The Use of GHB in Anticraving Therapy. Preliminary Experimental Data of its Use in Alcohol and Heroin Dependence

Summary

GHB seems to be an effective anti-craving agent not only in alcoholic patients, as already demonstrated, but also in other drug addiction pathologies. Open studies, carried out at the Dependence-Psychiatry Unit of the Psychiatric Clinic of University of Pisa, showed its effectiveness and lack of side effects when associated with anti-depressants and mood stabilizers, in 20 depressed alcoholic subjects resistant to anti-depressant therapy. The anti-craving effect was also observed in 2 heroin drug addicts, who were abusing alcohol and benzodiazepines during methadone maintenance treatment, and in 4 subjects treated with naltrexone, who were still “craving” heroin. The average observation period was 31 days, the average dosage was 35 ml/die, min 15 max 60; no significant side effects were observed.