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Vol. 61 No. 4 (2025)
DOI: 10.4415/ANN_25_04_10
Original Articles
2025-12-09
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Sodium oxybate and acamprosate association for maintenance of alcohol abstinence: a case series

Authors

Fabio Caputo , Martina Lombardi , Caterina Trevisan , Anna Loffreda , Alberto Casabianca , Lisa Lungaro , Anna Costanzini , Giacomo Caio , Gianni Testino , Stefano Volpato , Roberto De Giorgio

Abstract

Background. Disulfiram, acamprosate (ACM), naltrexone, and nalmefene are medications currently approved for the treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Baclofen and sodium oxybate (SO) have been approved for the treatment of AUD and alcohol withdrawal syndrome in France and Italy, respectively. However, concerning the effectiveness of combined therapies for AUD, data from the current literature are contrasting.
Aims. To investigate the outcomes of combined therapy of SO and ACM for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence.
Methods. A sample of 48 AUD patients consecutively enrolled and treated with SO (50-100 mg/kg of body weight, t.i.d.) plus ACM (666 mg three times daily; with dosage reduced in patients with body weight <60 kg) was observed for 12 weeks.
Results. At the 3-month visit, continuous abstinence from alcohol was maintained by 34 patients (70.8%). Fifteen patients (31.3%) reported side effects like nausea, dizziness, and abdominal pain, with no significant differences between abstinent and not abstinent patients.
Conclusion. SO plus ACM may be an effective and safe pharmacological combination for maintaining alcohol abstinence in AUD patients. Future ad hoc clinical trials are needed to test this therapeutic association for AUD treatment.

Keywords: alcohol use disorder, combined pharmacological treatment, acamprosate, sodium oxybate

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Authors

Fabio Caputo - Centro Universitario per lo Studio ed il Trattamento delle Patologie Alcol-Correlate (PACC), Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Martina Lombardi - Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Caterina Trevisan - Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Anna Loffreda - UOSD Alcolismo, Dipartimento Dipendenze, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Caserta, Caserta, Italy

Alberto Casabianca - Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Ospedale SS. Annunziata, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Cento, Ferrara, Italy

Lisa Lungaro - Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Anna Costanzini - Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Giacomo Caio - Centro Universitario per lo Studio ed il Trattamento delle Patologie Alcol-Correlate (PACC), Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Gianni Testino - Struttura Complessa Patologie delle Dipendenze ed Epatologia Alcol correlata, ASL3, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy

Stefano Volpato - Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

Roberto De Giorgio - Centro Universitario per lo Studio ed il Trattamento delle Patologie Alcol-Correlate (PACC), Dipartimento di Medicina Traslazionale, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy

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Copyright (c) 2025 Istituto Superiore di Sanità

How to Cite
Caputo, F., Lombardi, M., Trevisan, C., Loffreda, A., Casabianca, A., Lungaro, L., Costanzini, A., Caio, G., Testino, G., Volpato, S., & De Giorgio, R. (2025). Sodium oxybate and acamprosate association for maintenance of alcohol abstinence: a case series. Annali dell’Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 61(4), 315–319. https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_25_04_10
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