Interaction between diazepam and noradrenergic function in man

✍ Scribed by David J. Nutt

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 532 KB
• Volume: 1
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6222
• DOI: 10.1002/hup.470010106

✦ Synopsis

A challenge test of clonidine (1.5 ug kg-' i.v.) was gven to 8 male volunteers, before, after a singIe acute dose of diazepam (15 mg the previous night), after 3 weeks chronic treatment with diazepam (25 mg/d) and in the withdrawal phase, 4-5 days after stopping diazepam. The effect of clonidine was measured on the clonidine-induced growth hormone release, hypotension, bradycardia and sedation. Baseline (pre-clonidine) measures of these, with the exception of increased sedation during the acute treatment, were unaltered during treatment. Clonidine-induced growth hormone and sedation responses were not different between tests however enhanced hypotension was observed in the chronic phase. These results are discussed in the light of the mechanisms of tolerance development to diazepam.