title: Is clonidine useful in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal?
abstract: The comparative efficacy of clonidine and chlormethiazole has been examined in the management of acute alcohol withdrawal. A double blind randomized study was conducted in consecutive patients admitted to a hospital detoxification unit. Patients were assessed regularly by a standard alcohol withdrawal rating-scale. Thirty-two patients received either clonidine or chlormethiazole in reducing dosages over 96 hr. All the patients receiving chlormethiazole had uneventful withdrawals. However, eight patients treated with clonidine were withdrawn from the trial due to hallucinations (two), seizures (two), symptomatic orthostatic hypotension (three) or drowsiness (one), indicating that clonidine is less effective than chlormethiazole in the prevention of the major manifestations of alcohol withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Wellington School of Medicine, Wellington Hospital, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Maling
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000430:Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002719:Chlormethiazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003000:Clonidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011604:Psychoses, Alcoholic / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D002719:Chlormethiazole; D003000:Clonidine