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Alcohol dependence is an important health risk factor that can lead to disability and death for people in developed and developing countries. Alcohol consumption is potentially avoidable, which emphasizes the need for effective strategies to help people who are dependent on alcohol to reduce excessive drinking and maintain abstinence following detoxification. ...

As well as AA, there are also alternative interventions based on 12-step type programmes, some self-help and some professionally-led. AA and other 12-step approaches are typically based on the assumption that substance dependence is a spiritual and a medical disease. The available experimental studies did not demonstrate the effectiveness of AA or other ...

Opioid withdrawal is similar with alpha2-adrenergic agonists and reducing doses of methadone but people stay in treatment longer with methadone and have fewer adverse effects.Managed withdrawal of opioids, or detoxification, is a required first step for longer-term treatments of opioid dependence. The signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal usually ...

There are limited data on anticonvulsants versus placebo for alcohol withdrawal syndrome, while comparisons with other drugs show no clear differences. This Cochrane review summarizes evidence from forty-eight randomised controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness and safety of anticonvulsants in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. There ...

A pharmacological agent with proven efficacy does not exist for treatment of cocaine dependence. Cocaine is an alkaloid derived from the erythroxylon coca leaf that is used as powder for intranasal or intravenous use or as crack, a free-base form which is smoked. Cocaine dependence is a major public health problem because its use can be associated with ...

In recent years, baclofen demonstrated its ability to reduce symptoms of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in alcoholic patients, without producing any significant side effects. This review attempted to evaluate if baclofen is generally effective and safe as a therapy for AWS. Among the pertinent literature, there was only one study meeting our ...

Benzodiazepines are more effective than placebo against alcohol withdrawal seizures while they have variable profile against other commonly used treatments This Cochrane review summarizes evidence from sixty-four randomised controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness and safety of benzodiazepines in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The ...

Heavy or dangerous patterns of drinking alcohol can lead to accidents, injuries, physical and psychiatric illnesses, frequent sickness, absence from employment and social problems. Long term alcohol consumption has harmful effects on almost all organs of the body, particularly the brain and gastro-intestinal system. Healthcare professionals have the ...

Dependence on opioid drugs (heroin, methadone) is a major health and social issue in many societies. Managed withdrawal from opioid dependence is an essential first step for drug-free treatment. This review of trials found that the drug buprenorphine is more effective than clonidine or lofexidine in reducing the signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal, ...

Buprenorphine can reduce heroin use compared with placebo, although it is less effective than methadone. Methadone is widely used as a replacement for heroin in medically-supported maintenance or detoxification programs. Two other drugs are sometimes used to try and help lower use of heroin, specifically buprenorphine and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol). ...