Journal of substance abuse treatment
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J Subst Abuse Treat · Dec 2019
Adjunctive memantine for opioid use disorder treatment: A systematic review.
Memantine is commonly used for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. Due to its antagonism of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which has been shown to block rewarding and reinforcing effects of morphine, memantine has been investigated for potential utilization in opioid use disorder (OUD). The objective of this systematic review is to assess the evidence available to determine the safety and efficacy of memantine as treatment for OUD. ⋯ Memantine was well tolerated with similar rates of adverse effects between treatment groups. Based on the reviewed literature, memantine appears most beneficial as an adjunctive treatment for OUD when combined with methadone or buprenorphine, but not naltrexone. Larger studies with longer periods of treatment and follow-up are needed to support the use of memantine in the management of OUD.