Characterizing the subjective, psychomotor, and physiological effects of oral propoxyphene in non-drug-abusing volunteers.
BACKGROUND
The subjective, psychomotor, and physiological effects of a widely prescribed prescription opioid, propoxyphene, have not been studied in a population of non-drug-abusing people. The drug also has potential for abuse and it was of interest in the present study to determine if the drug had any abuse liability-related subjective effects in this population.


METHODS
Eighteen volunteers participated in a crossover, randomized, double-blind study in which they received, all p.o., placebo; 50 mg propoxyphene napsylate; 100 mg propoxyphene napsylate; 200 mg propoxyphene napsylate; 40 mg morphine sulfate; and 2 mg lorazepam. Measures were assessed before and for 300 min after drug administration.


RESULTS
Both morphine and lorazepam produced subjective effects. There were no statistically significant subjective effects obtained with any dose of propoxyphene in the group as a whole, but approximately 30-50% of the subjects did appear to experience subjective effects from the drug. Drug liking was not consistently observed in this subset. Propoxyphene, unlike lorazepam, did not impair psychomotor or cognitive performance. Both propoxyphene and morphine produced miosis.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a lack of statistically significant subjective effects of propoxyphene in the group as a whole, including a propoxyphene dose that was twice as high as the typical clinically-prescribed dose of 100 mg. However, there were some subjects who did report effects, consistent with the notion that patients differ in their sensitivity to opioid effects.
Zacny
James P
JP
Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, The Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. jzacny@airway.uchicago.edu
Goldman
Rebecca Erin
RE
D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D015877:Miosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D009294:Narcotics; D009020:Morphine; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D008140:Lorazepam; D011431:Dextropropoxyphene