Tiapride in the Treatment of Alcohol-Dependent Patients: What is the Evidence?

Authors

  • Maria João Abreu Unidade de Saúde Familiar Duovida, Guimarães
  • Helena Ribeiro Unidade de Saúde Familiar Novos Rumos, Guimarães
  • Maria do Céu Ferreira Serviço de Psiquiatria do Hospital de Braga
  • Nuno Namora Unidade de Saúde Familiar Duovida, Guimarães
  • Teresa Martins Unidade de Saúde Familiar Novos Rumos, Guimarães
  • Luísa Ferraz Unidade de Saúde Familiar Duovida, Guimarães

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25752/psi.6662

Keywords:

Alcoholism, Tiapride.

Abstract

Introduction: Alcohol dependence is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, as well as an important public health problem. Tiapride is one of the drugs with clinical in-dication in the behavioral disturbances of alcohol withdrawal.

Objective: To determine if the use of tiapride is supported by the scientific evidence in the treatment of alcohol dependence (alcohol withdrawal  syndrome and maintenance of abstinence).

Methods: Literature search in different databases using the MeSH terms: alcoholism and tiapride. We limited the search to articles published in the last 20 years, written in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Levels of evidence and strength of recommendation were assigned according to the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy scale (SORT) from the American Family Physician.

Results: A total of 22 articles were identified, and five of them were Randomized Controlled Trials. Two showed that tiapride could be an effective option in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Regarding long-term abstinence, the results were conflicting with a study showing superiority and two inferiority relative to placebo.

Conclusions: The scientific evidence showed benefit of using tiapride in alcohol withdrawal syndrome (SORT B), although this recommendation is supported only by two heterogeneous studies. Regarding longterm abstinence, the use of tiapride is not supported by the most recent scientific evidence (SORT B). However further studies of good methodological quality are needed to assess whether tiapride is indeed an effective therapy in the treatment of alcohol dependence.

Author Biographies

Maria João Abreu, Unidade de Saúde Familiar Duovida, Guimarães

Mestrado Integrado em Medicina.

Interna de Formação Específica em Medicina Geral e Familiar na USF Duovida do ACES do Alto Ave.

Helena Ribeiro, Unidade de Saúde Familiar Novos Rumos, Guimarães

Mestrado Integrado em Medicina.

Interna de Formação Específica em Medicina Geral e Familiar na USF Novos Rumos do ACES do Alto Ave.

Maria do Céu Ferreira, Serviço de Psiquiatria do Hospital de Braga

Mestrado Integrado em Medicina.

Interna de Formação Específica de Psiquiatria no Serviço de Psiquiatria do Hospital de Braga.

Nuno Namora, Unidade de Saúde Familiar Duovida, Guimarães

Mestrado Integrado em Medicina.

Interno de Formação Específica em Medicina Geral e Familiar na USF Duovida do ACES do Alto Ave.

Teresa Martins, Unidade de Saúde Familiar Novos Rumos, Guimarães

Licenciatura em Medicina.

Interna de Formação Específica em Medicina Geral e Familiar na USF Novos Rumos do ACES do Alto Ave.

Luísa Ferraz, Unidade de Saúde Familiar Duovida, Guimarães

Licenciatura em Medicina.

Médica Assistente Graduada em Medicina Geral e Familiar na USF Duovida do ACES do Alto Ave.

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Published

2016-07-19

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2015)

Section

Review Articles

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