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Re: hanging in there » Elizabeth

Posted by Lorraine on October 18, 2001, at 14:29:27

In reply to Re: hanging in there » Lorraine, posted by Elizabeth on October 10, 2001, at 13:28:50


Elizabeth:

I thought you'd find this portion of an article of interest:


The FDA is preparing to approve a new medication for opiate addiction that won't be restricted this way. Buprenorphine is an unusual opiate - it has mixed effects on opioid receptors. At lower doses, it produces an opiate receptor-agonist effect like methadone; at high doses, it produces the opiate-blocking effects of naltrexone. Researchers say that at an agonist dose, most patients cannot distinguish it from methadone. (Interestingly, naltrexone is approved as a treatment for opiate addiction, but, because it doesn't provide the anxiety-reducing effects of opiate agonists, it is not as effective as methadone.)

Congress has just passed legislation allowing any doctor with training in addictions to prescribe buprenorphine - addicts won't have to venture to ghetto areas or give up freedom to get it. And because it has antagonist effects if addicts try to take extra or use street drugs on top of it, it offers some satisfaction for those who want a drug to punish.

Here is the site:

http://news.bmn.com/hmsbeagle/91/notes/feature1

I just thought that it was interesting that at high doses bupe is an opiate blocker--I guess that is why my pdoc thought it was used with addicts.


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