Carbamazepine versus oxazepam in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal: a double-blind study

Abstract

The use of more than 130 drugs and drug combinations against the alcohol withdrawal syndrome reflects the fact that views on its treatment are far from being unequivocal. Benzodiazepines are the first choice treatment but it should not be disregarded that they have side effects and, above all, a varying risk of dependency themselves. In recent years many trials have focused on carbamazepine in this respect. Its efficacy was proven in various open and double-blind studies, most of them using concomitant sedative drugs, thereby diminishing the reliability of the results. In a double-blind study we compared the efficacy of carbamazepine with that of oxazepam, in 60 in-patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal syndrome. The main rating instrument was the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Scale--Alcohol (CIWA-A). The 7-day trial showed equal efficacy of carbamazepine and oxazepam during the first 5 days and a statistically significant superiority of carbamazepine on days 6 and 7. Four patients in each group had to be dropped from the study due to side effects or after having withdrawn informed consent. There was no decrease in white blood counts under carbamazepine. The experiences with carbamazepine up to now suggest a more widespread use, especially in non-delirious withdrawal states.