ArticleSubstance use & misuse2024
Characterizing Opioid Withdrawal Experiences and Consequences Among a Community Sample of People Who Use Opioids.
Article in Substance use & misuse, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dose- and time-dependent physiological effects of fentanyl in adult goats.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2026Article
- Perceptions of Buprenorphine With Naloxone Treatment and the Fear of Precipitated Withdrawal: A Qualitative Exploration With HIV Prevention Trials Network 094 INTEGRA Participants and Staff.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Article
- The efficacy and safety of short-acting, full agonist opioids for symptom management of opioid withdrawal.Addictive behaviors reports · 2026Review
- Patients' Perceptions of the Role of Nursing in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs: Qualitative Study.JMIR nursing · 2026Article
- The relationship between injection status, cocaine use, overdose, and drug-related behaviors among people who use opioids.Drug and alcohol dependence reports · 2026Article
- The role of pharmacogenomics in the discontinuation of psychotropic medication: a scoping review protocol.HRB open research · 2026Article
- Opioid withdrawal as a barrier to harm reduction: Examining how overdose prevention behaviors are affected by withdrawal.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2025Article
- Perspectives on medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) access and service delivery among a community sample of people who use opioids in Los Angeles.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2025Article
- Examining opioid agonist treatment (OAT) site operations and early signals of change in the first year of British Columbia's drug decriminalization policy: Insights from a provincial survey.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2025Article
- "You don't have the right resources to let it hurt": How structural vulnerabilities shape opioid withdrawal experiences among a community sample of people who inject drugs in Los Angeles, California.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Law Enforcement Drug Seizures and Opioid-Involved Overdose Mortality.JAMA network open · 2025Article
- "You take care of people, people will take care of you": Moral Economies and an Unpredictable Drug Market.PloS one · 2025Article
- Fentanyl, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Analyte Concentrations in Urine Drug Testing Specimens.JAMA network open · 2024Article
- Correlates of fentanyl preference among people who use drugs in Rhode Island.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- A qualitative evaluation of a fentanyl patch safer supply program in Vancouver, Canada.The International journal on drug policy · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOpioid withdrawal symptoms are a highly salient and consequential health condition experienced by people who use opioids (PWUO). This study utilized qualitative interviews to explore opioid withdrawal experiences and consequences among PWUO in Los Angeles County, USA.
methodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 PWUO (aged 27-63 years) between May 2021 and May 2022. Participants self-reported opioid and injection drug use in the last 30 days. We employed an inductive thematic approach to systematically code and synthesize textual interview data.
resultsParticipants experienced withdrawal symptoms frequently, with many going to great lengths to avoid them. Withdrawal pain was described as incapacitating and interfered with PWUO's ability to sustain regular employment and ensure stable housing. Avoiding withdrawal was described as influential in driving decisions to continue using opioids. Mechanisms for managing withdrawal included using other substances to the point of sedation. PWUO who transitioned from heroin to fentanyl use revealed more frequent, painful, and faster onset of withdrawal symptoms. Adverse withdrawal experiences and fear of precipitated withdrawal from buprenorphine were barriers to treatment initiation and continuation.
conclusionWithdrawal symptoms among PWUO increase health risk. Improved strategies to treat opioid withdrawal are urgently needed. Solutions such as safe supply and intentional opioid withdrawal interventions (educational trainings, withdrawal comfort kits) are needed to improve withdrawal management and reduce opioid-related harm.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.