There is anecdotal evidence that Buprenorphine either alone or in conjunction with anti-depressants may be more effective than the anti-depressants alone in treating clinical depression. Is research being done in this area?
I only did a quick search, but the research seems really quite old now:
- Bodkin JL, Zornberg GL, Lucas SE, Cole JO. (1995): Buprenorphine treatment of refractory depression. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 16:49-57.
- Emrich HM, Vogt P, Herz. (1982): Possible antidepressive effects of opioids: action of buprenorphine. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 398:108-112.
- Kosten TR, Schottenfeld R, Ziedonis D, Falcioni J. (1993): Buprenorphine versus methadone maintenance in opioid dependence. J Nerv Mental Dis 181:358-364.
- Strain EC, Stitzer ML, Liebson IA, Bigelow GE. (1994): Buprenorphine vs. methadone in the treatment of opioid-dependent cocaine users. Psychopharmacology 116:401-406.
There are at least few trials finished about Buprenorphine and MDD:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Buprenorphine+Depression
Most of the trials are including very few patients. I do not think that there are some conclusive results in this field published yet. For sure there are ongoing trials too.
Thank you so much for your answers. Buprenorphine, in my opinion, is overly controlled by the DEA/FDA. The many restrictions on its use hampers effective addicition treatment and stifles research into off-label use and possible discoveries of unanticipated benefits of its use. I would like to see the medical and research communities put pressure on the DEA, in particular, to ease the restrictions.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Psychology