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The Evidence Finder tool allows you to search published studies of treatment and prevention strategies for mental health and substance use issues in young people. You can use the filters to refine your search or browse by category.
Disorders - Opioid Use
Pini, L. A., Sternieri, E., Ferretti, C.
The activity of dapiprazole, clonidine and a placebo were studied to reduce abstinence symptoms and modify the psychological outline during a withdrawal period in heroin addicts. Forty heroin addicts were treated in a double-blind design and, within two weeks, relapse in heroin use was higher in the placebo group (8/10) in comparison with the dapiprazole (1/20) and clonidine (0/10) groups. During treatment clonidine was able to reduce depression and paranoid-ideas scores, whereas dapiprazole reduced depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, obsessiveness and psychoticism. Side-effects were mild and it may be concluded that both dapiprazole and clonidine are effective and safe drugs for the treatment of opiate withdrawal syndrome.
International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Research, 11(2) : 99-105
- Year: 1991
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Medications used to treat substance abuse
San, L., Cami, J., Peri, J. M, Mata, R., Porta, M.
The efficacy of clonidine, methadone, and guanfacine in rapid detoxification of heroin inpatients was assessed in a randomized controlled clinical trial. Signs and symptoms of abstinence and of side effects were analysed in 90 heroin addicts successfully completing a 12-day inpatient trial. All patients fit DSM-III criteria for opioid dependence, the age range being 18 to 36 years. All three drugs were effective in controlling abstinence; however, the course of abstinence was different in the methadone group as compared to the adrenergic agonists, the latter showing limitations in their ability to suppress withdrawal manifestations. While mean number of withdrawal signs and symptoms was significantly lower during days 2 to 5 in the methadone group (p less than 0.01), adrenergic agonists were slightly more effective at the end of the trial. Incidence of side effects was closely related to the dose administered. Hypotensive action of adrenergic agonists was more marked in orthostatic position. The present results suggest that methadone is superior to adrenergic agonists. Between these drugs clonidine appears to be less effective than guanfacine in controlling some withdrawal manifestations, and causes more side effects, mainly of cardiovascular nature.
British Journal of Addiction, 85(1) : 141-7
- Year: 1990
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Medications used to treat substance abuse
San, L., Cami, J., Peri, J. M., Mata, R., Porta, M.
Predictors of either detoxification success or failure were evaluated during an inpatient trial that compared the efficacy of methadone, clonidine and guanfacine for rapid heroin detoxification. The analysis of such predictors was stimulated by the fact that in order to achieve 90 patients who completed the study (30 in each group), a total of 170 patients had to be included. Of 80 detoxification failures, 10 occurred in the methadone group, 32 in the guanfacine group, and 38 in the clonidine group. Voluntary request for discontinuation of the detoxification schedule was the first cause of failure. There were not statistically significant differences with regard to sociodemographic characteristics and pattern of drug consumption among patients in the three groups who completed detoxification with success or failure. The treatment drug, the type of schedule and the score obtained from the Symptom Checklist-90/Revised (SCL-90/R) were the only predictors of either detoxification success or failure. Inpatient opioid detoxification would be a useful strategy for patients with more severe psychological symptoms.
British Journal of Addiction, 84(1) : 81-7
- Year: 1989
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Medications used to treat substance abuse
Drummond, D. C., Turkington, D., Rahman, M. Z., Mullin, P. J., Jackson, P.
A double blind trial of chlordiazepoxide vs. methadone in the management of the opiate withdrawal syndrome was conducted in a group of 24 regular heroin takers. Subjective and objective measures including physiological parameters were recorded to compare the severity of opiate withdrawal between the two groups. No significant difference was found in terms of subjective withdrawal distress between the two treatment conditions, although there was a tendency to a return of withdrawal symptoms in the methadone group towards the end of treatment. A nurse rating scale demonstrated a significantly higher level of withdrawal signs in the chlordiazepoxide group on day 3. Physiological measures suggested that neither group experienced a severe withdrawal illness. A similar number in each group (37%) became completely drug free.
Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 23(1) : 63-71
- Year: 1989
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Anxiolytics including benzodiazepines, Medications used to treat substance abuse
Gupta, A. K., Jha, B. K.
The efficacy of clonidine in controlling heroin withdrawal symptoms has been compared to that of a
chlordiazepoxide artd 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 cts 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.
British Journal of Addiction, 83(9) : 1079-84
- Year: 1988
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Typical Antipsychotics (first generation)
, Anxiolytics including benzodiazepines, Medications used to treat substance abuse
Madden, C, Singer, G., Jagoda, J., Jethwa, J., et-al.,
Investigated whether heroin-dependent persons, having completed methadone detoxification, can be maintained on an inert substance that has previously been associated with methadone. 40 heroin-dependent men and women were randomly allocated to either a standard detoxification or a cordial substitution group. Results show that Ss administered methadone-associated cordial after methadone detoxification could not be retained at the clinic significantly longer than Ss in the standard detoxification group, despite the inability of the Ss to accurately estimate methadone dosage. The role of cognitive factors in drug withdrawal is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).
International Journal of the Addictions, 21(8) : 947-953
- Year: 1986
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Medications used to treat substance abuse
Taschner, K. L.
Clonidine and doxepin alleviate the symptoms of the opiate withdrawal syndrome. Clonidine was slightly more effective in controlling sweating, hot flushes, palpitations and nausea, and doxepin was slightly more effective in relieving the craving for opiates, lassitude and depression. Adverse effects such as sedation, dry mouth and falls in blood pressure occurred in both groups. There were six cases of collapse during treatment with high doses of doxepin, whereas only one subjective circulatory effect occurred in the clonidine group. At these high doses, doxepin may cause orthostatic hypotension via a peripheral alpha-receptor blockade. Clonidine reduced pulse rate whereas doxepin, with its anticholinergic action and indirectly via its alpha-receptor blocking action, raised it. Several patients in the doxepin group hat fits, as opposed to only one in the clonidine group. It is possible that the use of barbiturates had reduced the convulsive threshold in some of our patients. Overall, clonidine and doxepin were equipotent at adequate individual dose levels, and both were well tolerated. In this trial, serious side-effects occurred less often in the clonidine group.
Pharmacopsychiatry, 19(3) : 91-5
- Year: 1986
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Tricyclic antidepressants, Medications used to treat substance abuse
Gunne, L. M., Gronbladh, L.
Thirty-four drug addicts, aged 20 - 24 years, with a history of 4 - 8 years of intravenous heroin abuse, were randomly assigned either to a methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) (17) or to an untreated group (17). The untreated controls could not apply for entrance to the program until two years later. It was found that after two years 12 MMT patients had abandoned their drug habits and begun work, whereas 5 had recurrent drug abuse problems. Of the controls, one was drug-free and gainfully employed, 12 were continuously abusing heroin (3 of these had incurred potentially fatal diseases in consequence), 2 were in prison and 2 had diet. Two to seven years after their first visit to the Psychiatric Research Center 8 of the original control group have been accepted into the program. At present 19 (out of 25 admitted) are gainfully employed and no longer abusing drugs. Among the remaining controls 4 are dead, 3 are in prison, one in spite of a serious heart condition abuses heroin and one is drug-free. The rehabilitation rate was thus 76 per cent in the program as compared to 6 per cent among the control group. In addition, MMT obviously reduced the high morbidity and mortality rates found in a selection of heroin addicts who fulfilled the admittance criteria of the Swedish program.
Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 7(3) : 249-56
- Year: 1981
- Problem: Opioid Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Medications used to treat substance abuse