Comparing and combining gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and naltrexone in maintaining abstinence from alcohol: An open randomised comparative study

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• 作者：Fabio Caputo ; Giovanni Addolorato ; Michela Stoppo ; Sara Francini ; Teo Vignoli ; Francesca Lorenzini ; Arfedele Del Re ; Claudio Comaschi ; Pietro Andreone ; Franco Trevisani ; Mauro Bernardi ; Alcohol Treat
• 关键词：Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid ; Naltrexone ; Combined pharmacological treatment ; Maintaining abstinence from alcohol
• 刊名：European Neuropsychopharmacology
• 出版年：2007
• 出版时间：December 2007
• 年：2007
• 卷：17
• 期：12
• 页码：781-789
• 全文大小：308 K

文摘

Maintaining abstinence from alcohol is the main goal in treating alcohol dependence. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and naltrexone (NTX), and their combination in maintaining abstinence. Fifty-five alcoholics were randomly enrolled in three groups and treated for 3 months with GHB, GHB plus NTX, and NTX, respectively. At the end of treatments, abstinence was maintained by 13 patients (72.2 % ) in combination group, 8 patients (40 % ; P = 0.03) in GHB group, and one patient (5.9 % ; P = 0.0001) in NTX group. Relapses in heavy drinking tended to occur more frequently in GHB group (15 % ) than in either combination group (no cases) or NTX group (5.9 % ), but such differences were not statistically significant. The GHB/NTX combination was more effective than either drug given alone; this suggests that the two drugs combine their different actions synergistically without suppressing the favourable effects of each other.