The role of non-conventional treatments in the management of alcohol use disorder— a focused review

ABSTRACT

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a devastating disease with branching consequences that can affect one’s physical health, psychology, relationships, and finances. The etiology of AUD is as equally complicated as it is elusive, stemming from the inter- and intra-actions of a person’s genetics and environment. Instead of this, only three medications have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat AUD: Disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate. Additionally, clinicians often prescribe off-label medications such as nalmefene, varenicline, gabapentin, topiramate, zonisamide, baclofen, ondansetron, levetiracetam, quetiapine, aripiprazole, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the treatment of patients with AUD. However, traditional pharmacological drug therapies possess restrictions in indications and outcomes that may limit their usefulness. Acknowledging this shortcoming has opened discussion of exploring alternative avenues of pharmacological treatments, with emphasis on the role of East Asian medicine and its efficacy in the treatment of AUD. In this review article, we aim to highlight the potential applications and mechanisms of commonly utilized herbal preparations as well as other non-Western alternative remedies in the treatment of AUD.

KEYWORDS:

• Herbal treatment
• alcohol abuse
• acupuncture
• alternative medicine
• Chinese medicine

Data availability

Not applicable

Disclosure statement

All authors approved the manuscript and this submission. The authors have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was required or obtained for this manuscript.