Study 68 heroine addictions that used methadone for replacing treatment at Spiritual Healthy Institute. Results: prevalence of heroine addiction and drug addiction significantly increased; there wasn’t high-risk behavior (sharing syringes with others, unsafe sex, ect); prevalence of breaking the law was lower. The initiatives in work, self-service, and rate of productivity increased. There were an increasing in psychological rehabilitation, entertainments, and interests of the others. Methadone therapy has been applied in many countries, but it is initially in Vietnam.
Heroin ; Therapeutics ; Methadone

Adult ; Heroin Dependence ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Male ; Methadone ; therapeutic use ; Patient Compliance ; Treatment Outcome

China ; Heroin Dependence ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Methadone ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Narcotics ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUND: Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is widely used for the treatment of chronic pain. The association between methadone treatment and QT interval prolongation or which can lead to torsades de pointes has been confirmed with larger studies on high dose methadone. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of methadone on the QTc interval in patients, whether the daily dose of methadone should be lower than what has been previously investigated. METHODS: A total of 130 patients were included, with 90 patients in the methadone group and 40 patients in the control group. For each ECG, heart rate, QT interval and corrected QT (QTc) interval were recorded. The patient demographics, methadone dose and serum level, duration of methadone use and past medical history were collected. RESULTS: The QTc interval was significantly longer in the treatment group than in the control group (443 +/- 30.0 ms versus 408 +/- 28.0 ms, respectively, P < 0.0001) and more patients in the treatment group had a QTc interval greater than 450 ms (36.7% versus 7.5%, respectively, P = 0.0005). The QTc interval was not associated with methadone dose P = 0.9278), serum level (P = 0.2256) or duration of treatment (P = 0.1822). CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that methadone use is associated with longer QTc intervals, even among patients with daily doses of less than 80 mg. In this study, no correlation was found between QTc duration and methadone dose, serum levels or duration of use. However, the magnitude of the QTc interval was associated with female gender and the use of antidepressants.
Antidepressive Agents ; Chronic Pain ; Demography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Methadone ; Retrospective Studies ; Torsades de Pointes

AIMTo simulate the inhalation of the C21H27NO and C29H41NO4 molecules, the effective components of methadone and buprenorphine, into carbon nanotubes, and discuss the feasibility of the loading of methadone and buprenorphine into carbon nanotubes.

METHODSThe MM + force-field based molecular dynamics (MD) method uas used.

RESULTSThe ends-opened carbon nanotubes with diameter larger than 1 or 1.25 nm can initiatively inhale the C21H27 NO or C29H41NO4 molecule, and both two molecules have higher potential energy at the open ends of the carbon tubes than that at the middle of the tubes; the present single-walled nanotubes are very suitable for the loading of methadone and buprenorphine.

CONCLUSIONIt is possible to make sustained-release detoxification agents with methadone- or buprenorphine-loaded carbon nanotubes.

Buprenorphine ; chemistry ; Computer Simulation ; Methadone ; chemistry ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Structure ; Nanotubes, Carbon ; chemistry ; Narcotic Antagonists ; chemistry

Objective: To analyze the withdrawal in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and its related influencing factors in Hubei province. Methods: The patients receiving MMT in clinics in Hubei province were selected from June 2006 to December 2021. The general demographic data, drug abuse history, and MMT information were collected. The survival data of patients with MMT were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 26 716 patients receiving MMT were included in this study, and the gender ratio between men and women was 3.34∶1(20 557∶6 159). The duration of MMT was 0.01-15.72 years, and the median duration was 2.21 (95%CI: 2.16-2.26) years. At the end of the follow-up, the withdrawal proportion was 86.75% (23 175/26 716). MMT's 0-year, 2-year, 4-year, 9-year and 14-year cumulative probabilities appeared as 67.61%, 40.24%, 30.03%, 15.49% and 6.56%, respectively. Results from the Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that the factors of the withdrawal risk were higher in patients receiving MMT, including minority nationality (HR=1.66,95%CI:1.52-1.82), having jobs (HR=1.05, 95%CI:1.01-1.08), no history of compulsory isolation or detoxification (HR=1.04, 95%CI:1.01-1.09) and the enrollment in 2016-2021 (HR=1.46,95%CI:1.35-1.58). The factors of the withdrawal risk were lower in patients receiving MMT, including 60-year-olds or above (HR=0.56,95%CI:0.42-0.75), college degree or above education level (HR=0.83, 95%CI:0.75-0.91), outpatient services of other cities (HR=0.90, 95%CI:0.87-0.93), drug use for 20 years or more (HR=0.72, 95%CI:0.66-0.80), 90 mg or more per daily dosage (HR=0.73,95%CI:0.69-0.78) and the enrollment in 2011-2015 (HR=0.93,95%CI:0.89-0.97). Conclusions: The withdrawal proportions of patients receiving MMT were high in Hubei province. The withdrawal influencing factors were complex. The daily dose was an essential factor that can be intervened under the safe MMT condition, and a higher dose should be appropriately prescribed.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Methadone/therapeutic use* ; Opiate Substitution Treatment ; Ambulatory Care ; Cities

This paper seeks to determine the client's compliance level towards Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) and identify its associated factors. A cross sectional study was conducted from June to September 2007 where 288 samples were interviewed. The outcomes were divided into good compliance and partial compliance categories. Overall client's compliance level is good at 86.1%. There are significant difference between mean age of groups (t = -2.041, p = 0.04); and significant associations of job's status (chi2 = 9.54, p = 0.008); client's confident score (t = -3.12, p = 0.023), client'ssocial function score (t = -2.308, p = 0.002) and client's social function level (chi2 = 5.43, p = 0.02) with compliance toward program. With multivariate analysis, only client's age, client's confidence score and client's job status were related to compliance status. It was concluded that there is high compliance rate among client's who received the program. Younger clients, low scores on client's confident and social function, and clients with unsteady jobs are at risk not to comply with treatment.
seconds ; Clients ; lower case pea ; Drug addiction therapy - methadone ; Lower case tea

Since the first use of epidural morphine in man, a number of other opiates have been studied including fentanyl, pethidine, methadone, diamorphine and buprenorphine. Among them buprenorphine is a relatively new synthetic opiate that is known to be highly lipophilic and to have an affmity for the opiate receptor approximately twice that of morphin:, It is produced in a preservative free solution, and would seem a logical choice for epidural analgesia. But there was no data on the adequate dose for the. postoperative pain control after lower abdominal surgery. Current study was designed to investigate the efficacy of three doses of epidural buprenorphine for postoperative pain control with the checking the pain score. Fifty seven female patients undergoing elective lower abdominal surgery were randomly assigncd to receive epidural buprenorphine as a rate of 0.3 (group A, initial dose 0.15 mg + maintenance dose O.l5 mg), 0.45 (group B, 0.15 mg + 0.3 mg), or 0.6 mg (group C, 0.3 mg + 0.3 mg) utilizing the Two-Day TI4l Infusor during the two days after cessation of operation. Authors compared the efficacy of three doses with checking the pain scale (Facial expression pain scale, Prince Henry pain scale) at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hour postoperatively. Side-effects were recorded. There were no significant difference among three groups with respects to mean age. Analgesic effects for patients receiving 0.6 mg (group C) were superior to those of group A but were not significantly different from analgesic effects of group B except 6 hour postoperatively. Side-effects (nausea and vomiting) of group C were significantly more than group B. The dose of epidural buprenorphine in Group B (initial dose 0.15 mg+maintenance dose 0 3 mg) may be recommended for postoperative analgesia following lower abdominal surgery.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Buprenorphine* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Heroin ; Humans ; Infusion Pumps ; Logic ; Meperidine ; Methadone ; Morphine ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Receptors, Opioid

OBJECTIVETo learn about the effects of psychological counseling intervention on reducing heroin use, increasing methadone dosage and improving compliance rate of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

METHODSSubjects who had had at least one positive result for regular urine morphine tests during the past three months were recruited from 16 MMT clinics. During the three-month intervention period, the subjects received regular psychological counseling provided by doctors (once every other week) and peer education (once a week). Positive rates of urine morphine tests, average days receiving MMT during three months before the intervention and during the intervention, and average daily dosage of methadone during the last week before intervention and during the last week of the intervention programs conducted were recorded and compared.

RESULTSA total of 492 patients receiving MMT were surveyed. There were significant changes in positive rates for urine morphine tests, average daily dosage, and average days on MMT before and during the intervention programs. The positive rate for urine morphine tests dropped from 50.1% to 27.1%; the average daily dosage of methadone increased from 63.0 mg to 72.6 mg; the average days receiving MMT increased from 69.4 days to 73.9 days.

CONCLUSIONIntensive psychological counseling intervention was effective in reducing heroin use, increasing methadone dosage and improving compliance rate of MMT among patients receiving MMT.

Counseling ; Heroin Dependence ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Humans ; Methadone ; therapeutic use ; Opiate Substitution Treatment ; psychology ; Patient Compliance ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo understand the characteristics and retention situation of clients in extension clinic of methadone maintenance therapy.

METHODSFrom December 20, 2010 to March 10, 2011, the system sampling method was used to get the cases. A total of 462 heroin addicts from 22 methadone maintenance therapy clinics and extension clinics located in Mangshi, Ruili, Longchuan, Yingjiang, Lianghe of Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province were interviewed, and the demographic characteristics, quality of life, urine testing results for morphine of the patients between the extension MMT clinic and standard MMT clinic were also collected and compared. A cohort study was conducted to analyze retention situation of the new clients with Kaplan Meier method during 9 months treatment.

RESULTSOf the 462 cases, 239 cases were from standard MMT clinic, and 223 cases were from the extension MMT clinic. Among them, 117 cases were new research objects into the group during the investigation. Among the clients of extension MMT clinic, 96.7% (147/152) of them were males, 37.5% (57/152) were Dai nationality, and 61.2% (93/152) were married, 38.8% (59/152) with primary school education, 95.4% (145/152) lived with their family or relatives, 96.7% (147/152) could arrive at the clinic from their habitation within 15 minutes. The positive detection rates 72% (13/18), 71% (24/34), 58% (30/52), 29% (15/52), 14% (6/44), 14% (4/29), 15% (5/34), 17% (6/35), 6% (2/33), 16% (5/31) of urine-morphine testing among new clients of extension MMT clinics decreased as the period of treatment lengthened (χ(2) = 61.04, P < 0.05). The period of retention of the clients in extension MMT clinics was 175-days averagely, with an average retention 122 days of when withdrawing. The retention rates of the clients were 52% (37/71)and 61% (28/46) at 9th month of the extension MMT clinics and standard MMT clinics respectively. There was no difference in the retention rate between those of two types of clinics (χ(2) = 0.82, P = 0.37) .

CONCLUSIONMost of the clients in extension MMT clinics lived with their family or relatives, and spent less time on the way to the clinics. After 9 months methadone maintenance therapy, the quality of life of clients in extension clinics was improved while addiction among them decreased. The extension clinic was an effective strategy for retention in remote areas.

China ; Cohort Studies ; Demography ; Heroin Dependence ; Humans ; Male ; Methadone ; Opiate Substitution Treatment ; Quality of Life ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Treatment Outcome