Riboflavin for Glutamate Reduction in Alcohol Withdrawal

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-10-25
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This RCT intends to investigate the use of oral Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) for reduction of blood glutamate levels in the setting of acute alcohol withdrawal. Participants will be patients admitted to an inpatient hospital unit diagnosed with acute alcohol withdrawal. In addition to receiving care as usual, they will be randomized to receive either 100mg TID riboflavin or an identically dosed placebo. The primary outcome measure will be blood glutamate levels. Secondary outcomes will include measures of alcohol withdrawal and alcohol craving. The investigators hypothesize that those in the riboflavin group will have lower blood levels of glutamate, as well as decreased symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Andrew Hughes; Oregon Health and Science University
• Treatments: Riboflavin; Vitamins

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult veterans ages 18-65

• Admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit at the Portland VA

• Determine by admitting physician to be currently in or at risk of alcohol withdrawal during admission

• Placed on the CIWA-AR protocol

• Willing to provide informed consent/HIPAA authorization and accept randomization

• Willing to ingest three capsules/day

• Willing to provide daily blood samples H) Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known allergy to ingredients of riboflavin, capsules, or placebo ingredients

• Taking any medication acting primarily on Glu receptors (e.g. memantine) or GABA receptors (benzodiazepines) at baseline

• Unable to swallow capsules

• Actively in withdrawal from substances other than alcohol

• Unable to provide full informed consent/HIPAA authorization