Tizanidine for alcohol withdrawal treatment.

The noradrenergic system is an important neurotransmission system implicated in the occurrence of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and anxiety leading to relapse during abstinence from alcohol usage. Tizanidine can play a role in alcohol withdrawal since it interferes with the noradrenergic system neurotransmission. Many noradrenergic system inhibitors in the central nervous system have proven their efficacy in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Imidazoline receptors have been also implicated in the pathophysiology of addiction. Tizanidine is an α2-adrenoreceptor agonist that inhibits noradrenaline release and binds to imidazoline receptors. It is used as an antispastic agent due to its central action on noradrenergic system. Although Tizanidine has been tested as a treatment for opioid withdrawal it has not been tried in alcohol withdrawal yet. A theoretical rationale supports the fact that it can be an efficient treatment for the alcohol withdrawal syndrome as well as for the prevention of relapses.