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Acetaldehyde And Anabuse Acetaldehyde, Also Essay

al. 477-8). If there is disulfiram in the patient's system, it takes about 5-10 minutes for the effects of the drug to form the outward symptoms of a severe hangover. These symptoms last from 30 minutes to several hours, and may include flushing, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, throbbing headaches, mental confusion and even circulatory collapse. There is no known tolerance to the drug, the longer it is taken, the stronger the effects. Because of its molecular make up, it is absorbed slowly through the digestive tract with the effects lasting up to two weeks after the initial doses. This makes the issue of informed consent very important for this substance (Wright and Moore).

The efficacy of the drug is debatable. On one hand, the biological and chemical effects of are proven. One study showed that there is about a 50% compliance rate in a supervised atmosphere, but only 20% when unsupervised. This resulted in the study of using other methods to improve...

Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1994. Web.
Disulfiram. Drugs.com. Drug Information Online. 2011, Web.

Nakamura, K., et.al. Acetaldehyde Adducts in the Brain of Alcoholics. Archives of Toxicology. 77 (10): 591-3. 2004. Print.

Perry, L. Biology of a Hangover: Acetaldehyde. How Stuff Works. 2011. Web.

Ruiz, P., et.al., eds. Lowinson and Ruiz's Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 2011. Print.

Sadock, B., et.al., eds. Kaplan and Sadock's Consice Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry.

Wright, C. And Moore. E. Disulfiram Treatment of Alcoholism. American Journal of Medicine. 88 (6): 647-55, 1990. Print.

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REFERENCES

Chemical Summary for Acetaldehyde. Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1994. Web. <http://www.epa.gov / chemfact/s_acetal.txt>

Disulfiram. Drugs.com. Drug Information Online. 2011, Web. <http://www.drugs.com / search.php?searchterm=disulfiram>

Nakamura, K., et.al. Acetaldehyde Adducts in the Brain of Alcoholics. Archives of Toxicology. 77 (10): 591-3. 2004. Print.

Perry, L. Biology of a Hangover: Acetaldehyde. How Stuff Works. 2011. Web. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/human-biology/hangover8.htm>
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