Posted by Chairman_MAO on October 25, 2005, at 17:41:28
In reply to Use of opiates in treating depression, posted by MoQ on December 19, 2002, at 16:39:59
If your doctor deems "opioid therapy" appropriate, there will be no reason for him to Rx you anything with an NSAID in it; they just add toxicity. There's really no reason for him to start with anything less than OxyContin.
That said, I recommend buprenorphine as the first-line opioid for depression. Far milder withdrawal than full agonists, vastly increased safety in overdose, and a unique receptor binding profile (kappa antagonism, conferring antipsychotic/antimanic activity possibly) make it ideal for depression. Many people prefer buprenorphine to traditional opioids for depression because it tends to be more activating as well. It's also superb for anxiety; I believe it should be prescribed in lieu of benzodiazepines in many circumstances (hell, its withdrawal syndrome is a lot easier to deal with and never life-threatening!).
poster:Chairman_MAO
thread:98310
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051024/msgs/571804.html