Opium tincture versus methadone for opioid agonist treatment: a randomized controlled trial

Relative risks of adverse effects across different opioid agonist treatments-A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is established for opioid use disorder, but limited data on adverse effects exist. We aimed to review relative risks of adverse effects across opioid agonists.

METHODS

Systematic review with pair-wise meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. A search in Embase, Medline, PsycInfo, CENTRAL and the Web of Science Core Collection was performed from inception to 11 April 2024 (PROSPERO: CRD42022322722). Two reviewers independently extracted data and used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Primary outcomes were constipation, sedation, pruritus, sweating, nausea and vomiting, headache and any non-headache pain.

RESULTS

We identified 25 eligible trials, including 4892 participants. Reported agonists were methadone, levomethadone, methadyl acetate, buprenorphine, buprenorphine/naloxone, slow-release oral morphine (SROM), diacetylmorphine, hydromorphone and opium tincture. Buprenorphine (all formulations combined) was associated with a lower risk of sedation than methadone [risk ratio (RR) = 0.68 (95% confidence interval = 0.56-0.82)]; 1558 participants, 9 studies]. Methadone had a lower risk of sedation compared with SROM [RR = 0.63 (0.58-0.69); 356 participants, 2 studies] and a lower risk of nausea than methadyl acetate [RR = 0.56 (0.37-0.85); 913 participants, 3 studies]. There was high overall risk of bias in 92% of included trials due to limited and non-systematic outcome assessment. Certainty of evidence was low or very low for all but one comparison with moderate certainty.

CONCLUSIONS

There is currently insufficient data to determine whether the rates of adverse effects differ across opioid agonist treatments for most outcomes, with several exceptions. Moreover, the certainty of evidence is currently low or very low due to a lack of rigorous outcome assessment.

Long-term detoxification of opioid use disorder with opium tincture assisted treatment

Introduction

Retention in treatment, craving, and relapse rate are important indicators of the success rate in addiction maintenance therapy as they evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy and make necessary adjustments to the treatment plan. However, the rate of continuation in the treatment process and the rate of craving in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing maintenance treatment with opium tincture have not been studied. The present study aimed to investigate the rate of relapse, craving, and psychiatric disorders in patients with opioid use disorder undergoing treatment of gradual detoxification with opium tincture.

Methods

Ninety patients with opioid use disorder who underwent treatment with the gradual detoxification method using opium tincture in the form of Congress 60 for 11 months were enrolled in the study. The level of craving based on the Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) and patients' self-report of drug use, the level of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality of patients were evaluated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Also, suicidal thoughts were assessed by Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and quality of life by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF).

Results

The study found that the treatment resulted in a relapse rate of 16.7% for relapse. We also found that all sub-scales of the desire for drug questionnaire (DDQ), depression, and anxiety were significantly lower at the end of the study compared to its beginning. Additionally, quality of life and sleep significantly increased at the end of the study. All areas of craving, anxiety, and depression significantly decreased in all follow-up sessions that took place 1, 5, and 11 months after the start of treatment. Moreover, sleep disorders were improved considerably at the end of the treatment.

Conclusion

The current study presented a low relapse rate of Iranian patients with opioid use disorder under structured treatment of gradual detoxification with opium tincture in a one-year follow-up period. Opium tincture under the Congress 60 protocol may help to control carving, decrease psychological disorders, improve quality of life, and consequently, lower relapse rate.

Quality of life of patients treated with opium tincture or methadone: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Quality of life (QoL) is an increasingly recognized patient-centered treatment outcome in individuals with opioid use disorder. There is a gap in literature on the impact of opium tincture (OT) on patients' QoL compared to standard treatment options such as methadone. This study aimed to compare the QoL of participants with opioid use disorder receiving OAT using OT or methadone and identify the factors associated with their QoL during treatment.

METHODS

The opium trial was a multicenter non-inferiority randomized clinical trial in four private OAT outpatient clinics in Iran. The study assigned patients to either OT (10 mg/ml) or methadone sirup (5 mg/ml) for a follow-up of 85 days. QoL was assessed using the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL- BREF).

RESULTS

A total of 83 participants, 35 (42.2%) in the OT arm and 48 (57.8%) in the methadone arm, completed the WHOQOL-BREF in full and were included in the primary analysis. The mean score of patients' QoL showed improvement compared to baseline, but differences were not statistically significant between OT and methadone arms (p = 0.786). Improvements were mainly observed within the first 30 days of receiving treatment. Being married and lower psychological distress were associated with an improved QoL. Within the social relationships domain, male gender showed significantly higher QoL compared to females.

CONCLUSION

OT shows promise as an OAT medication, comparable to methadone in improving patients' QoL. There is a need to incorporate psychosocial interventions to further sustain and improve the QoL in this population. Identifying other social determinants of health which affect QoL and the cultural adaptation of assessments for individuals from various ethnocultural backgrounds are critical areas of inquiry.