Long-term therapy using GHB (sodium gamma hydroxybutyrate) for treatment-resistant chronic alcoholics

Thirty-five alcohol-dependent patients according to DSM-IV criteria who also met criteria for treatment resistance were treated with doses of gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) ranging between 25 and 100 mg/kg/die in an open one-year study. The results show that no patients discontinued the program during the first month of treatment. Sixty percent of these patients successfully completed the protocol; 11.4% showed complete abstinence (full responder patients); 14.3% strongly reduced their alcohol intake (partial responder patients) and 34.3% of the patients were still under treatment after one year. Forty percent of the patients were nonresponders. The retention rate under treatment of the studied sample was statistically higher than that found during the last treatment of the same subjects. No significant differences were found between full responder and partial responder patients regarding changes in clinical features, alcohol intake or social adjustment. Patients still in treatment after one year significantly differed from nonresponder patients on all the variables investigated. A six-times/daily fractionated administration of the GHB dose was the only significant predictor of the retention rate.