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Clonidine in Heroin Withdrawal Syndrome: a controlled study in India
Author(s) -
GUPTA A. K.,
JHA B. K.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1988.tb00535.x
Subject(s) - clonidine , nausea , anesthesia , medicine , chlordiazepoxide , heroin , delirium , detoxification (alternative medicine) , confusion , chlorpromazine , drug , psychology , pharmacology , psychiatry , alternative medicine , pathology , diazepam , psychoanalysis
Summary The efficacy of clonidine in controlling heroin withdrawal symptoms has been compared to that of a chlordiazepoxide and chlorpromazine combination in 120 male Indian patients in a single blind controlled design. Rhinorrhoea, nausea, vomitting, diarrhoea, confusion, disorientation and delirium were observed to occur significantly less often in patients receiving clonidine. Only 6.67%patients on clonidine developed severe hypotension. Clonidine was observed to be relatively safe and effective as a single drug for inpatients in the detoxification programme as compared to tranquillizers alone. The therapeutic effects and side effects observed were similar to those reported in European and American studies.