UI - 000228

AU - Tennant FS Jr.

AU - Rawson RA

AU - Cohen AJ

AU - Mann A

TI - Clinical experience with naltrexone in suburban opioid addicts

AB - AB - In a study of 160 patients (including 114 active heroin addicts and 42 former heroin addicts

maintained on methadone, propoxyphene napsylate, or LAAM), subjects were retained on treatment with

naltrexone for a mean of 50.7 days (range, 1-635). Clonidine or guanabenz acetate was used to detoxify

subjects who received naltrexone within 10 days of their last dose of opioid. Because of the number of

subjects dropping out of treatment after only a few days, it is recommended that there be an opioid-free

period of 5 or more days for heroin-dependent subjects and 10 or more days for those on medical

maintenance. A naloxone challenge should be administered at a dosage of 0.8 mg. Use of naltrexone

combined with psychotherapy appears to promote long periods of opioid abstinence but does not prevent

relapse after treatment. Trained clinicians utilizing an appropriate induction protocol can effectively treat

volunteer opioid addicts with naltrexone UI - 84289325

SO - J Clin Psychiatry 1984;45:42-45