acamprosate vs selegiline
Side-by-side comparison of acamprosate and selegiline Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Campral
Emsam
Acamprosate is a medicine that can help you stay away from alcohol if you are alcohol-dependent and have already stopped drinking. It should be used with counseling and support.
Selegiline is a medicine that can help manage Parkinson's disease. It is used along with levodopa/carbidopa when that medicine is not working as well as it used to.
Acamprosate helps people who are alcohol-dependent to not drink alcohol. You must have already stopped drinking before you start taking acamprosate. This medicine works best when it is part of a complete treatment plan that includes counseling and support.
Selegiline is used to help people with Parkinson's disease. It's for those who are already taking levodopa/carbidopa. Selegiline can help when their response to levodopa/carbidopa starts to weaken. It can reduce 'off' time and improve movement.
Acamprosate is similar to a natural substance in your brain. It is thought to work by helping to restore the normal balance of brain activity that is changed by long-term alcohol use. This can reduce your craving for alcohol.
Selegiline is a selective MAO-B inhibitor. It works by blocking an enzyme in the brain that breaks down dopamine. This helps to increase the amount of dopamine available, which can improve motor control in Parkinson's disease.
- • Accidental injury
- • Weakness
- • Pain
- • Loss of appetite
- • Diarrhea
- • Nausea
- • Dizziness
- • Light-headedness
- • Fainting
- • Abdominal pain
- Low blood pressure 14
- Weakness 13
- Condition worsened 13
- Using the medicine for something it is not approved for 13
- Sudden kidney damage 12
- Medicine not working 323
- Trouble sleeping 184
- Redness where medicine is applied 183
- Feeling dizzy 168
- Seeing or hearing things that are not there 166
Acamprosate may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. Your doctor should watch you for depression or suicidal thoughts. Tell your doctor right away if you have any new or worsening symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts.
Taking selegiline with meperidine (Demerol) is dangerous and can cause serious reactions. Also, use caution when taking selegiline with tricyclic antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) due to the risk of severe toxicity. One patient had a hypertensive crisis when taking selegiline with a sympathomimetic medicine (ephedrine).
Acamprosate may harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if acamprosate passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
It is not known if selegiline can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if selegiline passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
How to Read This acamprosate vs selegiline Comparison
acamprosate is classified in the GABA Analog (Alcohol Dependence) drug class, while selegiline sits within the Selective MAO-B Inhibitor class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, acamprosate has 65 submissions while selegiline has 1,024. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between acamprosate and selegiline — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.