Diazepam use among methadone maintenance patients: patterns and dosages. 1981

M L Stitzer, and R R Griffiths, and A T McLellan, and J Grabowski, and J W Hawthorne

Methadone maintenance patients who use benzodiazepine drugs were interviewed about the dosage levels, patterns, frequency and motives for their use of these drugs. The sample was drawn from two treatment clinics, one in Baltimore (N = 12) and one in Philadelphia (N = 17). Benzodiazepine use was prevalent at both of these clinics - 65 -70% of maintenance patients had positive urinalysis tests during a single month. Ninety-three per cent of survey participants identified diazepam as the drug which they used most often. The median value of the usual daily dose was 40 - 45 mg; 31% reported usual daily doses between 70 and 300 mg and 62% had experience with doses of 100 mg and higher. The majority of the sample reported taking diazepam in a single daily dose within one hour of the time that they ingested their daily methadone; 72% of the sample indicated that diazepam boosts the effects obtained from the daily methadone dose. Another sample of addicts who reported extensive experience with both benzodiazepines and barbiturates indicated that diazepam increases the effects of methadone while barbiturates produce no change in the effects of methadone. Results of this study suggest that patterns and dosages of diazepam use among methadone maintenance patients are primarily abusive rather than therapeutic.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008396 Maryland A state bounded on the north by Pennsylvania, on the east by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Virginia and West Virginia, and on the west by West Virginia.
D008691 Methadone A synthetic opioid that is used as the hydrochloride. It is an opioid analgesic that is primarily a mu-opioid agonist. It has actions and uses similar to those of MORPHINE. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p1082-3) Amidone,Biodone,Dolophine,Metadol,Metasedin,Methaddict,Methadone Hydrochloride,Methadose,Methex,Phenadone,Phymet,Physeptone,Pinadone,Symoron,Hydrochloride, Methadone
D010414 Pennsylvania State bounded on the north by New York and Lake Erie, on the east by Delaware and New Jersey, on the south by Delaware and Maryland, and on the west by Ohio and West Virginia.
D003975 Diazepam A benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, and amnesic properties and a long duration of action. Its actions are mediated by enhancement of GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID activity. 7-Chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one,Apaurin,Diazemuls,Faustan,Relanium,Seduxen,Sibazon,Stesolid,Valium
D004357 Drug Synergism The action of a drug in promoting or enhancing the effectiveness of another drug. Drug Potentiation,Drug Augmentation,Augmentation, Drug,Augmentations, Drug,Drug Augmentations,Drug Potentiations,Drug Synergisms,Potentiation, Drug,Potentiations, Drug,Synergism, Drug,Synergisms, Drug
D006556 Heroin Dependence Strong dependence or addiction, both physiological and emotional, upon HEROIN. Heroin Abuse,Heroin Addiction,Heroin Smoking,Abuse, Heroin,Addiction, Heroin,Dependence, Heroin,Heroin Smokings,Smoking, Heroin
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D001463 Barbiturates A class of chemicals derived from barbituric acid or thiobarbituric acid. Many of these are GABA MODULATORS used as HYPNOTICS AND SEDATIVES, as ANESTHETICS, or as ANTICONVULSANTS.

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