From: an121141@anon.penet.fi (Alice C. Livingston)
Subject: Uses of GHB in opioid withdrawal
Date: 1995/07/11
newsgroups: alt.drugs.hard

A recent browse through medline revealed the following gem. Thought some
of you might be interested.

  Clinical efficacy of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in treatment of opiate
withdrawal.
  Gallimberti L; Schifano F; Forza G; Miconi L; Ferrara SD
  Addiction Treatment Unit, Padua, Italy.
  Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci  (GERMANY)  1994  244 (3) p113-4  ISSN:
0940-1334
  Language: ENGLISH
  Document Type:   JOURNAL ARTICLE
  Journal Announcement: 9504
  Subfile: INDEX MEDICUS
  This paper describes the role of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in the
treatment of opiate withdrawal syndrome.  In the two patients described, after
having abruptly withdrawn from long-term methadone treatment, GHB was orally
administered (each dose given every 4-6 h) for 8-9 days.  The GHB showed both a
high efficacy (some mild and transient symptoms attributable to opiate
withdrawal were observed, but only in the first days of therapy) and a good
tolerability (no clinical phenomena interpreted as GHB side effects were found).
These results could be of interest in improving the pharmacological treatment
of drug addiction.
  Tags: Case Report; Female; Human; Male
  Descriptors: *Heroin Dependence--Rehabilitation--RH; *Methadone--Therapeutic
Use--TU; *Sodium Oxybate--Therapeutic Use--TU; *Substance Withdrawal Syndrome--
Drug Therapy--DT; Adult; Follow-Up Studies; Methadone--Adverse Effects--AE;
Neurologic Examination--Drug Effects--DE; Sodium Oxybate--Adverse Effects--AE;
Substance Abuse Detection; Substance Abuse, Intravenous--Rehabilitation--RH;
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome--Diagnosis--DI
  CAS Registry No.: 502-85-2   (Sodium Oxybate); 76-99-3   (Methadone)



  Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid for treatment of opiate withdrawal syndrome.
  Gallimberti L; Cibin M; Pagnin P; Sabbion R; Pani PP; Pirastu R; Ferrara SD;
Gessa GL
  Addiction Treatment Service, Padova, Italy.
  Neuropsychopharmacology  (UNITED STATES)  Aug 1993  9 (1) p77-81  ISSN: 0893-
133X
  Language: ENGLISH
  Document Type:   CLINICAL TRIAL; JOURNAL ARTICLE; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

  Journal Announcement: 9401
  Subfile: INDEX MEDICUS
  In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)
(25 mg/kg orally) suppressed most of the withdrawal symptomatology in 14 heroin
addicts and 13 methadone-maintained subjects.  The GHB effect was prompt
(wDrug Therapy--DT; Adult; Double-Blind
Method; Heroin Dependence--Rehabilitation--RH; Methadone--Therapeutic Use--TU;
Naloxone--Diagnostic Use--DU; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome--Psychology--PX
  CAS Registry No.: 465-65-6   (Naloxone); 502-85-2   (Sodiumressed and patients reported felling well.  Urine
analysis failed to detect any presence of opiate metabolites.  No withdrawal
symptomatology recurred after 8 days of treatment when GHB was suspended, and
patients were challenged with an intravenous injection of 0.4 mg naloxone.  The
results indicate that GHB may be useful in the management of opiate withdrawal.
  Tags: Human; Male
  Descriptors: *Heroin Dependence--Psychology--PX; *Sodium Oxybate--Therapeutic
Use--TU; *Substance Withdrawal Syndrome--Drug Therapy--DT; Adult; Double-Blind
Method; Heroin Dependence--Rehabilitation--RH; Methadone--Therapeutic Use--TU;
Naloxone--Diagnostic Use--DU; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome--Psychology--PX

~~~
Alice Livingston
I am cornflakes

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