title: Amantadine as Augmentation in Managing Opioid Withdrawal with Clonidine: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Withdrawal symptoms are a main reason of continuous use of opioid. This study compares the efficacy of augmentation of amantadine with clonidine in decreasing opioid withdrawal symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  This double-blind randomized clinical trial was carried out in the detoxification and rehabilitation inpatient ward at Razi Hospital, Tabriz, Iran during 2012. The patients were randomly assigned to receive clonidine or clonidine plus amantadine; and withdrawal symptoms were evaluated in the admission day and 24, 48, and 72 hours later. Data were analyzed using SPSS by the 2*2 repeated analyses of variances (ANOVA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the total of 69 participants, 30 patients completed the trial in each group. The severity of symptoms, however, had an increasing trend in both groups. Analysis of variance of the symptom severity score (by The Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale) revealed a significant group-time interaction, and the patients who were receiving amantadine experienced milder symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms with amantadine and clonidine would result in a better outcome compared with clonidine alone.
authors.affiliation: Clinical psychiatry research center (CPRC), Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahrokh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amiri
authors.affiliation: Clinical psychiatry research center (CPRC), Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ayyoub
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.affiliation: Department of psychiatry, Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tofighnia
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences- Tabriz-Iran.
authors.forename: Bohlool
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Habibi Asl
authors.affiliation: Department of psychiatry, Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seidy
keywords: Amantadine; Clonidine; Withdrawal Syndrome