Role of opioid antagonists in treating intravenous cocaine abuse.
Intravenous cocaine abuse is a major probel in opioid abusers including those treated in methadone maintenance. Studying 138 opioid addicts, we found that speedballing by combining opioid agonists with cocaine may be blocked by opioid antagonists such as naltrexone and by partial antagonists such as buprenorphine. With both these treatments cocaine abuse was five to eight times less than with methadone treatment.
Kosten
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Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Ct, 06519.
Kleber
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HD
Morgan
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D000328:Adult; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003042:Cocaine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D002047:Buprenorphine; D009271:Naltrexone; D003042:Cocaine; D008691:Methadone