Citation

Pacini M, Santucci B, Maremmani I. Heroin Addict. Relat. Clin. Probl. 2014; 16(1): 35-40.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, European Opiate Addiction Treatment Association, Publisher Pacini Editore)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

RESULTS: Subjects were adult males, mostly of Arabian origin, who asked to be given quetiapine after imprisonment, showing stabilization at therapeutic dosages, especially in the lower dosage range. Their shared clinical features were dysphoria and aggressiveness, while they showed heterogeneous profiles for substance abuse patterns and pictures, psychiatric history and on-going treatments.; Background and aims: Quetiapine is an available resource in the treatment of psychotic symptoms and agitation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It has also proved effective in relieving withdrawal from opiates and other substances, with a favourable impact on anxiety, pain perception, insomnia, reduced appetite and negative craving. Cases of abuse have been documented in jails. So far no study has related illegal quetiapine use to one specific category of substance abuse.; Methods: the anamnestic and clinical data of 17 substance abusers who had been asking for quetiapine, were gathered during a period of imprisonment.; Conclusions: All the cases described in this paper, indicate a phenomenon of quetiapine use, with no clear core features of abuse or addiction, but a usage pattern that is, certainly, specifically oriented towards quetiapine. © 2014, Pacini Editore S.p.A. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

adult; human; Palestine; male; alcoholism; insomnia; psychosis; Italy; suicide attempt; addiction; Arab; substance abuse; aggressiveness; mental disease; controlled study; neuroleptic agent; Tunisia; clinical article; quetiapine; delusion; prisoner; cannabis addiction; benzodiazepine derivative; dysphoria; urinalysis; anamnesis; biperiden; mania; multiple drug abuse; self medication; agitation; opiate addiction; clonazepam; cocaine dependence; Article; orphenadrine; Algeria; methamphetamine dependence; Jailed substance abusers; Opioid dysphoria; Quetiapine demand; Self-medication