Campral vs. Revia

Campral (acamprosate calcium) and Revia (naltrexone) are used to treat alcohol addiction.

Campral is used as part of a complete treatment program that includes both counseling and psychological support. Campral is unlikely to be helpful to a person who has not already quit drinking or undergone detoxification. Campral may not be helpful to a person who is also addicted to other substances besides alcohol.

Revia is also used to treat narcotic drug addiction.

Campral and Revia belong to different drug classes. Campral is a detoxification agent and Revia is a special narcotic drug.

Side effects of Campral and Revia that are similar include fatigue/tiredness, muscle or joint pain or aches, weakness, sleep problems (insomnia), impotence, change in or loss of sexual desire, or decreased sexual ability.

Side effects of Campral that are different from Revia include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, gas, stomach pain, loss of appetite, headache, drowsiness, dizziness, vision problems, problems with memory or thinking, constipation, weight changes, back pain, cold or flu-like symptoms, dry mouth, changes in taste, sweating, skin rash, and numbness or tingly feeling.

Side effects of Revia that are different from Campral include increased thirst, anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, lightheadedness, fainting, or difficulty having an orgasm.

Campral may interact with other drugs.

Revia may interact with narcotic drugs or alcohol, or prescription or over-the-counter medicines to treat a cold, cough, diarrhea, or pain.

Sudden opiate withdrawal symptoms can occur within minutes after taking Revia including abdominal cramps, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, joint/bone/muscle aches, mental/mood changes (e.g., anxiety, confusion, extreme sleepiness, visual hallucinations), or runny nose.

Common side effects of Campral include:

• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• gas,
• stomach pain,
• loss of appetite,
• headache,
• drowsiness,
• dizziness,
• vision problems,
• problems with memory or thinking,
• constipation,
• fatigue,
• weight gain/loss,
• back pain,
• muscle or joint pain,
• weakness,
• cold or flu-like symptoms,
• dry mouth,
• decreased or distorted sense of taste,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• sweating,
• skin rash,
• numbness or tingly feeling,
• impotence,
• change in or loss of sexual desire, or
• decreased sexual ability.

Suicidal thoughts may occur during treatment with Campral. Tell your doctor if you feel depressed or have any suicidal thoughts or actions while using Campral. Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Campral including:

• mental/mood changes (including severe depression, thoughts of suicide),
• fainting,
• fast or pounding heartbeat,
• vision or hearing changes, or
• increased thirst.

Common side effects of ReVia include:

• weakness,
• tiredness,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• increased thirst,
• anxiety,
• nervousness,
• restlessness,
• irritability,
• lightheadedness,
• fainting,
• muscle or joint aches,
• decreased sex drive,
• impotence, or
• difficulty having an orgasm.

Sudden opiate withdrawal symptoms can occur within minutes after taking Revia. Tell your doctor if you have withdrawal symptoms of Revia including:

• abdominal cramps,
• nausea or vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• joint/bone/muscle aches,
• mental/mood changes (e.g., anxiety, confusion, extreme sleepiness, visual hallucinations), or
• runny nose.

Campral (acamprosate calcium) works by restoring the natural balance of chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters) and is used to help alcohol-dependent patients keep from drinking alcohol. Campral should be used as part of a complete treatment program that includes both counseling and psychological support. Campral is unlikely to be helpful to a person who has not already quit drinking or undergone detoxification. Campral may not be helpful to a person who is also addicted to other substances besides alcohol.

Revia (naltrexone) is a special narcotic drug that blocks the effects of other narcotic medicines and alcohol used to treat narcotic drug or alcohol addiction and is taken orally in tablet form.

There may be other drugs that can interact with Campral. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Campral should be used only when prescribed during pregnancy. Drinking large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can cause long-lasting problems (often called fetal alcohol syndrome) in your baby, such as birth defects, growth retardation, and learning disabilities. It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Revia may interact with narcotic drugs or alcohol, or prescription or over-the-counter medicines to treat a cold, cough, diarrhea, or pain. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

The recommended dose of Campral is two 333 mg tablets (each dose should total 666 mg) taken three times daily.

To treat alcoholism, a dose of 50 mg Revia once daily is recommended for most patients. To treat opiod dependence, the initial dose of Revia is 25 mg.