title: Dapiprazole compared with clonidine and a placebo in detoxification of opiate addicts.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Department, University of Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sternieri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferretti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines; D011581:Psychological Tests; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D014230:Triazoles; C035289:dapiprazole; D003000:Clonidine