Am J Psychiatry 1977; 134:559-562
Copyright © 1977 by American Psychiatric Association
Absorption rate, blood concentrations, and early response to oral chlordiazepoxide
DJ Greenblatt, RI Shader, JS Harmatz, K Franke and J Koch-Weser
Ten healthy male volunteers received chlordiazepoxide (CDX) hydrochloride
or matching placebo with Maalox or water in a four-way single-dose
crossover trial. Coadministration of CDX with Maalox did not change the
completeness of CDX absorption but significantly slowed its rate of
absorption and the rate of desmethylchlordiazepoxide (DMCDX) appearance.
Self-rating of feeling "spacey" at 1.0 and 2.5 hours were significantly
increased over baseline for CDX taken with water but not with Maalox.
Increases in "spacey" feelings at 1.0 hours were highly correlated with
0.5-hour but not with 1.0-hour blood levels. Similar findings were observed
for self-ratings of "thinking" slowed down. Thus certain subjective effects
of antianxiety agents after oral dosage may depend on the rate of drug
absorption and may be attenuated or eliminated if the absorption rate is
reduced.
