TY - JOUR
T1 - Plasma methadone concentrations as an indicator of opioid withdrawal symptoms and heroin use in a methadone maintenance program
AU - Torrens, Marta
AU - Castillo, Claudio
AU - San, Lluís
AU - Del Moral, Enrique
AU - González, María L.
AU - De La Torre, Rafael
PY - 1998/11/1
Y1 - 1998/11/1
N2 - Plasma methadone concentrations and its main metabolite D,L-2- ethylidiene-1,5-dimethyl-3,5-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) were determined in 93 patients under methadone maintenance treatment to assess their relationship with heroin use and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Neither plasma concentrations of methadone nor EDDP were significantly different when patients that used heroin in last 3 months were compared with those testing negative for this drug (methadone, 355 ± 217 versus 369 ± 216 ng/ml, t = 0.29, P = NS; EDDP, 49 ± 28 versus 54 ± 40 ng/ml, t = 0.51, P = NS). No correlation between opioid withdrawal scale scores and plasma concentrations of methadone (r = 0.02, P = NS) and EDDP (r = -0.14, P = NS) was found. Therapeutic drug monitoring during methadone maintenance seems to be useful for assessing compliance with treatment but not for predicting heroin use and subjective withdrawal symptoms.
AB - Plasma methadone concentrations and its main metabolite D,L-2- ethylidiene-1,5-dimethyl-3,5-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) were determined in 93 patients under methadone maintenance treatment to assess their relationship with heroin use and opioid withdrawal symptoms. Neither plasma concentrations of methadone nor EDDP were significantly different when patients that used heroin in last 3 months were compared with those testing negative for this drug (methadone, 355 ± 217 versus 369 ± 216 ng/ml, t = 0.29, P = NS; EDDP, 49 ± 28 versus 54 ± 40 ng/ml, t = 0.51, P = NS). No correlation between opioid withdrawal scale scores and plasma concentrations of methadone (r = 0.02, P = NS) and EDDP (r = -0.14, P = NS) was found. Therapeutic drug monitoring during methadone maintenance seems to be useful for assessing compliance with treatment but not for predicting heroin use and subjective withdrawal symptoms.
KW - Cocaine use
KW - Heroin use
KW - Methadone maintenance
KW - Opioid withdrawal symptoms
KW - Plasma EDDP concentrations
KW - Plasma methadone concentrations
KW - Treatment compliance
U2 - 10.1016/S0376-8716(98)00096-9
DO - 10.1016/S0376-8716(98)00096-9
M3 - Article
SN - 0376-8716
VL - 52
SP - 193
EP - 200
JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
IS - 3
ER -