • Restores normal balance of neuronal excitation? | • 666mg TID • 333mg TID if renal impairment | • Diarrhea, anxiety • Contraindications: Severe renal impairment (if GFR < 30)[28] | Expensive medication! |
Gabapentin | • GABA agonist | • 100mg PO BID + 300mg PO qHS x 4 days • Initial dose 300 mg TID (900mg daily) • Optimal dose is 600 mg TID (1800 daily)[29] | • Low side-effect profile and very well tolerated • Mild headache, fatigue | • Gabapentin can be started rapidly in patients with chronic alcohol use because they already have a ramped up GABA system, i.e. - high GABA levels • In chronic alcoholism, there is ++ GABA activation (EtOH is a GABA agonist), therefore, it is OK to start on a higher dose of gabapentin • However, in mild alcohol use disorder, you must slowly titrate up the dose |
Disulfram (“Antabuse”) | • Inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase • Increases serum acetaldehyde causing toxic symptoms - nausea, tachycardia | • 125mg PO daily, increase to 250mg daily if reports no reaction to NNT = 9 | • With EtOH: vomiting, flushed face, headache • Without EtOH: headache, anxiety, garlic-taste, acne, peripheral neuropathy, depressive symptoms • Can cause severe hypotension and arrhythmias • To avoid a severe reaction, wait at least 24-48 hours between the last drink and the first drink • May trigger psychosis at high doses • Contraindications: liver cirrhosis, pregnancy, and unstable cardiovascular disease | Relatively poor evidence for efficacy |
Topiramate | • Alters GABA receptors | • 50mg PO daily; titrate by 50mg to a max of 300mg daily | • Fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, nervousness, numbness in hands/feet | Like most anticonvulsants, there is an associated risk of birth defects. Taking topiramate in the 1st trimester of pregnancy may increase risk of cleft lip/cleft palate in the infant. |
Baclofen | GABA agonist | • Initial dose 5mg TID, increase to 10mg TID • Maximum daily dose 80mg | • Drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, headache, trouble sleeping, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, or constipation. | Hallucinations and seizures have occurred on abrupt withdrawal of baclofen. Therefore, except for serious adverse reactions, the dose should be reduced slowly when the drug is discontinued. |
Various psychosocial interventions can be highly effective for alcohol use disorder including:
Guideline | Location | Year | Website | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Canadian Guideline for the Clinical Management of High-Risk Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder | Canada | 2023 | Link (see also: comment on sertraline use in AUD) | Link |
Canadian Guidelines on Alcohol Use Disorder Among Older Adults | Canada | 2020 | - | Link |
British Columbia Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) | Canada | 2019 | Link | Link |
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) | UK | 2011 | - | Link |
American Psychiatric Association (APA) | USA | 2018 | - | Link |
European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) - Wernicke Encephalopathy | Europe | 2010 | - | Link |