Author/Authors :
Sadek, Gamal methadone Clinic-london, Ontario, Canada , Cernovsky, Zack University of Western Ontario-London, Ontario, Canada , Chiu, Simon University of Western Ontario-London, Ontario, Canada , Bureau, Yves University of Western Ontario-London, Ontario, Canada , Mekhaiel, Sandra methadone Clinic-london, Ontario, Canada
Abstract :
Background: Pain and impaired sleep are often reported by patients in opiate substitution therapy.
Objectives: We compared sleep and pain ratings by patients treated with methadone to those treated with suboxone (buprenorphine/
naloxone combination).
Patients and Methods: Sixty-eight patients (44 men, 24 women) undergoing opiate substitution treatment were treated with
methadone (mean dose = 42.2 mg, SD = 24.6) or suboxone (mean dose = 9.7 mg, SD = 5.0). Their ratings of current level of pain
on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (extreme pain), their sleep ratings on the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and outcomes of their
urine screening tests for cocaine, oxycodone, opiates, and benzodiazepines were recorded.
Results: Sleep quality was rated as “fairly bad” by 42.0% and as “very bad” by 8.2% of our patients. Moderate to severe levels of pain
(pain ratings> 3 points) were reported by 55.9% of our patients. Neither the dose of suboxone nor the dose of methadone correlated
with pain and sleep ratings (rho, P> 0.05). Suboxone patients did not differ from thoseon methadone in their sleep and pain ratings
(Mann-Whitney, P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Suboxone and methadone patients did not differ in their ratings of pain and sleep.
Keywords :
Sleep , Pain , Methadone , buprenorphine
