Cited by 710Opioid Use Disorder TreatmentSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesPain Management and Opioid Use

Clonidine blocks acute opiate-withdrawal symptoms

Gold, MarkS., Redmond, D.Eugene, Kleber, HerbertD.·1978·The Lancet

Abstract

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial, clonidine eliminated objective signs and subjective symptoms of opiate withdrawal for 240--360 min in eleven addicts in a hospital setting. In an open pilot study of the effects of clonidine on longer-term opiate abstinence and symptoms, the same patients did well while taking clonidine for one week. There was only one documented instance of heroin use, in a patient who did not take clonidine after hospital discharge. 6 weeks or more after the study, four patients were back on reduced doses of methadone, one was on tricyclic antidepressants, and seven were off of all opiates. All eleven patients were doing well. These data suggest that opiate withdrawal is due to increased neuronal activity in areas such as the locus coeruleus which are regulated by both alpha-2 adrenergic and opiate receptors.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)92823-4

Cites

23 of 23 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Norepinephrine activation has long been hypothesized to be involved in opioid withdrawal in animals and in humans.

    “Norepinephrine activation has long been hypothesized to be involved in opioid withdrawal in animals, based on neurobiological measures and the pharmacology of withdrawal (Maldonado, 1997), and in humans, based largely on pharmacological studies of opioid withdrawal (Gold et al., 1978;Harris and Gewirtz, 2005).”

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Authors
Gold, M., Redmond, D. E., & Kleber, H.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1978-09
Volume
312
Issue
8090
Pages
599-602
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
OpenAlex
W2097329845
Cited by
710
References
23
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 9
FWCI
57.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Pain Management and Opioid Use
Keywords
clonidine, opioid withdrawal, heroin addiction, opioid use disorder, alpha2-adrenoceptors, locus coeruleus, methadone, tricyclic antidepressants, withdrawal symptoms
MeSH terms
Acute Disease, Clinical Trials as Topic, Clonidine, Double-Blind Method, Drug Evaluation, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Methadone, Nursing Assessment, Patient Compliance, Placebos, Self-Assessment, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome, Time Factors, Substance-Related Disorders

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