[The efficacy of calcium channel blockers in the treatment of affective disorders and pathologic drive for alcohol in patients with alcoholism in the remission period].

Forty three patients with chronic alcoholism of stage II with secondary affective disorders (anxiety, subdepression) and actualization of pathological drive for alcohol in remission period were divided into 3 groups: patients were treated with nimodipine (90 mg/day during 10 days), patients were treated with nifedipine (45 mg/day during 10 days) and patients of control group (they received a placebo for 10 days). The study was double blind. The results revealed that both calcium channels antagonists reduced a level of depression measured with the Hamilton scale and Zung test. Ten-day nimodipine (but not nifedipine) course also caused a significant decrease of anxiety evaluated by the Spilberger test. Both medications, being significantly more efficient comparing to placebo, led to desactualization of pathological drive for alcohol in parallel with affective disorders reduction. Because of the absence of the depriming effect of these compounds on CNS as well as of dependence phenomenon, calcium channels antagonists may be used in narcology for stopping secondary affective disorders and actualization of pathological drive for alcohol in remission period.