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Flumazenil, a benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, and gabapentin have each been reported to reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms and drinking in animals and in preliminary human studies. This manufacturer-funded study is the first randomized, controlled efficacy trial of their combination for treating alcohol dependence.
Sixty actively drinking, healthy adults with alcohol dependence but no axis I psychiatric or substance use disorders, other than marijuana or nicotine use, received either flumazenil infusion (2 mg over 20 minutes) on 2 days plus gabapentin pills for 39 days (escalated to 1200 mg/day) or placebo infusions plus placebo pills. On the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol–Revised, 44 subjects scored low (<7) on alc…