Abstract
This open study compares an accelerated 5-day lofexidine regimen with orthodox 10-day lofexidine and methadone regimens in the treatment of opiate withdrawal in 61 polysubstance abusing opiate addicts. Significant differences in levels of withdrawal symptoms were found on days 11, 13-15 and 17-20, symptoms resolving most rapidly in the 5-day lofexidine treatment group, whilst withdrawal responses in the 10-day lofexidine treatment group were intermediate between the 5-day lofexidine and standard methadone treatment conditions. When the two lofexidine regimens were separately compared with methadone the 5-day lofexidine treatment was significantly more effective on day 10, 11 and 13-20, whilst the 10-day lofexidine treatment was not significantly different from methadone. There were no significant differences in rates of completion of detoxification between the three treatments. Both the lofexidine treatment regimens had a similar effect on blood pressure. Five patients experienced side effects which resolved with dose reduction, all remaining in the study. An accelerated 5-day lofexidine regimen may attenuate opiate withdrawal symptoms more rapidly than conventional 10-day lofexidine or methadone treatment schedules without exacerbating hypotensive side effects.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | N/A |
| Pages (from-to) | 227-232 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Drug and alcohol dependence |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 1998 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Analysis of Variance
- Chi-Square Distribution
- Clonidine
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Drug Therapy, Combination
- Female
- Humans
- Hypotension
- Male
- Methadone
- Narcotic Antagonists
- Narcotics
- Opioid-Related Disorders
- Severity of Illness Index
- Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
- Substance-Related Disorders
- Time Factors
- Treatment Outcome