Lead: Oral methadone versus sublingual buprenorphine for the treatment of acute opioid withdrawal: A triple-blind, double-dummy, randomized control trial

Oral methadone versus sublingual buprenorphine for the treatment of acute opioid withdrawal: A triple-blind, double-dummy, randomized control trial 

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Researchers compared oral methadone to sublingual buprenorphine for the management of acute opioid withdrawal. Patients at an inpatient drug treatment center in India were randomly assigned to receive either methadone or buprenorphine titrated over days 1-3 to control opioid withdrawal symptoms. Over days 4-10 medications were tapered and stopped by day 11. Completion of treatment was similar in both groups (83% methadone, 82% buprenorphine). Both subjective (SOWS) and objective (COWS) withdrawal symptoms decreased during the treatment, however the buprenorphine group had significantly greater withdrawal symptoms than the methadone group (p=0.009) at the end of treatment (day 10). Opioid craving also decreased in both groups with no significant difference between groups. Authors conclude that methadone is a safe and effective alternative to buprenorphine for management of opioid withdrawal.

 

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