Outpatient methadone detoxification: Effects of diazepam and doxepin as adjunct medications

In recent years, there has been increasing interest and research in the use of adjunct medications during opiate detoxification. Although use of supplemental medications to control withdrawal symptomatology has received general clinical application for many years, there had been little systematic research in the area prior to reports of the significant anti-withdrawal effects of the alpha-2-adrenergic agonists clonidine and lofexidine. The present adjunct medication study compared the effectiveness of doxepin and diazepam on a variety of outcome measures during out-patient opiate detoxification treatment. Subjects assigned to the diazepam treatment group were more likely to complete detoxification treatment, attended the clinic more regularly and had fewer opiate-positive urine specimens than subjects assigned to receive doxepin during the detox.