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Clonidine and alcohol withdrawal.

P Cushman1

  • 1Medical College of Virginia, Department of Psychiatry, McGuire VA Hospital, Richmond 23249.

Advances in Alcohol & Substance Abuse
|January 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Clonidine shows modest effectiveness in treating acute alcohol withdrawal symptoms by reducing catecholamine activity. While improving vital signs and overall scores, it does not significantly impact seizures or delirium tremens.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • Addiction Medicine

Background:

  • Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is associated with altered catecholamine levels.
  • Clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, is known to attenuate opiate withdrawal by reducing central catecholamine activity.
  • The locus ceruleus plays a role in both opiate and alcohol withdrawal.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of clonidine in treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome.
  • To assess the efficacy and safety of clonidine compared to placebo and standard treatments for AWS.

Main Methods:

  • Review of several double-blind studies on clonidine in acute alcohol withdrawal.
  • Analysis of clonidine's effects on physiological parameters and withdrawal scores.
  • Consideration of side effects and comparison with existing treatments.

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Main Results:

  • Clonidine demonstrated superiority over placebo in improving pulse, blood pressure, and composite alcohol withdrawal scores.
  • Side effects were generally mild, including sedation and postural hypotension.
  • Clonidine showed comparable efficacy to a standard sedative in one study and influenced plasma catecholamine levels.

Conclusions:

  • Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists like clonidine are modestly effective for certain aspects of alcohol withdrawal.
  • Clonidine represents a promising but investigational approach for AWS treatment.
  • Further research, especially comparative studies with benzodiazepines, is needed to fully assess its therapeutic potential.