Jul
01
2008

Buprenorphine Prevents Relapses For Heroin Addicts

By | Prevention, Substance abuse

It is a great challenge for persons who are suffering of drug addiction to quit. There is the difficult period of detoxification. Even though there is a lot of support, there will be intense withdrawal symptoms, and every drug free day is a hard won victory. It is a major milestone on the road to recovery to be discharged from a detox program, but the task to remain drug free and abstinent is anything but easy. For this reason it is of utmost importance that support to prevent a relapse is available in the form of counseling, support groups and a maintenance program which involves medication is accessible to the patient.

A standard treatment drug has been naltrexone which helped the recovering addict to remain abstinent. It has been largely used in patients who were recovering from heroin addiction. Dr. Richard Schottenfield from Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Ct. and colleagues led a randomized trial to compare the efficacy of the standard drug regimen of naltrexone with the medication Buprenorphine in patients who were in the process of receiving detoxification and drug counseling. A group of patients received placebo (sugar pills that contain no medication.) From the 126 detoxified heroin dependent patients 43 received the standard treatment of naltrexone, 44 received Buprenorphine and 39 took placebo pills.

Buprenorphine Prevents Relapses For Heroin Addicts

Buprenorphine Prevents Relapses For Heroin Addicts

The researchers found that patients who received Buprenorphine lasted nearly twice as long till they experienced a relapse than those who were on naltrexone and more than twice as long as compared to those who took placebo pills.HIV risk reduction behaviors were significantly reduced in all three groups. Maintenance treatment with Buprenorphine is a significant public health approach to reduce problems that are connected with heroin dependence and can make a difference to the recovering heroin addict on the path of abstinence from the drug.

More information about opium and heroin addiction: http://nethealthbook.com/drug-addiction/opium-heroin/

Reference: Lancet (2008) vol.371, pages 2192-2200 and 2150-2151

Last edited November 4, 2014

Aug
01
2007

Nicotine Addiction Found More Often in Impulsive Behavior

By | Heart Disease, Lung Disease, Mental Health, Prevention, Substance abuse

Why do major depression and nicotine addiction often occur together in middle aged people? This is what Dr. Qiang John Fu, assistant professor of community health in biostatistics at Saint Louis University School of Public Health, asked himself and he conducted a study involving 3,360 pairs of middle-aged, predominantly Caucasian twins to find out. Twin studies are a powerful tool to sort out environmental factors from genetic factors. In this particular study the twins had served in the Vietnam war and 45% were fraternal, the rest were identical twins. With identical twins 100% of the genes are identical while the fraternal twins share about half of the genes.

The researchers found that a group of twins who were addicted to nicotine also had a behavioral disorder, called conduct disorder. This can be well defined with psychological tests and is characterized by behaviors such a stealing, fighting, vandalizing, running away from home and drug addiction (including addiction to nicotine). They were also the ones who were much more vulnerable to develop major depression.  As published in the June issue of Twin Research and Human Genetics Dr. Fu, MD, PhD, the lead researcher explained that he found a set of genes that are responsible for the development of major depression and for addiction to nicotine.

Nicotine Addiction Found More Often in Impulsive Behavior

Major depression and nicotine addiction are linked through a gene

These individuals attempt to self-treat depression with cigarette smoking. Linked with this can also be the conduct disorder mentioned above.  These findings may lead to newer approaches in terms of treatment.

Reference: June issue 2007 of Twin Research and Human Genetics

Last edited December 5, 2012