Minerva Med. 1982 Mar; 73(13): 707-10.

[Suppression of the opiate withdrawal syndrome with GABA analogs, low-dose psychotropic drugs and acupuncture]

Lorini G, Fazio L, Fusari A, Cocchi R.

15 male heroin addicts, 19-26 yr, were given 20 hospital treatments for detoxifying. Therapeutic program was based on GABAergic drugs (1-glutamine, sodium valproate, pyridoxine), low doses psychodrugs and acupuncture, added from the 3rd day. A full avoidance of the withdrawal syndrome was reached in 15 out of 18 Ss so treated with 8-10 hours following the last heroin injection, while the remaining 3 Ss experienced only a slight form of syndrome, which completely disappeared within the 24th hour. The 2 Ss manifesting evident symptoms of withdrawal and starting the therapeutic program respectively at the 20th and 32nd hour had their syndrome stopped and suppressed respectively within the 24th and 48th hour. Acupuncture accelerated the somatopsychic recovery leading to a lowering of the daily doses of the drugs used.