Premium
Altered plasma cortisol response in patients on methadone maintenance
Author(s) -
Renault Pierre F.,
Schuster Charles R.,
Heinrich Richard L.,
Kolk Bessel
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt1972132269
Subject(s) - methadone , medicine , heroin , methadone maintenance , plasma concentration , anesthesia , hydrocortisone , plasma levels , endocrinology , pharmacology , drug
Plasma cortisol response to cold exposure in 5 healthy male former heroin addicts maintained on stabilized doses of methadone ( 4 on 50 mg. and one on 80 mg.) for a minimum of 3 months was compared with that in 7 healthy male control subjects. In subjects on methadone (one hour after they had received their doses), there was no plasma cortisol increase following cold exposure for one hour at 0° C.; but when cold exposure was repeated on the following day (21 hours after methadone), plasma cortisol increased significantly in all. There was no response to either exposure at corresponding times in the control group. Mean increase after methadone was from 24 µg per cent to 33 p.g per cent. Corresponding control values were 20 and 40 µg per cent. We conclude that there is altered responsiveness to cold exposure toward the end of the duration of action of methadone in patients on methadone maintenance.