The drug "Torpedo" from alcoholism: how does the injection work?

For as long as alcohol has existed, humanity has been reaching out to it and at the same time declaring war on drunkenness. No matter how illogical it may seem, this is the harsh reality. Alcoholism takes millions of lives every year all over the planet. How many people have lost their health because of it! But the statistics are cruel: the number of drinkers not only does not decrease, but also grows, gets younger, and acquires feminine features. And this is despite many fairly effective methods of combating this terrible disease, such as the use of the drug "Torpedo" for alcoholism, coding using the Dovzhenko method, innovative methods of laser coding and intracranial translocation.

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, which you need to know before deciding on such a serious step - treating alcoholism using coding. In this article, we will try to figure out what coding for alcoholism is and how it is carried out using a special drug "Torpedo".

Coding from alcoholism

Coding is one of the most popular and effective methods of combating alcoholism, which brings so much harm to people as not every war does. But if during a war the destruction is visible to the naked eye, then with alcoholism it remains hidden for the time being, because it concerns the inner world of a person: his vital organs, his thinking, his soul. A person degrades in the literal sense of the word.

To code from alcohol means to instill in a person a persistent aversion to this drink with dangerous consequences. It would be even more correct to say a group of drinks, because coding concerns all liquids containing alcohol, including some medicines with ethanol (for example, alcohol tinctures, which are classified as medicines).

The idea of weaning a person off alcohol by influencing his psyche arose in the middle of the 20th century. Hypnosis and suggestion were the main tools of such treatment at that time. This is the basis of the method of the doctor A.V. Dovzhenko, with which the history of the concept of "coding" began in the 80s of the last century.

Methods of psychotherapeutic influence to form a persistent aversion to alcohol have not lost their relevance to this day. But they also have a significant drawback: such influence gives a result only if the patient is susceptible to hypnosis. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time and money.

Several years later, new methods of combating alcoholism entered the arena – pharmacological ones. For them, susceptibility to hypnosis is no longer important, although a certain amount of suggestion still remains. But the use of special medications that are considered incompatible with alcohol comes to the forefront here, therefore they cause unpleasant symptoms, in many ways similar to withdrawal syndrome.

Let us recall that alcohol withdrawal involves alcohol intoxication, which manifests itself in the form of nausea, vomiting, headaches and other painful symptoms. The treatment is designed to address these symptoms when drinking a small amount of alcohol. After all, who would want to harm themselves by worsening their condition? And if you also convince a person that these symptoms are life-threatening (and there is some truth in this), then how is this not an incentive to give up drinking alcohol, at least in order to stay alive?!

Torpedo coding for alcoholism is based on the principles described above. The drug itself (or rather a series of drugs, which we will discuss below) does not pose a danger to humans, since it has virtually no effect on the body. And only when entering into a chemical reaction with an alcohol-containing liquid, the drug turns into poison, as happens when incompatible drugs are administered.

The drug "Torpedo" itself is familiar to our compatriots since the times of the Soviet Union, when a German-made medicine was used. It was one of the first pharmacological drugs used to treat alcoholism by coding. In common parlance, the name of the drug was somewhat distorted, transforming it into the familiar "torpedo". And since this method of getting rid of alcohol addiction has become very popular, then in conversations between men and women one could often hear such an expression as "torpedo for alcoholism".

The method of coding from alcoholism with the help of medications is often called a chemical block. That is, a special drug plus suggestion create a certain block in the mind of a person when trying to drink alcohol. But the modified name of the drug for coding can be considered as a means to break out of the vicious circle, to break through the wall separating a person from a healthy and happy sober life. This makes sense, so it is not always worth correcting a person if he distorted the name of the drug, because the main thing is that he firmly decided to break with drunkenness.

The peculiarity of the coding method is that the patient is familiarized with all the specifics of the method in advance: what drugs, where they are administered, what the consequences and risks may be. And only after that the patient decides for himself whether such treatment is suitable for him or not. The procedure cannot be carried out without the consent of the patient himself. This is the main condition of the coding method for alcoholism.

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Indications for the procedure

Alcoholism is a serious and dangerous disease. Usually, everyone understands this except alcoholics. Alcohol addiction (like other types of addiction) can be called a kind of mania, because almost all thoughts and desires of a person with a strong craving for alcohol are reduced to the bottle. In it, alcoholics find joy, calm, and happiness in life, while family, friends, work, career, and everything that is dear to an ordinary person fade into the background.

Not all people who drink are considered alcoholics. If a person likes to drink and have fun on a holiday or in a friendly company, but is able to refuse this idea, realizing the possible consequences, it is unlikely that he can be classified as an alcoholic maniac. As long as a person is able to control himself, there is no point in resorting to such radical measures as treatment with "Torpedo" for alcoholism. In this case, the work of a psychologist and willpower are enough if the patient suddenly decides that he will not drink anymore.

An alcoholic is unable to control his mania, so he cannot be called a healthy person. But alcoholism is primarily a mental illness that requires a comprehensive approach to treatment, both psychological and pharmacological. In this regard, the "Torpedo" for alcoholism is the final part of the treatment plan, the beginning of which lies in a consultation with a psychologist.

Treatment with "Torpedo" or other coding methods can be prescribed only if the patient has realized the futility of his existence and is ready for radical changes in his life.

But that's not all. The desire to end the former life of an alcoholic is not enough. A person needs to realistically perceive everything that will happen to him after the drug is introduced into the body, soberly assess the possible health risks in case of violating the ban on alcohol. This is not a fine, and not a reprimand at work. The symptoms can be so strong that a person simply cannot stand this torment, and he will not be able to remove the drug from the body on his own, especially when the suture from the operation (when the capsule was sewn in) heals.

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Preparation

When a person has a desire to get rid of a bad habit at any cost, he begins to look for information about effective methods of fighting alcoholism. But this is ideal. Usually, the search for treatment methods and information on where to sew in a torpedo for alcoholism is carried out by the patient's relatives and friends, and then they convey this information to him.

Despite the fact that the first acquaintance of an alcoholic with the attending physician takes place in the office of a narcologist, his participation in the therapy of alcoholism is less significant than the work of a psychologist or psychotherapist who prepare for the procedure. However, most narcologists have sufficient knowledge in the field of psychotherapy, and therefore can take on full responsibility for preparing the patient for the procedure of drug coding.

Preparation for coding is considered the main stage of this method, because the effectiveness of treatment depends entirely on the patient's psychological attitude. Only an experienced psychologist can find out how ready the patient is for radical changes in his life. If a person comes to a meeting in a drunken state, there is no discussion of the possibilities of his treatment, since such an attitude indicates the frivolity of the patient's intentions.

Even if the patient agrees to the insistent requests of relatives to seek help from a specialist, this does not mean that he is ready to give up alcohol forever. Perhaps it was a momentary weakness, and the person gave in to persuasion, but in fact he does not take the idea of coding seriously or, on the contrary, wants to prove the ineffectiveness of the method, showing that nothing can affect him.

Treatment of such patients is a certain danger, because there is a high probability that a person will risk taking up the old habits again after a short time, while drinking alcoholic beverages during torpedo therapy can seriously undermine a person's health and even lead to death as a result of severe intoxication. After all, an ambulance may not arrive in time.

When communicating with an alcoholic, a psychologist tries to find out the patient's readiness not so much for the drug administration procedure itself, but for subsequent treatment, which will take place outside the walls of a medical institution without the participation of a doctor. If the specialist's conclusion is positive, anamnesis can be collected, laboratory tests can be prescribed, and specific studies can be conducted to identify possible contraindications to the procedure.

A very important point is to discuss with the patient the possibilities of medicine in terms of treating alcoholism with coding. If, according to the indications, a chemical blockade is chosen, the patient should be given the opportunity to choose from the drugs offered to him the most suitable, in his opinion. This is how a trusting relationship between the doctor and the patient is established.

The doctor gives the person all the necessary information about the drugs, their side effects and effectiveness, while explaining the essence of the procedure. It is quite possible that the patient already has some information about coding, and it is not always positive. The doctor's task is to dispel existing myths about drug treatment and its danger to a person, to help get rid of doubts about the effectiveness of the chosen method. But at the same time, it is necessary to familiarize the person with the possible consequences of violating the requirements of coding therapy, to ensure that the person clearly understands them and confirms his consent to treatment in writing.

The question of where the torpedo will be inserted is discussed in advance. Some doctors prefer the anterior abdominal wall. This is due to the characteristics of the drug itself. The medicine is gradually released from the capsule, enters the bloodstream and quickly reaches the liver, where it exerts its therapeutic effect, reducing the need for alcohol. However, the patient has the right to choose the location of the capsule himself, so that the traces of the operation do not cause him discomfort.

The patient's consent is also very important in the sense that there are certain requirements for coding. A voluntary desire to change one's life for the better is considered only one of them. Another requirement is abstinence from alcohol for several days before the procedure. Usually this period is within 5-7 days, but sometimes one has to abstain for a couple of weeks.

For some alcoholics, this is a terrible test that confirms their determination. However, this is not the point. It is simply necessary to remove all alcohol from the body so that the procedure goes smoothly.

An important requirement of the coding method is the absence of severe pathologies of internal organs (heart, liver, kidneys) in the patient, as well as mental disorders (psychosis, dementia, etc.).

A special stage of preparation for the procedure is the choice of a medicinal product that will be used for therapeutic purposes. As we have already said, the word "torpedo" can hide various drugs from different manufacturers. The majority of them are based on disulfiram, a substance incompatible with alcohol. The drugs "Algominal" and "Stopetil" are considered complete analogues of the first drug for coding called "Torpedo".

The brand name "Torpedo" can also be used to produce the drugs "Akvilong" and "Aktoplex", the main active ingredient of which is also disulfiram. These drugs are administered intravenously or intramuscularly.

Another drug called "Antinol" can be found under the name "Torpedo". However, you need to be careful with this medicine, since the manufacturer does not provide any information about its active ingredient and the principle of action.

The drug "Binastim" can be said to be a drug based on disulfiram for injection. The drugs "Esperal" and "Teturam" (the same active substance) are available in tablet form, some are intended for oral administration, others - for subcutaneous implantation. This is a separate group of drugs that act on the "Torpedo" principle.

The original "Torpedo" is a disulfiram preparation, which is produced in the form of ampoules for intramuscular injection and capsules for subcutaneous implantation.

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Technique Torpedoes for alcoholism

If all the conditions for preparation for coding are met, you can proceed to the procedure itself. Intramuscular injections are not difficult, but the medicine in this case is administered in several stages. The first time is a trial, a small amount of the drug is injected into the tissue (usually the area from the shoulder to the elbow), and the doctor observes the reaction. The second time, the dose is already larger, but still it is not designed for a long period. The third time, a specified dose of the drug is administered, designed to act for a certain period of time.

It is a bit more complicated with capsules. After all, implanting a torpedo for alcoholism is a simple but surgical operation that is performed under local anesthesia. If necessary, a test for anesthetic tolerance is performed before the procedure.

The skin incision is made in places where there is no damage or inflammation. The skin is thoroughly cleaned and wiped with an antiseptic beforehand.

Where is the torpedo for alcoholism sewn in? The doctor agrees on the incision location with the patient. This may be the anterior part of the peritoneum, the area under the shoulder blade or the iliac region, the buttock.

The incision is made according to the size of the capsule, about 4 cm deep. The sterile capsule is inserted into the incision opening without opening it. After the torpedo for alcoholism is inserted, the wound is sutured. A special sterile bandage is applied in its place.

Both capsules and ampoules can have different volumes. Depending on this, coding is carried out for a period of five to six months to one and a half years. This point should also be discussed with the patient in advance.

The principle of action of the torpedo for alcoholism is quite simple. A solution or capsule of disulfiram, introduced into muscle tissue, remains there for some time, without affecting the patient's well-being, without causing discomfort or unpleasant sensations. If a person does not drink during the entire period of coding, the medicine gradually loses its effectiveness and is excreted from the body naturally. But as soon as a small amount of ethanol is introduced into the patient's body, disulfiram reacts with it and causes symptoms of severe poisoning or a hangover so unloved by everyone: nausea, vomiting, excruciating headache, etc.

After the injection is given or the ampoule is inserted, a trial test (called an alcohol provocation) is performed under the strict supervision of the attending physician and clearly shows the patient what he may encounter if he drinks a little alcohol. The physician explains that the patient was given a small dose of alcohol, which nevertheless caused unpleasant symptoms. If the dose is increased, the intensity of the unpleasant sensations will also increase. With high doses of alcohol, the symptoms will become unbearably painful and can cause serious health problems.

After carrying out an alcohol provocation, it is necessary to remind the patient once again about all the consequences that can be caused by drinking alcohol with a torpedo implanted.

Some doctors resort to intimidating former alcoholics. They claim that drinking alcohol now with a high percentage of probability can lead to the patient's death. On the one hand, fear of death is undoubtedly a strong incentive for a sober lifestyle. But on the other hand, such suggestion can lead to negative and even dangerous mental reactions in overly impressionable patients (depression, neurosis, suicide attempts). Stress itself can subsequently become one of the causes of the development of cardiovascular pathologies and serious mental disorders.

There is no need to put pressure on the patient by claiming that if he drinks alcohol, he will inevitably die. The emphasis should be on the painful symptoms of a hangover, which no sober-minded person wants to experience, and the possible negative health consequences if the person does not receive help in time. The possibility of a fatal outcome can be mentioned in passing, and this will be enough for the person to appreciate the full scale of the consequences that arise from violating the ban on the use of alcohol-containing substances.

Contraindications to the procedure

Perhaps, disulfiram itself does not pose a danger to the human body, but in combination with ethanol it becomes poisonous for it. Under normal conditions, a small amount of alcohol does not cause unpleasant symptoms, because ethanol is metabolized in the liver to safe metabolites. When interacting with disulfiram, the enzymatic system of ethanol metabolism is disrupted, which leads to increased production of acetaldehyde, which is a toxic derivative of alcohol metabolism. Hence the symptoms of intoxication.

It is important to understand that any poisoning can significantly undermine a person's health, but if he already has some diseases, toxic substances will further worsen the patient's condition, and in some cases can cause death. It is not without reason that before the procedure, the doctor studies the patient's medical history and, if necessary, prescribes a special examination.

Injections or implantation of a torpedo for alcoholism are not performed if a person is diagnosed with the following health problems:

• acute form of infectious and inflammatory pathologies (tuberculosis, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, etc.),
• the presence of malignant processes in the body,
• various severe diseases of the cardiovascular system:

• replacement of heart muscle cells with scar tissue (myocardial sclerosis, which in medicine is called cardiosclerosis),
• cholesterol blockade of cerebral vessels (atherosclerosis),
• myocardial infarction, including pre- and post-infarction conditions,
• a bulge in the wall of the main heart artery called an aortic aneurysm,
• heart failure in the decompensation stage, CHF
• hypertension (in cases of moderate and severe hypertension),

• severe liver damage,
• acute and chronic kidney diseases with impaired functioning,
• neuropsychiatric pathologies.

Disulfiram-based drugs are not suitable for coding pregnant women and nursing mothers, as well as patients with intolerance to this component or other components of the drug.

When choosing a drug, you should also remember that disulfiram is not prescribed for diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal and lung pathologies with a high risk of bleeding, severe damage to the organs of hearing and vision, bronchial asthma, convulsive syndrome, polyneuritis, infectious lesions of the central nervous system.

If all these points are not taken into account, drug coding for alcoholism can have dire consequences.

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Consequences after the procedure

Torpedo for alcoholism is a fairly popular method of getting rid of drunkenness, even though its use implies a certain danger to the patient's health. In principle, the method of introducing or sewing in a drug is based on the fact that, out of fear of unpleasant complications as a result of the interaction of disulfiram with ethanol, patients will not drink alcohol during the treatment period. Over time, the craving for alcohol becomes less and less, and a sober lifestyle is perceived by a person as the norm.

Complications can be expected if the patient cannot resist and turns to the bottle again. The result of a chemical reaction between alcohol and the active substance "Torpedo" or another drug with a similar effect will be the appearance of the following symptoms:

• hyperemia of the skin,
• nausea with bouts of vomiting,
• the appearance of so-called hot flashes, accompanied by surges in blood pressure,
• convulsions,
• edematous syndrome,
• hallucinations,
• episodes of suffocation,
• in some cases, heart attacks etc. are possible.

Many symptoms can be called not just unpleasant, but also dangerous, especially if the patient has previously had problems with the heart, digestive and respiratory systems, liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Such complications can be avoided only by undergoing a full examination the day before the procedure and not turning to alcohol at least for the duration of the coding.

Complications may also arise if the probability of intolerance to disulfiram or other components of the torpedo was not initially established. And also with poor wound treatment and failure to maintain skin hygiene after the capsule is sewn in (inflammatory reactions at the incision site with the formation of pus are possible).

Consequences of a different plan become psychological problems. Even if the patient agreed to all the conditions of the procedure during the therapy period (from six months to 5 years), nervous breakdowns are possible, because the person constantly has to fight his desire to drink. The lack of such an opportunity can cause irritation and depression. Nervous tension can negatively affect the sexual function of a man (or woman), which will further aggravate the situation. This is despite the fact that the person knew about the possible consequences and took the information into account.

In this regard, much attention is paid to the work of a psychologist and support of relatives. Coding can only be carried out with the patient's consent, otherwise negative consequences cannot be avoided. This includes drinking alcohol during treatment with all the symptoms that follow from this, and conflicts in the family, and accidents associated with disorders of the body (heart attacks, injuries due to disruption of the central nervous system, etc.).

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Care after the procedure

If the torpedo for alcoholism is administered intravenously or intramuscularly, after the procedure the person only needs to adhere to the doctor's requirements regarding alcohol and contact him in case of unpleasant sensations. In some cases, in the first months of treatment, it is necessary to seek help from a psychologist or psychiatrist to prevent the onset of neuroses and depressions.

When a torpedo is inserted (and many people prefer this method), for several days after the procedure you will have to pay attention to the area of the body where the medicine was injected. After the operation, the wound is sutured and a sterile bandage is applied, which will have to be changed several times in the future until the wound is completely healed. You should try not to wet the incision site in the first few days, giving it the opportunity to heal faster.

If redness and swelling are noticeable at the site of skin damage, it will need to be treated with antiseptic solutions without alcohol or herbal decoctions, maintain skin hygiene, and touch the wound with your hands as little as possible.

Possible complications of the operation include: irritation and suppuration of the wound (with early removal of sutures or rough mechanical impact), rejection of the implanted capsule (with insufficient depth of insertion), development of an allergic reaction.

Extremely dangerous consequences of alcohol consumption during treatment include acute respiratory failure, collapse, myocardial infarction, cerebral edema, hemorrhagic stroke, and coma.

In principle, after the torpedo is inserted, the patient continues to live a normal life. The only restriction is alcohol, which doctors strictly forbid to consume during treatment. Coping with the craving for alcohol at this time is helped by the awareness of the danger of drinking alcohol in the presence of a torpedo and the support of loved ones, who should help the patient safely survive the treatment, especially the first months of therapy, when the desire to drink is still strong.

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Torpedo expiration date

Since all the nuances of the therapeutic effect are discussed with the patient before the start of alcoholism treatment by coding, the time of the drug's effect is also given the necessary attention. This issue is discussed both with the patient's relatives and with the patient himself.

The period for which the capsule is implanted is not chosen by chance. The choice of the doctor may be influenced by the alcoholic's health, the characteristics of his central nervous system and behavior, individual characteristics of the body, the strength of desire, the length of alcoholism, etc. When voicing his proposal to the patient and his relatives, the doctor must justify it so that people have no doubt that this is the best treatment option. If the patient's condition allows, the treatment period proposed by the doctor can be increased or decreased, as the patient himself wishes.

Torpedo for alcoholism is most often administered for a period of 6 months to 1.5 years. Much depends on the drug itself and on the characteristics of the patient's body. The duration of the drug in some cases can be extended to 5 years.

But even though the treatment time is specified and has its limit, the end of the medication's validity does not mean freedom from the alcohol ban. Otherwise, why get coded at all?!

It should be noted that the specified treatment period is very approximate. It is a mistake to think that the drug remains in the body for the entire period of action. In fact, disulfiram and similar chemicals are eliminated from the body quite quickly, especially when administered intravenously. It will take a little more time to remove the contents of the capsule, which is also soluble and cannot exist in the body unchanged for a long time. Much depends on the dose and form of disulfiram: the usual form, when administered intravenously or intramuscularly, is eliminated from the body within the first day, while the prolonged form can remain in the body for 7-8 months.

For most of the treatment period, the former alcoholic is not exposed to any danger from alcohol, but continues to think that it exists. Here, the treatment is based on the "placebo" effect, which, by the way, is not so bad if it activates the body's own forces to fight the disease.

There is no clear answer to the question of how to remove a torpedo from alcoholism, because the question itself is considered not entirely correct. It is possible to remove the capsule surgically only in the first hours after the operation, if unforeseen complications arise. Subsequently, the medicine from the capsule enters the blood and tissues of the body, which means that it can only be removed by cleansing the blood (the same manipulations are carried out in the case of alcohol consumption during treatment, if it caused the appearance of dangerous symptoms). Unfortunately, one cannot count on an antidote, since it simply does not exist.

Sometimes patients are offered to undergo decoding at the end of treatment or when some complications develop. Such an offer in most cases can be considered a scam to earn some extra money, because at the end of the coding period, the medicine is already gone from the body, and psychologically the patient himself is already ready to lead a healthy sober lifestyle, all the benefits of which he felt during treatment. It turns out that there is no need for decoding, the moment of decoding can be considered the acceptance by the former alcoholic of a sober lifestyle as a rule, which he does not plan to change anymore.

In case of complications during treatment for alcoholism, the body is usually cleansed of the active substance of the drug and the resulting symptoms are treated, which has nothing to do with decoding.

A torpedo for alcoholism is not so much a treatment procedure as an opportunity to push a person who wants but cannot part with the pernicious addiction to alcohol to take drastic action. After all, one's own health and especially life are the greatest value for a person. A stronger incentive simply does not exist, unless, of course, one takes into account the health and life of one's own child, but using such an incentive in therapy would be a violation of all human laws.