Combined buprenorphine and chlonidine for short-term opiate detoxification: patient perspectives

The approval in 2003 for the use of buprenorphine in opiate addiction treatment has provided physicians with a new pharmacological tool to combat opiate addiction. We surveyed a sample of 100 inpatients who completed short-term opiate detoxification treatment utilizing a combination of buprenorphine and clonidine to assess patient perspectives regarding the usefulness and tolerability of this medication regimen and to compare it to their past opiate detox experiences, if any. Patients identified pain (63%), sleep problems (57%), and anxiety (56%) as the symptoms they perceived to be most helped with buprenorphine. Over 90% of patients with past detoxification treatments rated buprenorphine treatment to be as good as or better than their past treatments. Reports of a euphoric effect were minimal (7%) and no patients reported any generalized worsening of their opiate withdrawal symptoms. We conclude that based upon patient perspectives that combining buprenorphine with clonidine is a useful and well-tolerated medication regimen for the treatment of opiate withdrawal.