Drugs for opiates withdrawal

What are the best drugs for opiates withdrawal?

What are some of the best ways to mitigate opiate/heroin withdrawals? Besides not doing opiates/heroin of course… In the country I live in , methadone is illegal so I have to buy it in SR

Originally posted in SR 2.0 13/10/2013 . Reviewed 20/2/22

Detoxification with opioids (descending dosages of methadone, codeine or buprenorphine) is the simplest and less umconfortable way for heroin/opiate withdrawal. If, for any reason, these drugs are not used, clonidine could be an option

To minimize opioid withdrawal symptoms and signs, it’s essential to reduce the opioid dosage gradually. Tapering plans should be personalized based on the patient’s goals and concerns. The longer the duration of previous opioid therapy, the longer the taper may take. Tapers are often better tolerated if they are slower, especially following opioid use for more than a year.

Slower tapers involve a dose reduction of 5% to 20% every 4 weeks

Faster tapers decrease by 10% of the original dose per week or slower.

Clonidine acts on abdominal pain, shivering, muscular cramps and other physical symptoms but it is not very useful for anxiety and insomnia. Short time use of benzodiacepines like chlorazepate or midazolam (oral) can help.

L-acetyl-carnitine acts on pain in methadone detoxification. According to my professional experience it is useful for other opiates detoxification, too

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18978503‎

General measures: good hydration, soft meals, resting…are useful, too.

These are general orientations, pattern of treatment and selection of drugs must be personalized. If you think this can help we can chat or skype

 

Buprenorphine, alcohol and black-outs

What is the relation between buprenorphine, alcohol and black-outs?

Regarding buprenorphine and alcohol being co-administered. Last week I drank 2-3 alcoholic beverages too quickly. Also, I am taking 4MG of buprenorphine daily. So, is it blacking out for an extended period of time?

Originally posted in SR 2.0 15/10/2013. Reviewed 20/2/22

Buprenorphine is a medication that is primarily used to treat opioid addiction.  Blackouts or amnesic episodes are not typical side effects. In fact, this possibility is not even mentioned as a rare side effect in the technical sheet of the product.

However, the consumption of alcohol can lead to blackouts or amnesic episodes, even without any other factors present. Drinking alcohol too quickly, especially high concentration beverages, can increase the likelihood of experiencing a blackout. During a blackout, a person may engage in activities as talking, walking… but they have no recollection of these events the next day.

This occurs because alcohol interferes with the formation of new memories in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is responsible for forming and storing memories. 

To prevent blackouts, it is recommended to drink alcohol in moderation, avoid binge drinking, and stay hydrated by drinking water between alcoholic beverages. It is important to pace yourself when drinking and to be aware of the concentration of the beverages you consume. 

In conclusion, while blackouts are not a known adverse effect of buprenorphine, consuming alcohol too quickly or in high concentrations can lead to blackouts or amnesic episodes.