Brief buprenorphine detoxification for the treatment of prescription opioid dependence: A pilot study

Abstract We examined the feasibility of brief outpatient detoxification as a treatment for prescription opioid (PO) abusers. Fifteen PO-dependent adults were enrolled to receive buprenorphine stabilization, a 2-week buprenorphine taper, and subsequent naltrexone for those who completed the taper. Su...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Addictive behaviors 2009-03, Vol.34 (3), p.304-311
Main Authors: Sigmon, Stacey C, Dunn, Kelly E, Badger, Gary J, Heil, Sarah H, Higgins, Stephen T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Behavior modification
Behavior Therapy
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine - therapeutic use
Cognitive therapy
Drug abuse
Drug therapy
Epidemiologic Methods
Feasibility Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Naltrexone
Naltrexone - therapeutic use
Narcotic Antagonists - therapeutic use
Opioid detoxification
Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation
Opioid-Related Disorders - urine
Oxycodone
Prescription Drugs - adverse effects
Prescription opioid abuse
Psychiatry
Studies
Substance Abuse Detection
Substance abuse treatment
Time Factors
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract We examined the feasibility of brief outpatient detoxification as a treatment for prescription opioid (PO) abusers. Fifteen PO-dependent adults were enrolled to receive buprenorphine stabilization, a 2-week buprenorphine taper, and subsequent naltrexone for those who completed the taper. Subjects also received behavioral therapy, urinalysis monitoring, and double-blind drug administration. Subjects provided 83.8%, 91.7% and 31.2% opioid-negative samples during stabilization, taper and naltrexone phases, respectively. Inspection of individual subject data revealed systematic differences in whether subjects successfully completed the taper without resumption of illicit opioid use. Post-hoc analyses were used to examine the characteristics of subjects who successfully completed the taper (Responders, n = 5) vs. those who failed to do so (Nonresponders, n = 9). These pilot data suggest a subset of PO abusers may respond to brief buprenorphine detoxification, though future efforts should aim to improve outcomes, investigate individual differences in treatment response and identify characteristics that may predict those for whom longer-term agonist treatment is warranted.
ISSN:0306-4603
1873-6327
DOI:10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.11.017