In the current experiment, we used the saccadometric test to study the effect of a single therapeutic dose of methadone on the integrity of cortico-subcortical brain functioning. In this prospective study, we used the Saccadometer System (Advanced Clinical Instrumentation, Cambridge, UK). The saccadometric test was performed before and 1.5 hours after methadone dosing. We analyzed the following...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of opioid abuse is increasing in North America. Opioid abuse during pregnancy can cause medical, obstetric and psychosocial complications. Neonates exposed to opioids in utero often develop the neonatal abstinence syndrome. Methadone maintenance therapy is the treatment of choice for maternal opioid dependency. There have been unsupported concerns that infants cared fo...

ôbjective: substance abuse is commonly associated with psychiatric disorders including mood disorders (especially depression), personality disorders and psychosis. the purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of methadone on depressive symptoms of imprisoned intravenous substance user. methods: this semi-experimental study was conducted on intravenous drug abusers in pris...

BACKGROUND Socio-behavioral consulting centers offer methadone maintenance therapy which is a very useful method for drug dependents. These centers offer a wide range of services like education, consulting, prevention, care taking of patients and treatment for high risk groups such as AIDS-infected patients. Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is helpful in harm minimization and increasing the ...

Background: Methadone is currently the most frequently used substance in the treatment of short-term and particularly long-term opiate dependence. Patients' beliefs about the adverse effects of methadone on function of organs, especially liver, have widely affected the use of this substance. This study aimed to determine the effects of methadone on liver enzyme levels in patients on methadone m...

AIMS Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of slow-release oral morphine (SROM) compared with methadone for detoxification from methadone and SROM maintenance treatment. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, comparative multi-centre study with parallel groups. SETTING Three psychiatric hospitals in Austria specializing in in-patient detoxification. PARTICIPANTS Male and female op...

BACKGROUND It is critical for providers caring for HIV-positive methadone recipients to have accurate information on pharmacologic interactions between methadone and antiretroviral therapy. If providers do not have these data, symptoms of narcotic withdrawal or excess due to medication interactions may be mismanaged, and antiretroviral regimens may be suboptimal in efficacy or associated with i...

Introduction Atazanavir (ATV) is a protease inhibitor used in the treatment of HIV infection. It is useful in patients on methadone replacement therapy as its once daily dosing facilitates co-administration with methadone and, unlike the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, efavirenz, it does not accelerate the metabolism of methadone via induction of cytochrome P450 enzymes [1]. ATV...

Methadone is a synthetic opioid frequently used in drug maintenance programs for heroin addicts. It prolongs the QT-interval and is mainly metabolized by the isoenzyme CYP3A4 of the hepatic cytochrome-P450-system, which is used by numerous other QT-prolonging agents. Its most severe side effect is the development of life-threatening Torsade de pointes ventricular tachycardia in the setting of a...