ABSTRACT
An estimated 185 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Combination therapy with pegylated interferon-α (peg IFN) and ribavirin is the first line of treatment against the psychiatric side effects, including mood disorders, anxiety and irritability. In the present study, all of the studies electronically published between 2000 and 2016 were retrieved using databases including Scopus, PubMed, Institute for Scientific Information, Science Direct and Google Scholar. All of the articles were independently evaluated by two reviewers and the results were compared, followed by removal of duplicate, irrelevant and re-published studies after reviewing. The studies were assessed based on the heterogeneity of their results using the Cochrane test and I2 analysis. All groups included neuropsychiatric side effects, fatigue was reported at the highest rate in 60.41% [95% confidence interval (CI)=39.18-81.64%] and insomnia was reported at a lower rate in 16.28% of cases (95% CI=6.59-25.98%). In conclusion, the present meta-analysis indicated that treatment with peg IFN + ribavirin or interferon only is associated with a wide range of neuropsychiatric side effects, including fatigue, mood disorders, anxiety, irritability, emotional ability and agitation.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of tramadol versus methadone for treatment of opiate withdrawal. Seventy patients randomly were assigned in two groups to receive either prescribed methadone (60 mg/day) or tramadol (600 mg/day). The withdrawal syndrome of patients was evaluated before and after rapid opiate detoxification using the Objective Opioid Withdrawal Scale (OOWS). No significant differences existed in overall OOWS scores between two groups (P = 0.11). Dropout rates were similar in both groups. Side effects in the tramadol group were as or less common than in the methadone group, with the exception of perspiration. Tramadol may be as effective as methadone in the control of withdrawal and could be considered as a potential substitute for methadone to manage opioids withdrawal.
