Traditional Chinese Medicine-facilitated switch from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone for treatment of heroin dependence: a case report  

作　　者：Huang Kuei-Yu Yu Kai-Chiang Hsu Chung-Hua Yeh Yuh-Hsiang Han Kao-Ching Wei Han-Ting 

机构地区：[1]Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Linsen, Chinese Medicine,and Kunming Branch [2]Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang-Ming University [3]Department of Nursing, Taipei City Hospital, Linsen, Chinese Medicine, and Kunming Branch [4]Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Hospital, Linsen, Chinese Medicine, and Kunming Branch

出　　处：《Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine》2019年第2期281-284,共4页中医杂志（英文版）

摘　　要：The switch from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone for individuals with heroin dependence is associated with several obstacles and challenges.Such patients may experience discomfort from discontinuing methadone, precipitated withdrawal symptoms induced by buprenorphine-naloxone,and poor psychosocial adjustments such as anticipatory anxiety regarding severe opioid withdrawal.We herein describe a 46-year-old man with a history of heroin dependence who underwent Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)-facilitated switching from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone. No precipitated withdrawal was induced by buprenorphine-naloxone. The drug-switching process was successful and smooth. He maintained abstinence from heroin for the following year. In this case, we applied TCM for enhancement of methadone metabolism and detoxification, analgesic effects, and anxiolytic and hypnotic effects during the drug switch. We observed that TCM effectively facilitated the switch from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone in our case. Further studies regarding TCM-facilitated treatment for heroin dependence should be conducted.The switch from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone for individuals with heroin dependence is associated with several obstacles and challenges.Such patients may experience discomfort from discontinuing methadone, precipitated withdrawal symptoms induced by buprenorphine-naloxone,and poor psychosocial adjustments such as anticipatory anxiety regarding severe opioid withdrawal.We herein describe a 46-year-old man with a history of heroin dependence who underwent Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)-facilitated switching from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone. No precipitated withdrawal was induced by buprenorphine-naloxone. The drug-switching process was successful and smooth. He maintained abstinence from heroin for the following year. In this case, we applied TCM for enhancement of methadone metabolism and detoxification, analgesic effects, and anxiolytic and hypnotic effects during the drug switch. We observed that TCM effectively facilitated the switch from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone in our case. Further studies regarding TCM-facilitated treatment for heroin dependence should be conducted.

关 键 词：HEROIN dependence OPIOID METHADONE BUPRENORPHINE Medicine Chinese traditional 

分 类 号：R[医药卫生]