Treatment of Heroin Withdrawal with Guanfacine: An Open Clinical Investigation*

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Abstract
The alpha2-adrenoceptor stimulant, guanfacine, was used to treat, under open conditions, heroin addicts who volunteered to withdraw from heroin usage. Thirty-four addicts (29 males, 5 females) aged 17 to 31 years were treated for 5 to 15 days with varying doses of guanfacine (0.03 up to 1.75 mg daily). Efficacy was determined by the “Opiate Withdrawal Checklist” (OWCL), administered several times during the day, and by the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. All symptom categories of the OWCL, except “sleep disturbances” were equally ameliorated by the treatment. According to the CGI, 88% of the cases were judged as having had a very good or good improvement. Tolerability to the medication was judged as good or very good in 94% of the cases.