Tiapridal

Two groups of medically comparable patients at the Pelgrim Centre were used to study the use of tiapridal in alcoholic detoxication. The first group of nearly 450 patients were treated with traditional medication between 1973 and mid-1976, and second group of some 540 subjects displaying somato-dependency were treated with tiapridal between mid-1976 and mid-1979. 40 % of the latter group required IM injections, but 4 tablets per day were sufficient for the remainder, with Nootropil and benzodiazepine soporifics where necessary ; medication was discontinued when symptoms disappeared (after 1 week in 40 % of the cases). Tiapridal was found to be especially useful for the 9.9 % who had a history of delirium tremens, and for sub-acute alcoholic delirium, the average stay due to this being reduced from 4 to 3 days and the incidence decrease from 7,8 to 1,4 %. There was also a great reduction in gastro-intestinal disorders and general physical craving. However, it was found that tiapridal increased the incidence of all forms of epilepsy by alcohol deprivation from 3.18 to 4.19, and detoxication epilepsy increased from 0.58 to 1.47, therefore anti-epileptic medication is indicated in many cases. On the whole, general recovery was smoother and quicker and tiapridal was highly satisfactory.