WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME IN 2 DRUG-ABUSERS AFT ER INTRAVENOUS-INJECTION OFBUPRENORPHINE

Adequate dosage of sublingual buprenorphine is now recommended for sub stitution treatment of severe opioid dependance, We report two cases o f acute discomfort, probably linked to withdrawal syndrome, after an I V injection of high doses of buprenorphine in opiate dependant patient s, Data on the pharmacokinetics and neurobiochemical aspects of bupren orphine are compared with those of other opiates, A major issue of thi s work is a guideline for inducing substitution treatment with this '' unique'' partial agonist/antagonist of endorphinic receptors.