title: Combined cannabis/methaqualone withdrawal treated with psychotropic analgesic nitrous oxide.
abstract: This article reports the first single-blind study using psychotropic analgesic nitrous oxide (PAN) for treating acute withdrawal states following the abuse of methaqualone combined and smoked with cannabis. Smoked methaqualone combined with cannabis is called "white pipe" (WP). South Africa is the only country in the world where WP is a major form of substance abuse. This article demonstrates in 101 consecutively treated patients given placebo (100% oxygen) followed by PAN that this therapy produced a measurable therapeutic effect (more than 50% improvement) in 87 patients. This study confirms that WP is a form of substance abuse confined mainly to young adult male subjects.
authors.affiliation: South African Brain Research Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa. mag@iafrica.com
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gillman
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harker
authors.forename: Frederick J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Lichtigfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002188:Cannabis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008297:Male; D008702:Methaqualone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D008702:Methaqualone; D009609:Nitrous Oxide