Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Amitriptyline treatment in opioid withdrawal syndrome. Materials and Methods: A total of 44 opium dependent patients who met the DSMIV -TR criteria for opioid dependency were randomly assigned to treat with 'Amitriptyline or placebo during a 25-day double blind clinical trial. Opioid misuse was replaced by oral methadone during a 3 days stabilization period. Methadone was reduced to zero from the beginning of the study to 10th day and Amitriptylin or placebo also was administered. Amitriptylin prescribed as 25 mg tablets or placebo tablets that were completely similar to Amitriptylin tablet prescribed too. Amitriptylin group were prescribed 25 mg tablet per day and placebo tablet too. From second week, drug dosages for both groups were doubled. Rapid detoxification was performed by naloxon after 5 days washout period. The severity of opioid withdrawal and pain was measured by sows and MPQ at days 7/15/17 and 25. Results: There 'was significant difference between Amitriptyline and placebo in reduction of opioid - withdrawal pain and mental symptoms. No significant difference was noted between the two groups on physical symptoms of withdrawal syndromes. Conclusion: Amitriptyline can be considered as an adjuvant drug for opioid withdrawal pain Management.    

Background and Aim: This randomized double-blind, placebo controlled study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of gabapentin in the treatment of opiate withdrawal symptoms.Material and Methods: This was a 3-week double-blind, randomized, placebocontrolled trial and performed in specialized addiction behavior unit, an outpatient unit for the treatment of patients with addiction in Isfahan. The study included forty patients, 37 males and 3 females, between 21-61 years of age who met DSM-IV criteria for opium dependence. The subjects were randomly assigned into 2 groups.The experimental group received MAD (methadone-assisted detoxification) and gabapentin 900 mg/day. Severity of different withdrawal symptoms was measured by using subjective opiate withdrawal scale (SWOS) in six steps.Results: Despite superiority of gabapentin to placebo in controlling some of withdrawal symptoms no significant difference was noticed between the two groups.Conclusion: Addition of 900 mg/day of gabapentin to MAD treatment regimen is not significantly superior to placebo in controlling opium withdrawal symptoms.