Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Jun 1999
Comparative Study Clinical TrialOral and intravenous methadone use: some clinical and pharmacokinetic aspects.
A sample of 15 patients participating in an injectable methadone trial and of 15 patients in an oral methadone maintenance treatment, who admitted injecting part or all of their methadone take-home doses, were compared to 20 patients in maintenance treatment who use methadone exclusively by mouth. The present study confirms the poorer general health, the higher levels of emotional, psychological or psychiatric problems, the higher use of illicit drugs, and the higher number of problems related to employment and support associated with the use of the intravenous mode of administration of methadone. ⋯ This difference reached an almost statistically significant value (P = 0.054). This raises the question whether the effect of a higher methadone dose could be unconsciously sought by some of the intravenous methadone users.