Posted by bsj on December 7, 2003, at 11:24:39
In reply to Re: Opioids for depression » maxx44, posted by btnd on December 7, 2003, at 8:05:19
Buprenorphine is just a partial mu agonist and a kappa antagonist; similar to Ultram. And it's usually combined with naloxone, a mu receptor antagonist. This is done so that addicts don't feel withdrawal but also can't get any of the psychotropic effects of the opiate. I don't know how useful that would be for depression. Ultram did nothing for me.
I'm afraid that the only good opiate antidepressant will have to be a full mu and kappa agonist. Anything less will be a joke. We can't go clamping down on its effects out of a concern for abuse potiental, or we'll undercut it, because the psychotropic effects are exactly what's needed. It would be nice to see an opiate-based drug that's long-acting and manages to raise the concentrations of endophins in vivo, or at least replace tham; that would work. But it would still have some abuse poteintial, by necessity. I'd like to have a drug I could take once a day; as it is now, I take a dose c. every 4 hours.
poster:bsj
thread:952
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031202/msgs/287408.html