The Effect of Gabapentin on Withdrawal Syndrome, Psychiatric Disorders and Electroencephalogram of Opium Addicts during the Detoxification Period

Substance abuse is an important health, psychological and social problem in the world. Gabapentin is a new antiepileptic drug. It is used in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Moreover the effects of gabapentin on increasing the analgesic effect of morphine and its inhibitory effects on dopamine release due to morphine in animal models have been proved. In the present study, the effect of gabapentin on withdrawal signs and symptoms in opium-addicted participants and on psychiatric disorders and electroencephalogram of these patients during the detoxification period has been investigated. Two groups of patients were selected randomly. The first group (n=36) received the current drugs based on their withdrawal symptoms and the second group (n=35) received an additional 900 mg gabapentin daily. All the patients were evaluated by electroencephalography and Symptom Check List-90-Revised on the first and last days of hospitalization and their demographic characteristics were gathered by using a general questionnaire. During the hospitalization period (10 days) all the patients were visited daily for withdrawal signs and symptoms. The analysis of data showed the excellent effect of gabapentin on all psychiatric symptoms and in decreasing signs and symptoms significantly. A gradual decrease of withdrawal signs and symptoms in the second group shows the efficacy of gabapentin. There was no significant difference between the two groups, regarding to the electroencephalogram indices. The results show that gabapentin improves the quality of therapeutic management in opium-addicts during the detoxification period.