[Carbamazepine in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal]

The authors present a review of literature on the initial rationale and efficacy in clinical trials of carbamazepine (CBZ) in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal, and the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine in alcoholics as well. Neurophysiological and clinical studies support the kindling hypothesis in the pathophysiology of alcohol withdrawal. The exact physiological action mechanism of CBZ has not been entirely examined. However, the "antikindling effects" are of particular importance in epilepsy and other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Numerous controlled studies were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of carbamazepine in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and have compared its properties to other drugs such as clomethiazole and benzodiazepines. Carbamazepine could be a useful alternative to conventional therapeutic approaches, especially in the treatment of mild and moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and alcohol withdrawal with generalized tonic-clonic seizures.