We know that starting buprenorphine in our patients with opioid use disorder improves a whole host of health-related outcomes, but we know much less about how long we should continue the medication. Researchers compare outcomes in patients who take buprenorphine for shorter and for longer. Their findings are revealing.

While stimulant withdrawal typically does not cause physiologic symptoms requiring immediate medication treatment, patients can be behaviorally challenging during this time. Here, researchers developed a protocol to treat patients withdrawing from methamphetamines on an inpatient unit.

Cannabis withdrawal is a largely underappreciated phenomenon that nonetheless interferes with many patients’ ability to stop using cannabis. Dr. Budney discusses some of the symptomatology of cannabis withdrawal and reviews how to discuss it with our patients.

Buprenorphine is a first-line treatment for opioid use disorder, however, given buprenorphine to a patient who still has opioids in their system can precipitate severe withdrawal. Careful assessment of withdrawal can minimize the risk, but despite our best efforts, precipitated withdrawal can still occur. In this article, we review what to do for our patients experiencing buprenorphine-precipitated opioid withdrawal.

Prescription stimulants, while effective for treating ADHD, are widely taken without a prescription, particularly by young adults for cognitive enhancement, weight loss, and recreational purposes. This misuse poses serious risks, from developing stimulant use disorder to experiencing severe cardiovascular and psychiatric effects. In this article, you'll learn about the prevalence and patterns of stimulant misuse, its associated dangers, and tips on how to manage it in clinical practice.

Tobacco smoking and major depression are highly comorbid, and depressed patients usually have a tougher time quitting than their non-depressed counterparts. In this research study, investigators compared the efficacy of anti-smoking medications in those with depression. The results may surprise you.

Contingency management (CM) is a clinical approach that leverages principles of operant conditioning to treat stimulant use disorder. In this interview, Dr. DePhilippis explains how CM incentivizes recovery behaviors like abstinence with immediate rewards, making it an effective treatment tool. Learn how this evidence-based strategy works, why it’s considered the gold standard for treating stimulant use disorder, and the challenges of implementing CM in real-world settings.

The interview with Dr. Hurley provides crucial insights into the world of psychostimulants, their misuse, and the emerging Fourth Wave of the Overdose Epidemic. Dr. Hurley discusses everything from the differences between stimulants like methamphetamine and cocaine to the importance of harm reduction strategies and evidence-based treatments for stimulant use disorder.