FAILURE OF CORTISONE AND ACTH IN TREATMENT OF THE MORPHINE ABSTINENCE SYNDROME

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Abstract
Ten subjects addicted to 120-600 mg. of morphine sulfate daily were abruptly withdrawn from morphine and the intensity of abstinence symptoms measured during a period of 40 hours (control withdrawal). Each was then returned to his addiction level of morphine for 10-14 days; then, abrupt withdrawal was repeated. But during the second 40-hour period of abstinence (test withdrawal) 6 of them were treated with ACTH and 4 with cortisone. These studies showed that neither cortisone nor ACTH was of benefit in treating the acute symptoms of abstinence from morphine. During control withdrawals the eosinophil count began to drop as soon as significant abstinence symptoms developed, and when abstinence symptoms reached maximum intensity, the avg. eosinophil count approximated zero. When abstinence was terminated by morphine admn., the eosinophil count promptly recovered.