Sep
01
2010
What remedies were used in the PAST to cure alcoholism?
Posted by: Alan in alcoholism treatment, tags: Alcoholism, Cure, Past, remedies, used, Were
Question by coolRyder: What remedies were used in the PAST to cure alcoholism?
for my stupid bio project !
Best answer:
Answer by chez fez ;D
Niacin is used to help aid in the curing alcoholism and was used in Alcoholics Anonymous, not sure if it still is.. Um.. finding out if that person has food allergies that could lead to alcoholism (ex. Allergies to corn, wheat, etc can cause you to crave that food, alcohol being the void filler). Also Glutamine in high doses under the tongue can actually conquer temporarily alcohol cravings, especially if left to dissolve under the tongue.
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September 1st, 2010 at 7:49 am
Firstly, and I know it does not really help, but literally everything especially vitamins, minerals, and herbs have been claimed, at one time or place, to treat or cure alcoholism.
However one big thing that stands out and was widely used was morphine when it was first available in a purified form and when the hypodermic syringe was developed.
An example would be a doctor giving an alcoholic morphine (or heroin or even laudanum (which contains some alcohol)) and as a result most alcoholics did stop (or at least greatly cut down on) alcohol. At first it looked like a cure (after most were not drinking) but that is because they were incredibly high and often so drugged they could not walk to a bar or even pick up a drink. Then once the realisation that giving a bunch of morphine to an alcoholic did nothing to help and typically just added morphine to the list of addictions most doctors continued giving opioids (but typically in smaller amounts). The rational (and at the time I can understand why they did it) for this was that a opium, morphine, heroin, or laudanum addict does not come home and beat his wife and kids.
There were often a resurgence in using opioids to treat/cure alcoholism when heroin came out (it was supposed to be less addictive than morphine) and when the syringe came out (it was thought that bypassing the stomach and putting a drug directly into the blood stream would bypass addiction).
By the way morphine, laudanum, and opium are 100% natural although Heroin is semisynthetic.
September 1st, 2010 at 7:56 am
Alcoholism has been considered incurable since man has crushed grapes….its still considered incurable, but it can go into “permanent remission”.
Matt Talbot is considered the unofficial patron saint of alcoholics….he got the idea that the treatment of alcoholism needed to have a few “spiritual” requirements – prayer, meditation, and helping others….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Talbot
His ideas happen to dovetail nicely with a couple of guys who came along a number of years later and came up with the 12 step paradigm of Alcoholics Anonymous.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous
{in 1951 AA won the Lasker award {lets put it this way, you probably never heard of it, but its more prestigious than the Nobel prize} – its for an achievment that makes a profound impact on society to improve health}
Most treatment centers still send people to AA to “treat” alcoholism – but in terms of cure…..{shrugs}
Now, if you mean how did they treat DT’s – they did it by tapering off alcohol….or as Mathieu points out, with narcotics….
Early members of AA would often sit with someone coming off a bender and give them beer or whiskey alternating with corn syrup and water (for the sugar content) – if a heavy boozer stops drinking suddenly, they can die. Alcohol withdrawal is the only drug withdrawal that can actually kill you….
As far as the Niacin – they used to give that “to flush out the brain cells” so that suppossedly you wouldn’t crave alcohol anymore – there is no evidence that it does boo as far as craving alcohol….
September 1st, 2010 at 8:38 am
How about LSD?
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/lsd-helps-alcoholics-put-down-the-botttle-419523.html
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-10/uoa-ltf100606.php
http://www.dosenation.com/listing.php?smlid=4189