Determining effective methadone doses for individual opioid-dependent patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Randomized clinical trials of methadone maintenance have found that on average high daily doses are more effective for reducing heroin use, and clinical practice guidelines recommend 60 mg/d as a minimum dosage. Nevertheless, many clinicians report that some patients can be stably maintained on lower methadone dosages to optimal effect, and clinic dosing practices vary substantially. Studies of individual responses to methadone treatment may be more easily translated into clinical practice.

Methods and findings

A volunteer sample of 222 opioid-dependent US veterans initiating methadone treatment was prospectively observed over the year after treatment entry. In the 168 who achieved at least 1 mo of heroin abstinence, methadone dosages on which patients maintained

SUBMITTER: Trafton JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1360079 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature