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Smoked cocaine self-administration in females and voucher incentives for abstinence.

UNLABELLED: There are three purposes for this study: (1) To extend the laboratory study of heavy smoked cocaine use to women, (2) to assess cocaine withdrawal symptoms and (3) to assess the utility of voucher incentives for achieving and maintaining cocaine and other drug abstinence in female cocaine abusers. METHODS: Ten non-treatment seeking female cocaine smokers resided inpatient for 4-5 days and could smoke up to 6 doses of cocaine base (50 mg each) twice a day (at 1200 h and again at 1600 h) for 2 consecutive days. During the following 2-week outpatient phase, women were given US $40 in merchandise vouchers if urinalysis indicated lower drug levels from the previous day. RESULTS: Women self-administered 20.4 out of 24 possible doses. Compared to the 1200 session, heart rate and blood pressure, but not subjective effects, were still significantly increased prior to the 1600 session. Nine women completed the outpatient phase, attending 98% of their appointments. Using the One-Half Rule, 56% of urines indicated no new cocaine or other drug use. IMPLICATIONS: Although a US $40 voucher incentive for a "clean" urine was not sufficient to eliminate cocaine use, the possibility of earning the voucher was sufficient to maintain nearly perfect attendance.

Adult↗

Heroin craving and drug use in opioid-maintained volunteers: effects of methadone dose variations.

Recent data indicate that opioid agonist and antagonist challenges decrease and increase (respectively) heroin craving in physically dependent individuals. This study investigated effects of methadone dose variations on craving and new drug use in 18 outpatients who were given money contingencies. In Phase 1, volunteers were told in different test sessions that methadone dose would increase, decrease, or stay the same; drug-abstinence contingencies were suspended for 24 hr. Craving significantly increased and new heroin use marginally increased (relative to maintenance dose) only when a dose reduction was paired with a dose decrease instruction. In Phase 2 (detoxification), craving and heroin use significantly increased as methadone dose decreased. Thus, loss of micro-receptor agonist effect increased craving and risk of relapse.

Adult↗

[Is premature termination of opiate detoxification due to intensive withdrawal or craving?].

Opiate addicts terminate inpatient detoxification prematurely in about 50% of treatment episodes. Premature termination of treatment is often considered to be motivated by intensive withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, the relation between discontinuing treatment and the intensity of withdrawal symptoms and heroin craving is investigated. 130 opiate addicts consecutively admitted to a detoxification ward daily assessed the intensity of withdrawal symptoms on the Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS) as well as the intensity of heroin craving on a visual analogue scale. Withdrawal symptoms were treated by stepwise reduction of methadone and symptom-oriented medication. 66 patients (50.8%) terminated treatment prematurely. However, during the days preceding treatment termination, these patients did not differ from regularly detoxified patients assessed on corresponding days with respect to craving, and reported even less intensity of withdrawal symptoms. In conclusion, neither the intensity of withdrawal symptoms nor the intensity of heroin craving constitutes the primary reason for premature termination of detoxification.

Adolescent↗

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate withdrawal syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal syndrome is increasingly encountered in emergency departments among patients presenting for health care after discontinuing frequent GHB use. This report describes the characteristics, course, and symptoms of this syndrome. METHODS: A retrospective review of poison center records identified 7 consecutive cases in which patients reporting excessive GHB use were admitted for symptoms consistent with a sedative withdrawal syndrome. One additional case identified by a medical examiner was brought to our attention. These medical records were reviewed extracting demographic information, reason for presentation and use, concurrent drug use, toxicology screenings, and the onset and duration of clinical signs and symptoms. RESULTS: Eight patients had a prolonged withdrawal course after discontinuing chronic use of GHB. All patients in this series were psychotic and severely agitated, requiring physical restraint and sedation. Cardiovascular effects included mild tachycardia and hypertension. Neurologic effects of prolonged delirium with auditory and visual hallucinations became episodic as the syndrome waned. Diaphoresis, nausea, and vomiting occurred less frequently. The onset of withdrawal symptoms in these patients was rapid (1 to 6 hours after the last dose) and symptoms were prolonged (5 to 15 days). One death occurred on hospital day 13 as withdrawal symptoms were resolving. CONCLUSION: In our patients, severe GHB dependence followed frequent ingestion every 1 to 3 hours around-the-clock. The withdrawal syndrome was accompanied initially by symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and tremor that developed soon after GHB discontinuation. These initial symptoms may progress to severe delirium with autonomic instability.

Adult↗

Outcome predictors in cocaine dependence treatment trials.

Finding the predictors of outcome in outpatient cocaine dependence treatment trials may be useful for the development of both psychosocial as well as pharmacological treatments for cocaine dependence. Among the most powerful predictors of response to psychosocial treatment are cocaine withdrawal symptom severity and the results of a urine drug screen (UDS) collected at study entry. The present trial seeks to extend these findings by examining outcome predictors in a large number of subjects participating in a series of outpatient cocaine pharmacotherapy trials while selecting three separate criteria to define successful outcome. The ability of several baseline variables were tested to predict treatment outcome in a series of cocaine medication trials that included 402 cocaine-dependent subjects. Predictor variables included results from the baseline Addiction Severity Index (ASI), initial UDS results, and cocaine withdrawal symptom severity at treatment entry, as measured by scores on the Cocaine Selective Severity Assessment (CSSA). Outcome measures included UDS results obtained during the trials and results from the ASI gathered at the end of the trials. Baseline variables that most consistently predicted treatment outcome were the initial UDS results and initial CSSA scores. These findings indicate that baseline UDS results and CSSA scores are powerful predictors of outcome and should be used as stratifying variables in outpatient cocaine medication trials.

Adult↗

Cardiorespiratory function in stable methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients.

Patients in methadone maintenance programmes (MMT) often smoke tobacco and cannabis and many have ongoing illicit drug use. There is therefore potential for these patients to have abnormal cardiorespiratory function; however, few studies address this in stable MMT patients. We assessed resting cardiorespiratory function on 50 stable MMT patients (25 males, 25 females). Forty-six MMT patients were current tobacco smokers, 19 were current cannabis users and none were currently using opioids other than prescribed methadone. We defined abnormalities of respiratory function as those results outside the 95% confidence interval of reference values for normal subjects adjusted for age, weight, height and sex. Thirty-one (62%) MMT patients had reduced carbon monoxide transfer factor (D(L)CO); 17 (34%) had elevated single breath alveolar volume (V(A)) and 43 (86%) had a reduced D(L)CO/V(A) ratio. Six patients (12%) had reduced FEV1; one (2%) had reduced FVC; and nine (18%) had an obstructive ventilatory defect. Ten (20%) patients had PaCO2 higher than 45 mmHg and 14 (28%) had alveolar to arterial oxygen gradient (A-aPO2) higher than 15 mmHg. CXR, Echocardiography and ECG showed no significant abnormalities. We conclude that stable MMT patients have abnormalities of resting respiratory function which may be due to ongoing tobacco cigarette and current or past cannabis smoking.

Adolescent↗

Opioid dependence: rationale for and efficacy of existing and new treatments.

Opioid dependence is a chronic and relapsing medical disorder with a well-established neurobiological basis. Opioid agonist treatments, such as methadone and the recently approved buprenorphine, stabilize opioid receptors and the intracellular processes that lead to opioid withdrawal and craving. Both methadone and buprenorphine have been proven effective for the treatment of opioid dependence and can contribute to a decreased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. In addition, a buprenorphine/naloxone combination appears to have a decreased potential for abuse or diversion, compared with that associated with methadone. Largely because of these properties, recent legislation now affords an unprecedented opportunity for general physicians to offer opioid agonist treatment through their offices. This review focuses on the neurobiological basis of opioid dependence, the rationale for methadone and buprenorphine treatments, and issues in prescribing these medications to patients with HIV infection.

Buprenorphine↗

Buprenorphine versus methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence: self-reports, urinalysis, and addiction severity index.

This article reports results for patients who completed the 16-week maintenance phase of a double-blind clinical trial comparing buprenorphine (N = 43; average dose = 9.0 mg/day sublingually) with methadone (N = 43; average dose = 54 mg/day orally) in the outpatient treatment of opioid dependence. In addition to pharmacotherapy, treatment during the clinical trial included individual counseling, weekly group therapy, and on-site medical services. Patients in both medication groups showed significant and substantial improvements over time in areas of psychosocial functioning, as assessed by the Addiction Severity Index, rates of urinalysis tests positive for opioids, and self-reports of opioid withdrawal symptoms, illicit opioid use, and cocaine use. Buprenorphine and methadone produced very similar outcomes on the wide array of outcome measures assessed, and improvements for both groups were large and occurred rapidly after treatment entry. A trend toward continued improvement in opioid-positive urines over time was noted for the buprenorphine but not the methadone group. These results provide further evidence of the efficacy of buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid dependence and provide a characterization of the time course of effects for buprenorphine and methadone. In addition, these results demonstrate the benefits of drug abuse treatment, both for drug and alcohol use and in other areas of psychosocial functioning.

Adolescent↗

Psychosis related to ephedra-containing herbal supplement use.

Ephedra, a psychoactive substance with stimulant properties, is found in many herbal products. Often perceived by the lay public as benign, the potential health-related dangers of using these products are beginning to be recognized. We review four cases associated with ephedra-containing herbal products and report three additional cases. Unlike the previously reported cases, the patients presented in this report developed persistent psychosis that required psychopharmaceutical management.

Adult↗

Bromocriptine and cocaine cue reactivity in cocaine-dependent patients.

Based on previous reports that bromocriptine, a postsynaptic dopamine agonist, reduced cocaine craving and prevented relapse in cocaine-dependent subjects, effects of the drug were evaluated in 20 cocaine-dependent males in an inpatient drug rehabilitation programme. The subjective and physiologic effects of exposure to both cocaine-associated and neutral stimuli, presented using videotapes, were measured at one-week intervals. Between laboratory sessions subjects received either bromocriptine (1.25 mg bid) or a matched placebo, administered in double-blind fashion. Compared with the neutral videotape, the cocaine videotape elicited both a greater desire to use cocaine and more symptoms associated with cocaine self-administration. These results support an appetitive conditioning model of cocaine effects. Bromocriptine, however, had no effect on the cocaine-cue-associated reactivity, which declined over the 1-week interval in both treatment groups. Methodological differences among studies that have examined the effects of bromocriptine in cocaine-dependent subjects may explain the variable findings observed.

Adolescent↗

Feasibility and acceptability of an intranasal diamorphine spray as an alternative to injectable diamorphine for maintenance treatment.

An intranasal (IN) diamorphine spray was investigated as a possible alternative to injectable diamorphine for maintenance treatment. Plasma morphine and 6-monoacetylmorphine (6MAM) concentrations and pharmacodynamic responses were measured for 4 h following intravenous (IV) and IN administration of 40 mg diamorphine in 4 patients prescribed injectable diamorphine. The two routes were primarily differentiated by the significantly greater speed and magnitude of peak plasma morphine and 6MAM concentrations for IV versus IN diamorphine. Beyond this initial peak, mean ratings suggested that withdrawal suppression and positive effects were at least as strong for IN compared to IV administration. All subjects gave favourable appraisals of the IN diamorphine spray, citing advantages including ease of use, the avoidance of needle hazards, and reduced stigma. IN administration may be an alternative or supplementary form of diamorphine maintenance and deserves serious further investigation.

Administration, Intranasal↗

Amantadine in the treatment of cocaine-dependent patients with severe withdrawal symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the effectiveness of amantadine in reducing cocaine withdrawal symptoms and improving treatment outcome among cocaine-dependent patients in outpatient treatment. METHOD: Sixty-one cocaine-dependent subjects participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of amantadine. RESULTS: Among subjects with severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms at the start of treatment, those who received amantadine used significantly less cocaine during the trial than did subjects who received placebo. Compared to subjects who received placebo, subjects who received amantadine submitted significantly more benzoylecgonine-negative urine samples and used cocaine on significantly fewer days during the trial. CONCLUSIONS: Amantadine may be an effective treatment for cocaine-dependent patients with severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms.

Amantadine↗

The identification and treatment of opiate users in police custody.

All detainees admitted to seven London police stations were observed over a six-month period (n=2,947). Four per cent were identified as opiate users, although the actual percentage is likely to be much higher. Compared to the general population of detainees there were significantly more women among known opiate users and this group also contained a higher percentage of white detainees and people born in the British Isles. People born in continental European countries were also over-represented. A little more than half of known users did not reveal their use on arrival at the police station. At least 60% of known opiate users remained well throughout their detention, 30% were intoxicated through drugs at the time of their arrest, but only 13% displayed signs or symptoms of withdrawal during their detention. Overall, 65% of the known opiate users were seen by a police surgeon and of these 52% were given medication. All of those withdrawing were given drug treatment, but most of those who were intoxicated by opiates, or who remained well throughout their detention, received no medication. Of those given medication 86% received an opiate, dihydrocodeine being the commonest preparation, usually in association with a benzodiazepine. Despite the adoption of differing management paradigms among police surgeons, the actual medical treatment of opiate-using detainees was pragmatic and determined by individual need.

Adult↗

Evaluation of the opioid addiction test in an out-patient drug dependency unit.

BACKGROUND: The opioid addiction test is based on the measurement of pupil dilatation in opioid-dependent people in response to conjunctivally applied naloxone hydrochloride. A positive response (pupil dilatation) indicates that the subject is dependent on opioids. AIMS: To evaluate the test in an out-patient setting and to identify factors affecting its outcome. METHOD: Pupil size was measured using binocular pupillometry in 100 new patients attending an out-patient clinic for assessment and treatment of opioid use. Measurement was repeated 40 minutes after the unilateral instillation of naloxone drops into the conjunctival sac. RESULTS: We performed 127 tests, of which 103 (81.1%) were positive. Males, and those not on methadone at the time of the test, were more likely to have a negative test result. CONCLUSIONS: The opioid addiction test proved to be a very useful tool for the rapid diagnosis of opioid dependence in the out-patient clinic. Specialist pupillometric equipment increases the number of patients correctly identified as opioid-dependent on the first visit, but is not essential.

Adolescent↗

Short-term buprenorphine maintenance: treatment outcome.

Fifty-two heroin addicts were inducted onto buprenorphine under the care of psychiatric residents in a setting modeled on office practice. Subjects were maintained on a protocol of six weeks of 16 mg daily dosing, then tapered to zero dose up to week 16, and maintained on placebo through week 18. Of 44 subjects who continued after the first induction dose, 11 terminated during maintenance, 17 during taper; and 16 while on zero dose. Twice weekly urine toxicologies showed significant successive declines in samples positive for heroin use across these three periods: 70%, 41%, and 20%, respectively. Among historical variables, only prior AA attendance distinguished subjects who achieved zero dose from those who did not. A comparison with recent studies suggests that relatively inexperienced office-based physicians can maintain patients on buprenorphine at a level comparable to that reported for research clinic settings, but with comparable rates of heroin abstinence. These findings are discussed in light of potential options for office-based opioid maintenance.

Adult↗

Reduction of opiate withdrawal-like symptoms by cocaine abuse during methadone and buprenorphine maintenance.

In a 6-month randomized trial comparing 125 opiate-dependent patients who were assigned to four treatment groups (2 or 6 mg of buprenorphine and 35 or 65 mg of methadone), we examined the effects of cocaine use on opiate withdrawal symptoms measured on a 25-item scale on which the scores range from 0 to 75. For the methadone-maintained patients receiving the relatively low dose (35 mg), weekly withdrawal symptoms were highest when the urine toxicology for that week indicated no cocaine use. Similar associations were found for buprenorphine. Thus, when using cocaine at a low maintenance opiate dose, persistent opiate withdrawal symptoms were reduced, which is consistent with previous naloxone-precipitated withdrawal studies. Interestingly, with a higher dose of buprenorphine (6 mg), cocaine may have increased opiate withdrawal symptoms, suggesting a possible mechanism for the reduction of illicit cocaine abuse also recently observed in another study in patients treated with high dose (120 mg) methadone maintenance. This has led to a two-component model for the relationship between cocaine and opiate withdrawal-like symptoms at high versus low opiate maintenance dose. This two-component model also reconciles the contradictory findings of prior studies.

Adult↗

Methadone dosing and pregnancy: impact on program compliance.

A retrospective, inception cohort, nonrandomized control design was employed to evaluate the effects of daily vs twice daily dosing of methadone on opiate/cocaine use, and noncompliance with urine toxicology requests in methadone-maintained pregnant women, n = 45. Earlier program entry was associated with decreased opiate and cocaine use and increased compliance with urinalysis requests. The single dose and split-dose groups differed in urine toxicology compliance rates, 23.8 vs 0.5%, as well as percentages of urines positive for cocaine, 15.3 vs 0.3%, only in Trimester III.

Ambulatory Care↗