Posted by Sigismund on January 8, 2009, at 20:03:14
In reply to Re: Buprenorphine, posted by Sigismund on January 8, 2009, at 19:58:44
I spent a year going from 1mg/d methadone to zero.
It was absurdly difficult for me.
Therefore I find the results of this study amazing.
They were on big doses of methadone, I think.
>About two thirds of the patients lowered their methadone dose by a third each week and were off methadone after three or four weeks. About one third of the patients showed signs of Protracted Abstinence Syndrome when they got down to 10 or 15 mg of methadone and had to slow down their weaning process. Almost all patients got off methadone completely in six weeks or so, but a few had to go slowly due to 'Protracted Abstinence Syndrome' and were lost to follow-up. All patients who could tolerate the memantine (the vast majority) reported remarkably reduced Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and all patients reported a remarkably changed attitude to opiates - they didn't 'care' about them any more. Memantine didn't seem to prevent "Protracted Abstinence Syndrome'
>All reported a remarkable and immediately noticeable effect of the memantine. They no longer cared about taking their methadone dose! Instead of their daily methadone being a daily priority (often the first thing they thought of on waking in the morning) they found they werent particularly interested in taking methadone any more, and only took it because they were afraid they might get withdrawal symptoms if they stopped it completely. There was no urgency about taking it, and they often left in until later in the day. They were amazed by their changed attitude to methadone, and were astounded that it didnt matter' any morel. Several people forgot to take their methadone on several occasions and only took it when they started to get some withdrawal symptoms. A few missed one days dose completely on several occasions and didnt get withdrawal until the second day without methadone. One man forgot (so he said) to take his methadone for six consecutive days and only resumed it when he started to get mild withdrawal symptoms on the seventh day!
poster:Sigismund
thread:872613
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/872837.html