Moderation of Prazosin’s Efficacy by Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms

What is it about?

Chronic, heavy alcohol use increases likelihood of withdrawal symptoms and associated high craving, anxiety and negative mood symptoms, which can jeopardize recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Here we show that prazosin treatment over 12 weeks reduces drinking, craving, anxiety and negative mood significantly compared to placebo, but only in those AUD individuals with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These results underscore the need to assess alcohol withdrawal and associated abstinence symptoms post-detoxification in outpatient and aftercare settings, and suggests that prazosin could be of benefit in reducing alcohol drinking but only for AUD individuals with residual alcohol withdrawal and abstinence symptoms and not in those without these symptoms.

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