Low (40 mg) versus high (80 mg) dose methadone in a 180-day heroin detoxification program

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 225 - 232
• Main Authors: Banys, Peter, Tusel, Donald J., Sees, Karen L., Reilly, Patrick M., Delucchi, Keven L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.1994; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: addiction; Adult; Affect - drug effects; Behavior, Addictive - prevention & control; Behavior, Addictive - rehabilitation; Biological and medical sciences; dolophine; Double-Blind Method; Drug addiction; Drug addictions; Female; Heroin; heroin dependence; Heroin Dependence - rehabilitation; Heroin Dependence - urine; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; methadone; Methadone - administration & dosage; Methadone - therapeutic use; Middle Aged; opiate detoxification; Patient Compliance; Substance abuse treatment; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - rehabilitation; Toxicology; Treatment Outcome; opiate detoxification; dolophine; methadone; heroin dependence; addiction; Human; Drug addiction; Replacement therapy; Poison withdrawal; Narcotic analgesic; Posology; Heroin; Comparative study; Dose activity relation
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/0740-5472(94)90079-5

Methadone Transition Treatment (MTT) is a treatment program for opioid-addicted individuals that takes advantage of a 1989 change in federal guidelines permitting the establishment of 180-day detoxification programs. Thirty-eight subjects were assigned to either high-dose (80 mg) or low-dose (40 mg) methadone in a double-blind design. Both conditions showed initial dramatic decreases in illicit drug use and distress symptoms (opioid craving, withdrawal symptoms, and dysphoria). The high-dose condition showed a nonsignificant trend toward less frequent illicit drug use during the period of stable methadone dosing. We speculate that intensive psychosocial treatment, including weekly individual counseling and three-times a week group therapy, may have dampened outcome differences between high- and low-dose methadone conditions. Treatment retention was high for both dosage conditions.