title: Optimizing long-term response to methadone maintenance treatment: a 152-week follow-up using higher-dose methadone.
abstract: We report the clinical course over 152 weeks of 245 patients in methadone maintenance treatment: 144 high dose (HD) patients (> or = 100 mg/d, mean 211 mg/d), and 101 control (C) patients (< 100 mg/d, mean 65 mg/d). After 152 weeks the mean methadone doses were 284.9 mg/d (range 13-1100 mg/d) and 94.0 mg/d (range 10-500 mg/d), respectively. Overall retention in treatment was 59% over the 152 weeks, with the HD group having significantly better retention (61.1% vs. 46.3%) and lower rates of positive urine toxicologies (16.0% vs. 36.6%). Mortality was statistically the same for the HD group (2/144, 1.4%) and the C group (2/101, 1.9%) over the 152-week period. We conclude that doses of methadone exceeding 100 mg/d are safe and effective in long-term maintenance treatment. We attribute the favorable outcomes we report to a model of treatment that emphasizes medication management in the treatment of opioid addiction.
authors.affiliation: Center for Addictive Problems, Chicago, IL 60610, USA.
authors.forename: Sarz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: Marc S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shinderman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D019091:Critical Pathways; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000534:rehabilitation
chemical_list: D008691:Methadone