Historical Pathways for Opioid Addiction, Withdrawal with Traditional and Alternative Treatment Options with Ketamine, Cannabinoids, and Noribogaine: A Narrative Review
Health Psychology Research October 6, 2022 Amber N. Edinoff, Natalie W. Wu, Bryce Bonin et al. 11 citations
The opioid epidemic persists despite declining prescription opioid dispensing, with increased use of illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl. Established long-term pharmacotherapies for opioid addiction include naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone, while naloxone rapidly reverses overdose. Given the epidemic's severity, this narrative review explores alternative medications: ketamine, which shows promise for treating addiction to opioids, alcohol, and cocaine; cannabinoids, with dronabinol reducing withdrawal symptoms at high doses but causing adverse effects like sedation and tachycardia; and noribogaine, a weak MOR antagonist and potent KOR agonist with potential anti-addictive effects. More research is needed to assess these medications' viability for opioid use disorder and withdrawal.