Calcium carbamide

Calcium carbamide

Gene therapy
Clinical data
ATC code	N07BB02 (WHO)
Physiological data
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Identifiers
PubChem Template:Abbreviation	6335910
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C8H12CaN2O7
Molar mass	288.268 g/mol

Calcium carbamide, sold under the trade name Temposil®, is an alcohol sensitizing agent. Its effects are similar to the drug Antabuse (disulfiram) in that it interferes with the normal metabolism of alcohol by preventing the breakdown of the metabolic byproduct acetaldehyde. The result is that when alcohol is consumed by users of calcium carbamide, they experience severe reactions which include symptoms such as sweating, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, rash, nausea and vomiting, and headache.

While calcium carbamide is a good adjunct to other treatments for alcoholism, it has been found that, as with Antabuse, it is an ineffective therapy on its own, and many alcoholics will voluntarily discontinue the drug in order to continue drinking.