[Effect of transdermal therapy with clonidine on suppression symptoms secondary to smoking cessation]

For the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of transdermal clonidine treatment (Catapres-TTS No. 2) on ameliorating withdrawal symptoms associated with smoking cessation, we carried out a prospective study on 375 patients who smoke, motivated to abandon smoking. Each patient acted as his own control at one moment receiving placebo and, at another, clonidine. Each patient was instructed to maintain his normal daily cigarette consumption during the first three days of study, and to stop smoking from the fourth to the seventh day. All of the withdrawal symptoms measured (craving, irritability, anxiety and restlessness) significantly increased (p = 0.001) in the placebo group during the days of abstinence. There was a 5 fold increase in craving and in irritability, in the placebo group, as compared with the transdermal clonidine group during the three days of smoking cessation. Anxiety and restlessness also augmented at 3 times greater extent. Regarding the side effects, these were slight and of a transitory nature. Transdermal clonidine treatment helps the heavy smoker to give up tobacco by means of a considerable drop of the short-term withdrawal symptoms, specially craving and irritability, associated with smoking cessation.