Treatment of Polydrug-Using Opiate Dependents During Withdrawal

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2003-11-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Managed detoxification is a first and necessary step prior to treatment and rehabilitation. Detoxification can be a major obstacle for some patients, and the availability of managed and safe withdrawal is a prerequisite for long-term treatment.

In our clinical practice we have felt the need for a standardised and safe detoxification treatment regimen for our opioid addicts, as dependence on multiple drugs is so common.

Objectives

1. To assess whether a novel standardised treatment regimen - Buprenorphine (BPN) combined with Valproate (VPA) - will result in fewer withdrawal symptoms during detoxification of opiate-polydrug users than the existing treatment regimen, i.e. Clonidine (CLN) combined with Carbamazepine (CBZ).

2. To determine whether there are differences in treatment retention between the BPN/VPA and the CLN/CBZ groups.

3. To assess differences in clinical side-effects and biochemical interactions between the two treatment regimens.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Sorlandet Hospital HF
• Treatments: Buprenorphine; Valproic Acid

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Polydrug dependency (at least opiate and benzodiazepine dependency)

Exclusion Criteria:

• No severe psychiatric illness

• No history of epilepsy seizures

• No pregnancy or breastfeeding

• Fertile women must use contraceptives