Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
This personal view paper summarises substantial gaps in our understanding of opioid withdrawal that are likely to continue to limit major advancements in its treatment.
Findings/Key points
Nine actionable targets are delineated: develop a consensus definition of opioid withdrawal; understand withdrawal symptomatology after exposure to different opioids (particularly fentanyl); understand precipitated opioid withdrawal; understand how co-exposure of other drugs (eg, xylazine and stimulants) influences withdrawal expression; examine individual variation in withdrawal phenotypes; precisely characterise the protracted withdrawal syndrome; identify biomarkers of opioid withdrawal severity; identify predictors of opioid withdrawal severity; and understand which symptoms are most closely associated with treatment attrition or relapse.
