While 4 mg of buprenorphine is often used as the initial dose,103 if there is doubt about the patient’s withdrawal symptoms, the buprenorphine dose should be lowered to 2 mg. If the initial dose of 2 or 4 mg is tolerated, a similar second dose can be given an hour later and then 4 mg 6 to 8 hours later. The

total dose on day 1 usually should not Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical exceed 8 to 12 mg. If any dose worsens withdrawal symptoms, the buprenorphine should be temporarily halted and the symptoms treated with oral clonidine 0.10.2 mg. Once symptoms have improved, the buprenorphine can be restarted. It is better to err on the side of incomplete suppression of withdrawal on day 1 than to have precipitated withdrawal, which may drive the patient away. By day 2 or 3, a dose of 12 to 16 mg is usually reached and resolves most withdrawal symptoms. Clonidine can be used to treat residual mild symptoms for a few days to a week as long as the patient does Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical not become hypotensive. The most difficult and distressing symptom is usually insomnia. Depending whether there is a history of benzodiazepine abuse, agents chosen to treat this include trazodone, Zolpidem, or clonazepam. The usual maintenance dose is 16 to 24 mg/day although some patients are comfortable at 8 to 12 mg and others

need 24 to 32 mg. Many patients prefer taking the buprenorphine in divided doses, two or three times a day, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical as opposed to only once. Patient selection issues The patient first needs to meet the criteria for opioid dependence. Abuse of, or dependence on, other substances such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, and cocaine, along with need for Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical sedative detoxification, history

of previous treatments, and psychiatric problems should all be explored. Detoxification or maintenance Many patients initially request buprenorphine detoxification and then change their minds a few weeks later and request maintenance. Given the high relapse rate postwithdrawal, this request may be reasonable. However, buprenorphine is relatively easy to detoxify with but harder to detoxify from. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Thus, withdrawal should not be stretched out longer than 2 to 3 weeks if maintenance is not the ultimate goal. Maintenance on buprenorphine vs methadone If the patient’s lifestyle is unstable, eg, homelessness, European Heart Journal or needs the structure of regular attendance in a dispensing situation, or needs the wider range of services available in a comprehensive methadone maintenance program, or lacks the insurance or financial wherewithal to pay for buprenorphine medication and therapy, the patient may be better served by a methadone maintenance program. Since buprenorphine is a TAK-875 cell line partial ju agonist with maximal efficacy approximately equal to 70 mg of methadone, it may not be adequate for some patients. Optimal methadone doses average around 100 mg/day and some patients require much higher doses.