[The alcohol withdrawal syndrome and its therapy]

From October 1978 until July 1979 156 patients have been admitted to the Special Hospital "Eschenberg-Wildpark-Klinik" in Hennef/Sieg. 4 of them have been drug dependent, around 40 polytoxicomatic and the others alcoholics. 61 of these patients received Sodium Valproic Acid, from whom 8 have not been accepted for this study. In conclusion it could be said, that Ergenyl 500 is a drug which is highly indicated in the treatment of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. It is to prefer to all other drugs, which are used in this indication, because it does not cause any sedation nor euphoria. Therefore it was easier to motivate the patients very early to cooperate, because recovery from the physical and psychical symptoms was made within few days. Ergenyl was tolerated very well. It caused no problems regarding to its eventual general or systemic toxicity, specially no liver toxicity could be found. This has been the reason, that since 1978 we are using in our "Special Hospital" only Ergenyl 500 for treatment of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome instead of Clomethiazol, which has been used all the years before.