Therapeutic efficacy of original anticonvulsant meta-chloro-benzhydrylurea (m-ch-BHU) in the treatment of patients with a compulsive craving for alcohol

Abstract

Introduction

The problem of the treatment of alcohol addiction is very difficult due to the reoccurrence of relapses. One of the major concepts of the formation of alcohol addiction is the concept of epileptic origin of compulsive craving for alcohol.

Objective

We investigated therapeutic efficacy of long-term dosing of original anticonvulsant (m-ch-BHU) on symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in patients with a compulsive craving for alcohol.

Methods

Sixty-eight male alcoholic patients aged from 24 to 53 years with different levels of alcohol abuse were examined. Type of course of alcoholism in examined patients was of middle-progressing character. Clinical evaluation of state of patients was carried out with traditional clinical description. Quantitative characterization was conducted according to Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale. m-ch-BHU was administered to alcoholic patients at dose from 300 mg a day during 21 days against the background of conventional medication as well as in post-withdrawal period under various degrees of severity of affective disorders.

Results

Among affective disorders dysphoric symptoms have a marked tropism for m-ch-BHU. Of the other clinical manifestations in the structure of AWS cerebral diencephalic paroxysms, cardiovascular and myofascial symptoms have the most pronounced sensitivity to the drug. In patients with complicated forms of alcoholism application of m-ch-BHU is effective also in phase of remission in spontaneously arising symptom complex of neurovegetative manifestations of primary pathological craving for ethanol called “dry abstinence”.

Conclusions

Our data allows recommending the use of m-ch-BHU under outpatient conditions as an anti-recurrent and preventive agent.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.