Two groups of medically comparable patients at the Pelgrim Centre were used to study the use of
tiapridal in alcoholic detoxication. The first group of nearly 450 patients were treated with traditional medication between 1973 and mid-1976, and second group of some 540 subjects displaying somato-dependency were treated with
tiapridal between mid-1976 and mid-1979. 40 % of the latter group required IM
injections, but 4
tablets per day were sufficient for the remainder, with
Nootropil and
benzodiazepine soporifics where necessary ; medication was discontinued when symptoms disappeared (after 1 week in 40 % of the cases).
Tiapridal was found to be especially useful for the 9.9 % who had a history of
delirium tremens, and for sub-acute alcoholic
delirium, the average stay due to this being reduced from 4 to 3 days and the incidence decrease from 7,8 to 1,4 %. There was also a great reduction in gastro-intestinal disorders and general physical craving. However, it was found that
tiapridal increased the incidence of all forms of
epilepsy by alcohol deprivation from 3.18 to 4.19, and detoxication
epilepsy increased from 0.58 to 1.47, therefore anti-epileptic medication is indicated in many cases. On the whole, general recovery was smoother and quicker and
tiapridal was highly satisfactory.