Method of relieving alcohol dysphoria in the structure of hypertoxic alcohol abuse state with compulsive craving manifestations

• Published in: European psychiatry Vol. 64; no. S1; pp. S562 - S563
• Main Authors: Sosin, I., Mysko, G., Sergienko, O., Honcharova, O., Babenko, Y., Minko, O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Cambridge University Press 01-04-2021
• Subjects: Abstract; Addiction; Alcohol; Alcohol abuse; Dysphoria; E-Poster Presentation; Psychotherapy; Treatment
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1499

IntroductionAlcohol dysphoria is a pathognomonic, severe, and therapeutically resistant syndrome considerable for alcohol and drug-addicted patients. The term “dysphoria” (from Greek δυσφορέω to suffer, torment, annoy) means an abnormally low type of mood, characterized by anger, gloom, irritability, feelings of hostility to others. In addictology, it is often identified in the withdrawal syndrome structure.ObjectivesTo develop innovative improvement in treatment for alcohol dysphoria.MethodsValid clinical diagnostic, laboratory, biochemical, electrophysiological, psychological (scaling, testing), statistical methods identifying alcohol dependence complicated by dysphoria.ResultsThe proposed method involves a complex of anti-affective, anti-abstinence, anti-craving pharmacological agents and drug-free methods, and differs from those conventional, along with psychotherapeutic potentiation, by additional targeted pharmacological triad (peroral Carbamazepine 200 mg twice a day: in the morning and in the evening; intramuscular Halopril (Haloperidol) 1 ml (5 mg) daily; oral Sonapax 1 tablet (25 mg) three times a day for 3-5 day treatment) used for a new purpose. 17 patients experienced this method. Efficacy: alcohol dysphoria acute manifestations were relieved by our method within 3-5 days that 37.8% exceeds conventional treatment. In 15 minutes, patients decreased irritability, motor restlessness, stress, cravings for alcohol. In 30 minutes, the patients fell asleep. Sleep lasted 3.5 hours on average. Subsequently, patients denied craving for alcohol, calmed down emotionally and psychomotorically, wished to be treated for alcoholism. No dysphoric relapses were observed.ConclusionsThe proposed multimodality method alleviates alcohol-induced dysphoria, involving pharmacotherapeutic triad along with psychotherapeutic potentiation.