Publication
Reddit discussions about buprenorphine associated precipitated withdrawal in the era of fentanyl
Publisher:
Informa UK Limited
Date:
04-02-2022
DOI:
10.1080/15563650.2022.2032730
Abstract: Induction of buprenorphine, an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), has been reported to be difficult for people with heavy use of fentanyl, the most prevalent opioid in many areas of the country. In this population, precipitated opioid withdrawal (POW) may occur even after in iduals have completed a period of opioid abstinence prior to induction. Our objective was to study potential associations between fentanyl, buprenorphine induction, and POW, using social media data. This is a mixed methods study of data from seven opioid-related forums (subreddits) on Reddit. We retrieved publicly available data from the subreddits Reddit subscribers often associate POW with F&A use and describe self-managed buprenorphine induction strategies involving microdosing to avoid POW. Further objective studies in patients with fentanyl use and OUD initiating buprenorphine are needed to corroborate these findings.HIGHLIGHTSIncrease in mentions of precipitated opioid withdrawal (POW) on Reddit from 2012 to 2021 was associated with the increase in fentanyl and analog mentions.Experiences of precipitated opioid withdrawal (POW) were described by in iduals despite reporting prolonged periods of abstinence compared to standard buprenorphine induction protocols.People with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) on Reddit are using and recommending microdosing strategies with buprenorphine to avoid POW.People who used fentanyl report experiencing POW following statistically longer periods of abstinence than people who use heroin.