title: Psychiatric comorbidity and additional abuse of drugs in maintenance treatment with L- and D,L-methadone.
abstract: Sixty D,L- or L-methadone treated patients in maintenance therapy were interviewed for additional drug abuse and psychiatric comorbidity; 51.7% of the entire population had a comorbid Axis-I disorder, with a higher prevalence in females (P=0.05). Comorbid patients tended to have higher abuse of benzodiazepines, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine, but not of heroin. They had received a significantly lower D,L- (P<0.05) and L-methadone dose than non-comorbid subjects. The duration of maintenance treatment showed an inverse relationship to frequency of additional heroin intake (P<0.01). Patients with additional heroin intake over the past 30 days had been treated with a significantly lower L-methadone dosage (P<0.05) than patients without. Axis-I comorbidity appears to be decreased when relatively higher dosages of D,L- (and L-methadone) are administered; comorbid individuals, however, were on significantly lower dosages. Finally, L-, but not D,L-methadone seems to be more effective in reducing additional heroin abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. dwedeki1@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wedekind
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karg
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luedecke
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cimander
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruether
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Poser
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Havemann-Reinecke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D008691:Methadone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone