The Influence of Psychological Factors on the Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome

1986 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grania T. Phillips ◽  
Michael Gossop ◽  
Brendan Bradley

Psychological and drug-related variables and their effect on the severity of withdrawal symptoms were examined in a group of addicts being withdrawn from opiates on an in-patient drug dependence unit. Two psychological factors—neuroticism and the degree of distress expected by the patient—were related to subsequent severity of symptoms. Both are anxiety-related, and may serve to amplify withdrawal symptoms. Surprisingly, drug dose was unrelated to symptom severity.

Author(s):  
Abdollah Farhadi Nasab ◽  
Safoura Raoufi ◽  
Naghmeh Bahrami

Introduction: Today, drug addiction is an important healthcare issue. Any helps to drug withdrawal may decrease its prevalence in the society. Ascorbic acid is a component, which can affect neurotransmitter systems as a regulator along with its cofactor role. Noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems are two important neurotransmitter systems in the opiate withdrawal syndrome. It seems that ascorbic acid can decrease the symptoms of opiate withdrawal through regulating the related systems. In this regard, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid on the symptoms of morphine withdrawal in Syrian mice. Materials and Methods: Male Syrian mice in eight experimental groups received incremental doses of morphine as 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg/kg within the first, second, third, and fourth days of the experiment, respectively, through intraperitoneal injection, twice a day, and the control group received and equal amount of saline. On the fifth day, six groups of morphine addicts received ascorbic acid with six doses of 10, 50, 100, 200,400 and 800 mg/kg through intraperitoneal injection. Then, naloxone 2 mg/kg was injected to all groups including morphine alone and morphine with acute does of ascorbic acid. Then, withdrawal symptoms were evaluated for 30 minutes. Results: Administration of an acute dose of ascorbic acid reduced dose dependent withdrawal symptoms in such a way that 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg doses of ascorbic acid reduced “writhing” symptom, 200 mg/kg reduced “jumping” symptom, and 400 and 800 mg/kg reduced “climbing, jumping, and standing” symptoms. Conclusion: It seems that ascorbic acid administration can improve the symptoms of opiate withdrawal syndrome. More studies on human population can also indicate the therapeutic effect of ascorbic acid on drug withdrawal.


Author(s):  
Т.П. Ветлугина ◽  
Е.В. Матафонова ◽  
Н.А. Бохан ◽  
В.Б. Никитина ◽  
А.И. Мандель ◽  
...  

Цель исследования: изучение динамики показателей иммунитета и уровня кортизола у больных опийной наркоманией в процессе терапии синдрома отмены. Методика. В исследование включено 136 больных опийной наркоманией (инъекции экстракта опия) с сформировавшейся физической зависимостью. Пациенты получали в стационаре стандартную терапию с полной отменой наркотика. Исследование проводилось на следующих этапах: при поступлении в стационар (опийный абстинентный синдром - ОАС); на 5-7-е сут. терапии (переход в постабстинентное состояние - ПАС); на 25-28-е сут. лечения (становление терапевтической ремиссии - СТР). Лабораторные методы включали определение количества лимфоцитов с рецепторами CD3, CD4, CD8, СD16, с рецепторами к дофамину (D-RFC); содержание иммуноглобулинов М, G, А, уровня кортизола и циркулирующих иммунных комплексов (ЦИК) в сыворотке крови. Результаты. Основной иммуноэндокринный паттерн на всех этапах терапии синдрома отмены характеризуется дефицитом субпопуляций Т-лимфоцитов CD3, CD4, СD8; увеличением числа лимфоцитов с рецепторами к дофамину (D-RFC); активацией гуморальных факторов иммунитета (IgM, IgG, ЦИК); высокой концентрацией кортизола. На этапе ОАС и ПАС эти изменения были наиболее выражены; на 25-28-е сут. лечения отмечена позитивная динамика Т-лимфоцитов СD3 и цитотоксических Т-лимфоцитов (СD8); хелперы/индукторы CD4 оставались устойчиво сниженными; D-RFC лимфоциты, параметры гуморального иммунитета и концентрация кортизола - повышенными. Длительный срок наркотизации при употреблении высоких доз наркотика связан с большей выраженностью нарушений. Заключение. Установленная дизрегуляция параметров иммуноэндокринной системы у больных опийной наркоманией на всех этапах терапии синдрома отмены в наблюдаемые сроки (25-28 сут.) свидетельствует о неустойчивости достигнутой терапевтической ремиссии и необходимости проведения дальнейших реабилитационных мероприятий. The purpose: investigate changes in immunity parameters and cortisol level in subjects with opiate addiction during the treatment of opiate withdrawal syndrome. Methods. The study enrolled 136 subjects with opiate addiction with physical dependence receiving injections of opium extract. Patients received conventional therapy with complete opiate withdrawal. The study was performed at the following stages: at admission to the hospital (acute withdrawal syndrome (AWS); on days 5-7 of therapy (transition into post-withdrawal state - PWS); on days 25-28 of therapy (formation of therapeutic remission - FTR). Laboratory methods included determination count of lymphocytes with receptors CD3, CD4, CD8, СD16, with receptors to dopamine (D-RFC); the serum levels of IgМ, IgG, IgА, cortisol, circulating immune complexes (CIC). Results. The principal immunoendocrine pattern for all stages of withdrawal syndrome therapy is characterized in comparison to the reference normal values quantitative deficit of CD3, CD4, СD8 Т-lymphocyte subpopulations, increased count of lymphocytes with receptors to dopamine, activation of humoral immunity factors (IgM, IgG, CIC), high cortisol level. At AWS and PAS stages such changes are most pronounced; on days 25-28 of therapy positive changes in cytotoxic Т-lymphocytes (СD8) and Т-lymphocytes СD3 was revealed. CD4 count remained steadily reduced, count of lymphocytes with receptors to dopamine and cortisol level were elevated. Clinical and immunological analysis demonstrated that consumption of high opiate doses, long-term narcotization are associated with higher intensity of disorders detected. Conclusion. Dysregulation of immunoendocrine parameters was revealed in subjects with opiate addiction at all stages of withdrawal syndrome therapy within the term observed evidencing instability of therapeutic remission achieved and necessity in further rehabilitation events.


Author(s):  
Fatemeh Dabaghzadeh ◽  
Fariba Sharififar ◽  
Amir-Mohammad Ahmadzadeh ◽  
Somayyeh Karami-Mohajeri

Abstract Objectives In this clinical trial, the effect of aqueous extract of Berberis vulgaris L. was investigated on opiate withdrawal syndrome, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality in opioid addicts which were under methadone maintenance therapy. Methods For this purpose, 52 opiate addicts were randomly selected of whom 28 received 500 mg capsules of B. vulgaris extract (treatment) and the rest received 500 mg of starch capsules (placebo), twice daily for 4 weeks. Signs and symptoms of opiate withdrawal syndrome, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality were assessed through Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) questionnaires at baseline and after 7, 14, and 28 days of receiving intervention. Results Signs and symptoms of opiate withdrawal syndrome were significantly improved in those who received the extract for 1 month compared to the placebo group. However, there were no significant differences in depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality scores in the treatment group compared to those in the placebo group. Conclusions The extract of B. vulgaris root as a traditional herbal product in combination with methadone could improve the symptoms and signs of opiate withdrawal.


2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bearn ◽  
J. Bennett ◽  
T. Martin ◽  
M. Gossop ◽  
J. Strang

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Derbel ◽  
Asma Ghorbel ◽  
Férièle Messadi Akrout ◽  
Abdelmajid Zahaf

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