Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with diazepam for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome: A double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combined with diazepam against diazepam alone for treatment of acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). METHODS: In this double-blind randomized sham-controlled trial, men with acute AWS were randomly allocated to either a group treated with TEAS combined with diazepam (n = 57) or a control group treated with sham TEAS combined with diazepam (n = 60). Treatment was performed at four acupoints twice a day for 14 days. The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol Scale (CIWA-Ar), visual analogue scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and modified Epworth Sleepiness Scale (mESS) were used to evaluate treatment efficacy. RESULTS: All scores improved significantly in both groups during the trial. CIWA-Ar scores were lower in the TEAS group than in the control group from day 3 until the end of observation. VAS and mESS scores were also lower in the TEAS group than in the control group on day 7. VAS and PSQI scores were lower in the TEAS group on day 14. CONCLUSION: Combining diazepam with TEAS may result in milder AWS symptoms than diazepam alone, improve sleep quality and reduce sleepiness.