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The number of opioid-dependent increased by 0.4% per year

currently in substitution treatment more effective is the drug Suboxone

Research confirms that over 13 million people worldwide suffer from addiction to opioids today, with heroin, with 10 million users, the most powerful drug. According to information from European studies Adiction Research The number of people affected increases by 0.4% worldwide, resembling the findings to our country. The cause of this addition comes from the use of such substances to relieve extreme pain ( agonist), resulting in an exaggerated sense of well being. For this reason, many people "eat", ultimately considered a type of very dangerous drugs.

Because of increased heroin use and the impact thereof, particularly the spread of Hepatitis B, C and the emergence of HIV, Spain created the National Plan on Drugs 1985. One alternative taken to eliminate the use of this opioid was the use of maintenance programs methadone, Subutex (buprenorphine ) and the most effective, Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone), all opioids, but with minor effects those of heroin. This treatment allows those affected to use a substance similar to this drug, but with medical supervision, with fixed doses without the fear of ODS ( Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome ).

Pastor Francisco Pascual, MD, associate of INID (Addictions Research Institute of the University Miguel Hernández de Elche) states that "in this sense that methadone could enable people who were in a marginal situation regain a more or less stable. Besides, I did not share syringes or utensils that permit spread of infectious diseases, so that the number of HIV and hepatitis C, among others, was decreasing. "

However, many patients using this treatment eventually become addicted to methadone, in addition to experience side effects such as difficulty breathing, extreme drowsiness, slow breathing and heart problems. Therefore, and because methadone is a synthetic opioid derivative (produced chemically), was thought to use other drugs with these characteristics, but with a more natural origin, as is the case of buprenorphine (Subutex Brupex or, by country). This substance, comes in the form of sublingual tablets (placed under the tongue). Compared with methadone, it is much safer and, thanks to its partial agonist activity (it has some of the effects of opioids, but less so than heroin) provides for withdrawal of adding softer. However, due to its high price, fell into disuse.

So now the only centrally-approved product in the European Union and more effective replacement or maintenance opioid (in any case we are speaking of a drug free program) is the Suboxone. This drug (also sublingual) has two substances, buprenorphine, like opioid agonist and opioid antagonist naloxone, thus allowing the patient does not have the ODS and not suffer the depressant effects of opioids. A considerable improvement compared to methadone is that this agonist-antagonist mixture eliminates the risk of induction of cardiorespiratory arrest. "This would be designed to improve the quality of life of the subject, which maintains a drug that prevents you from not getting unwell and take a substitute," said Pascual.

Since its adoption by the European Medicines Agency in 2006, the administration refused to take charge of their cost. However, studies show that not too expensive compared to methadone and also provides a significant improvement in the quality of life for dependents.

also being tested with diacetyl morphine (heroin), a much more natural opioid buprenorphine, yet is still under study and its results are not very bright.