Top ten of 2021 #4 – Growing older and more stigmatised on methadone

January 8, 2022February 28, 2022 ~ Dr David McCartney

In a compelling study from Dublin, Paula Mayock and Shane Butler (Trinity College) make the point that little is known about the stigma experienced by individuals attending drug treatment services over prolonged periods. They explored this through the lived-experience narratives of 25 people prescribed long-term methadone. Their findings ‘reveal the intersection of stigma with age … Continue reading Top ten of 2021 #4 – Growing older and more stigmatised on methadone

Growing older and more stigmatised on methadone

February 17, 2021February 28, 2022 ~ Dr David McCartney ~ 1 Comment

Methadone, technology and outcomes

October 5, 2013February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 3 Comments

Substance Matters has a post about the use of new technologies in methadone maintenance. Patients who use a web-based intervention (TES) instead of half of their traditional counseling did better than those with traditional counseling as part of their methadone treatment. It provokes important questions about the usefulness of new technologies and how they might … Continue reading Methadone, technology and outcomes

Methadonia

February 10, 2013February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

When Methadonia was first released, there was quite a bit of hand wringing over whether the film inaccurately presented methadone maintenance treatment in a negative light. Cassie Rodenberg, at The White Noise, who has been spending time with and blogging about homeless addicts in the Bronx says [emphasis mine]: Some on the streets find methadone worse than an original heroin addiction, while … Continue reading Methadonia

Cognitive performance of opioid maintenance vs. abstinence

November 16, 2012February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 4 Comments

A new study finds lower cognitive functioning in maintenance patients compared with abstinent former users. It also found no difference between methadone patients and buprenorphine patients. Background To compare the cognitive performances of maintenance patients (MAIN), abstinent ex-users (ABST) and healthy non-heroin using controls (CON). Methods Case control study of 125 MAIN (94 … Continue reading Cognitive performance of opioid maintenance vs. abstinence

More on methadone

August 28, 2012February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 2 Comments

Points is publishing a series on methadone and offers a case for methadone without resorting to describing it as "the most effective treatment for opiate addiction." It's a pretty fair piece. I had only one quibble with the facts of the story. This is unusual and very welcome. However, the author and I disagree starkly … Continue reading More on methadone

Road traffic crashes and prescribed methadone and buprenorphine

May 31, 2012February 28, 2022 ~ Jason Schwartz ~ 1 Comment

Last year, a study questioned whether buprenorphine patients should be allowed to drive because 60% tested positive for other drugs. Now, another study reaches similar findings: Background Opioids have been shown to impair psychomotor and cognitive functioning in healthy volunteers with no history of opioid abuse. Few or no significant effects have been found in opioid-dependant … Continue reading Road traffic crashes and prescribed methadone and buprenorphine