Interaction of disulfiram with benzodiazepines

Abstract

The disposition of chlordiazepoxide (50 mg, intravenously), diazepam (0.143 mg/kg, orally), and oxazepam (0.429 mg/kg, orally) were studied in normal and alcoholic men before and after chronic disulfiram administration. Decreases in the plasma clearance of chlordiazepoxide (54%, p less than 0.05), diazepam (41%, p less than 0.05), and their active N-desmethyl metabolites were observed. Oxazepam has no important active metabolites and its net disposition is minimally altered by disulfiram. Oxazepam disposition is unaffected by age and liver disease. These considerations together with that of the short half-life of oxazepam (median, 6.1 hr) suggest that oxazepam may be the drug of choice if benzodiazepine therapy is used for patients taking disulfiram.