An Introduction to Campral Side Effects
As with any medicine,
Campral® (
acamprosate calcium) can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, in most cases, they are minor and either require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider.
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Campral. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Campral side effects with you.)
Common Campral Side Effects
Campral has been thoroughly studied in clinical trials.
In these studies, one group of people received the real medication, while another group was given a placebo (a "sugar pill" that does not contain any active ingredients). As a result, it is possible to see what Campral side effects occurred, how often they appeared, and how they compared to the group who took the placebo.
In these studies, the most common side effects of Campral included:
- Diarrhea -- in up to 16 percent of people
- A feeling of general weakness -- up to 6 percent
- Nausea -- up to 4 percent
- Itching -- up to 4 percent.
Other common side effects have been reported as well. Although these side effects occurred in at least 1 percent of people, the exact percentage was not reported. With these side effects, it is difficult to determine whether they were actually caused by Campral or other factors. These possible Campral "side effects" included:
- Headaches
- Abdominal pain (stomach pain), vomiting, indigestion, heartburn, or constipation
- Back pain, muscle pain, or joint pain
- Infections, chills, the flu, bronchitis, a sore throat, or a runny or stuffy nose
- Chest pain
- Feelings of a rapidly or forcefully beating heart (known as heart palpitations)
- Fainting
- Sexual side effects (see Campral Sexual Side Effects)
- Increased appetite, water retention, or weight gain (see Campral and Weight Gain)
- Drowsiness, memory loss, or problems in thinking
- Shakiness
- Hot flashes
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Vision changes
- Taste changes.
