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Apomorphine in Outpatient Treatment of Alcohol Intoxication and Abstinence: A double‐blind study
Author(s) -
Jensen Soeren Buus,
Christoffersen Claus B.,
Noerregaard Anders
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
british journal of addiction to alcohol and other drugs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0007-0890
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1977.tb00699.x
Subject(s) - apomorphine , abstinence , placebo , medicine , oral administration , anesthesia , evening , psychiatry , dopamine , physics , alternative medicine , dopaminergic , pathology , astronomy
Summary In 40 alcoholics who arrived in state.s of intoxication for out‐patient treatment, the effect of apnmorphine was investigated in a double‐blind cross‐over method on the symptoms of alcohol intoxication and abstinence and compared with the effect of a placebo and a control group (49 persons) with oral routine treatment. A regime is employed with injection treatment first day, followed by oral treatment for 14 days. The investigation revealed significantly greater attendance in sober states (serum alcohol = 0 ‰) on the subsequent day for continued treatment in the group treated with apomorphine as compared with the group receiving the placebo and the group treated in the routine manner. It was observed that the patients treated with apomorphine in connection with detoxication showed a non‐significant tendency to manage better than the placebo group both motorically and mentally. No significant side‐effects could be demonstrated. Assessed 14 days after the commencement of the treatment when the period of abstinence must be considered to be past, significantly more of the patients who had received apomorphine were still attending than in the group receiving routine treatment. This appears to be independent of whether apomorphine or a placebo had been administered orally in the abstinence phase. No definite effect of tablet treatment on the abstinence phase could be demonstrated. The authors find that the preparation is suitable for out‐patient treatment of intoxication. Continued research is recommended in view of more suitable methods of administration and the possibilities of the preparation in long‐term therapy.