Effect of add-on amantadine to clonidine on opioid withdrawal symptoms in opioid-dependent patients detoxified with buprenorphine: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of combination therapy with amantadine and clonidine against clonidine alone on subjective opioid withdrawal symptoms in patients treated with buprenorphine. Methods and Materials: Patients were recruited from outpatient addiction treatment centers for this double-blind, randomized control trial. They were divided into two groups randomly assigned to receive either clonidine (0.15–0.3 mg/day) or clonidine with amantadine (100–200 mg/day). We assessed withdrawal symptoms with the Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS) on the first day of admission and 3, 7, 14, and 21 days afterward. Results: Forty-three patients completed the trial in each group. The impact of adding-on amantadine on the mean SOWS compared to control was significant (p < .001) at any time of the study period. However, there were no significant differences in mean SOWS within groups during follow-up (p > .05). Also, there were no significant differences in mean SOWS between the two groups during follow-up time (day 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st) (p > .05). Conclusion: Amantadine and clonidine combined treatment would result in fewer opioid withdrawal symptoms than clonidine alone, with a decrease commencing on the third day. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.