
    difficulties in recruiting study participants
  
['opioid dependence', 'cocaine dependence']
['prednisolone', 'placebo (for prednisolone)']

        Inclusion Criteria:

          -  Informed Consent as documented by signature,

          -  age ≥18,

               -  Group A Detoxification of stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine and/or
                  methamphetamine); ICD-10: F14.2 and/or F15.2) OR Stable opioid dependency (no
                  parallel consumption). Detoxifica-tion of stimulants.

               -  Group B Opioid dependency and dependency of stimulants (cocaine, amphetamine
                  and/or methamphetamine) and Detoxification of parallel consumption of stimulants
                  and heroin (ICD-10: F11.2, 14.2, 15.2)

          -  admission for detoxification to ward U2 of the University Psychiatric Hospital of
             Basel

        Exclusion Criteria:

          -  contraindications to the class of drugs under study or to any of the excipients, e.g.
             known hypersensitivity or allergy to class of drugs or the investigational product;

          -  acute or severe co-morbid psychiatric disturbances (such as a heavy episode of major
             depression with suicidal ideations, acute exacerbation of a bipolar disorder, acute
             exacerbation of schizophrenia, alcohol addiction with an acute relapse, psychosis,
             dementia);

          -  current medical conditions excluding participation (such as acute infectious disease,
             moni-tored by elevated CRP, diabetes mellitus, anticoagulation therapy);

          -  recent history of systemic or topic glucocorticoid therapy;

          -  alcohol intake > 0.0 ‰ according to breathalyser test on day 0 (screening) to exclude
             severe alcohol abuse;

          -  specific drugs not allowed during the study or for specific periods of time prior to
             the administration of the test dose: Anticoagulant agents, antidiabetic agents,
             cyclosporine;

          -  women who are pregnant or breast feeding;

          -  intention to become pregnant during the course of the study;

          -  inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems,
             psychological disorders, dementia;

          -  participation in another study with investigational drug within the 30 days preceding
             or during the present study;

          -  previous enrolment into the current study;

          -  enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent
             persons.
      