title: Gradual dose taper following chronic buprenorphine.
abstract: This paper describes the time course of withdrawal and relapse in opioid-dependent volunteers (n = 8) who completed a gradual outpatient buprenorphine dose taper (28 days). Compliance with treatment was very high, as evidenced by clinic attendance (96-100%). Urinalysis showed that 6 of the 8 volunteers had relapsed to opiates by the end of the dose taper, even though reports of withdrawal were generally low. Relapse may have been triggered by a desire to re-experience the drug's positive subjective effects, craving, or low motivation to remain drug-free. A longer taper combined with an expanded range of treatments may improve prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md., USA.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Strain
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stitzer
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000652:urine; D012008:Recurrence; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D002047:Buprenorphine