title: Alcohol consumption during methadone maintenance treatment.
abstract: Alcohol consumption during methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) often becomes a problem. We investigated a group of 68 patients undergoing MMT in our care. Mean duration of MMT was 50 months. A set of risk factors for problematic alcohol use ('alcohol indicators') was set up consisting of patients' account and laboratory parameters. 52% of patients were positive for these 'alcohol indicators' and 32% of patients fulfilled more severe criteria for alcohol abuse. There was exactly the same proportion of patients with 'alcohol indicators' at the start of MMT as at follow-up examination. In 79% of these patients 'alcohol indicators' were found on both occasions, testifying that alcohol problems were a stable trait. While patients without 'alcohol indicators' showed an improvement of liver parameters over time, those with 'alcohol indicators' suffered a considerable deterioration, indicating that the amount of alcohol consumption had increased.
authors.affiliation: Coordination Bureau for Methadone Maintenance Treatment, Public Health Authority of Upper Austria, Linz, Austria. H.Rittmannsberger@aon.at
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rittmannsberger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silberbauer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lehner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruschak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone