{"id":112,"date":"2015-11-01T10:02:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-01T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jaydub.cms-devl.bu.edu\/aodhealth\/2015\/01\/01\/clonidine-reduces-lapses-among-people-with-opioid-use-disorder-who-achieved-abstinence-with-buprenorphine\/"},"modified":"2017-01-31T11:44:50","modified_gmt":"2017-01-31T16:44:50","slug":"clonidine-reduces-lapses-among-people-with-opioid-use-disorder-who-achieved-abstinence-with-buprenorphine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/aodhealth\/2015\/11\/01\/clonidine-reduces-lapses-among-people-with-opioid-use-disorder-who-achieved-abstinence-with-buprenorphine\/","title":{"rendered":"Clonidine Reduces Lapses Among People with Opioid Use Disorder Who Achieved Abstinence with Buprenorphine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n <\/p>\n

In laboratory-based studies, alpha-2 receptor blockers like clonidine block stress and cue-induced craving for opioids and cocaine. To determine whether clonidine can reduce lapse and relapse, researchers conducted a randomized double blind placebo-controlled clinical trial of clonidine up to 0.3 mg once daily for 12 weeks among 118 research volunteers with opioid use disorder who had been abstinent for 5 weeks receiving buprenorphine maintenance with daily dispensing from a research clinic. Urine tests for opioids and cocaine were done 3 times weekly. Lapse was defined as any positive or missed urine test and relapse was defined as \u2265 2 consecutive lapses. Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) were collected via handheld devices to determine whether stress was decoupled from craving as a mechanism by which clonidine may reduce lapse and relapse.<\/p>\n