Drug
|
Activity
at m
receptor
|
Dependence
|
Patient
Retention / Acceptability
|
Relapse
|
Safety
|
|
Indicated for
Opioid De-addiction |
Partial
agonist
antagonist |
Low level
of dependence |
Good with
mild withdrawal symptoms |
Low
relapse rates |
Excellent
safety margine with lower incidence of respiratory depression |
|
Methadone
indicated for Opioid De-addiction |
Full agonist |
High Level of
dependence |
Moderate with
severe withdrawal even if single dose is missed. |
High relapse rates |
Moderate safety
margin with high incidence of respiratory
depression |
|
L.A.A.M. Indicated
for Opioid De-addiction |
Synthetic agonist |
No much potential
for dependence |
Moderate with
mild-moderate withdrawal symptoms |
High relapse rates |
Moderate safety
margin with no much potential for respiratory depression |
|
ClonidineIndicated mainly for
suppression of withdrawal symptoms |
Agonist |
No much potential for
dependence |
Fair with moderate-severe
withdrawal symptoms & side effects of Clonidine |
High relapse rates |
Moderate safety margin with no
much potential for respiratory depression |
|
Nalaxone indicated
mainly for treatment of Opioid-induced Respiratory depression |
Antagonist |
No much Potential
for dependence |
Moderate |
High relapse rates
|
Moderate safely
margin with no potential for repiratory depression |
|
Naltrexone
Indicated manily for treatment of Alcohol dependence |
Antagonist |
No Much Potential
for dependence |
Poor, due to the 2
weeks abstinence period to be borne before shifting to naltrexone |
High relapse rates |
Moderate safely
margin with no potential for respiratory depression |