Methadone Treatment in Iranian Opiate Addicts: A Preliminary Report

Background: this study aimed to investigate the initial dosage of methadone and factors affecting it in maintenance therapy. methods: this cross-sectional, descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 157 individuals referring to a methadone maintenance therapy (mmt) clinic. the initial dosage of methadone was 20-45 mg which was adjusted during the treatment based on each patient's evaluation. three groups were formed according to methadone dosage (less than 30 mg, between 30-50 mg, and more than 50 mg). findings: significant relations were observed between increased methadone dosage in the initial phase and marital status (p = 0.03), injection (p = 0.03), medical comorbidity (p = 0.009), and borderline personality disorder (p < 0.001). conclusion: further studies with larger sample size and including the history of previous detoxification, substance abuse, omission of self-recording, evaluation of women’s addiction and mmt program performance with counseling support should be performed.