HARCP Archives

Browse by article

Browse by volume

Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2005, 07, 4 (pages: 43 - 48)

Methadone reduces the need for antipsychotic and antimanic agents in heroin addicts hospitalized for manic and/or acute psychotic episodes

Pacini M., Maremmani I.

Summary: Clinicians are in agreement about the primary psychotropic properties of opiate drugs, but the issue of opioid abuse liability and physical dependence has hampered research. Despite this, the psychotropic properties of therapeutic opiates can be investigated indirectly in populations of dual diagnosis heroin abusers. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical files of 114 consecutive heroin addicts admitted for in-patient treatment of manic and/or acute psychotic episodes, in order to assess the relationship between methadone treatment during hospitalization and prescriptions at discharge. Regardless of the reasons for their hospitalization, subjects receiving increasing dosages of methadone were judged to be less in need of antimanic and antipsychotic drugs at discharge. These results support the idea that methadone has quick-acting anti-dysphoric and anti-impulsive properties which apply to a wide range of psychiatric disorders.