IMPORTANCE OF AGONISTIC CLONIDIN Α-2 IN REDUCTION OF HOT FLASHES IN ACUTE OPIOID ABSTINENCE SYNDROME PATIENTS

Background: The need for non-hormonal hot flush interventions is increasing due to the number of patients diagnosed with hormone-sensitive tumors, and hormone replacement therapy is not as beneficial as originally thought. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of clonidine in hot flushes, the most commonly reported subjective symptom of acute opioid abstinence syndrome.

Place and Duration: In the pharmacology and psychiatry department of Nishtar Hospital, Multan for 2-months duration from May 1^st 2020 to 30^th of June 2020.

Methods: The study consisted of a two-month, single-blind, randomized clinical trial of clonidine in patients with opioid abstinence syndrome with very frequent flushing. 20 patients were administered clonidine 300 mcg / day in divided doses. All patients who completed the treatment program stayed in the hospital for 2 months.

Results and Conclusions: The mean absolute scores for the change in hot flushes per day at endpoint, from baseline, showed a very rapid and highly significant decrease in the clonidine treatment program. Researchers discovered the benefits of clonidine in hot flashes.

Key words: hot flushes, noradrenaline and clonidine.