Encephale
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Case Reports
[Effects of clonidine on opiate withdrawal symptoms. Results - biochemical mechanisms (author's transl)].
Clonidine was administered to nineteen patients in an inpatient setting after abrupt discontinuation of chronic opiate addiction (morphine, héroin, dextromoramide). Clonidine produces a decrease sometimes very rapid in opiate withdrawal signs but does not suppress the whole affects associated with. These data support the hypothesis that clonidine has antiwithdrawal effect by replacing opiate-mediated inhibition with alpha 2 mediated inhibition of brain noradrenergic activity.
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A retrospective study of 557 outpatients who had been treated with imipramine has been undertaken in a neuro-psychiatric unit. The usual dose was 75 mg per day, most often associated with other psychotropic drugs. ⋯ The best results have been obtained with early treatment when patients didn't have any loss of consciousness at the time of their contusion. The other successful indications of imipramine were phobic and hypocondriacal neurotic symptoms and functional headaches which were resistant to the usual treatments, raising the problem of a possible masked depression.