Methandienone —–Alternatives to opioids

Methandienone is an opioid receptor agonist. Its efficacy is similar to that of morphine. It has analgesic effects and can produce respiratory depression, miosis, and sedation. Compared with morphine, it has the characteristics of longer action time, less tolerability, and low drug dependence. It is a narcotic analgesic synthesized by Germany during World War II to replace morphine. In the early 1960s, it was discovered that this drug has the efficacy of treating heroin dependence detoxification and replacing maintenance therapy. Methandienone is a protein assimilation hormone, which can significantly promote protein synthesis and assimilation, reduce amino acid decomposition and alienation, increase muscle growth, weight gain, reduce azotemia, and promote bone marrow hematopoietic function. It is mainly used for protein assimilation or absorption Insufficiency, as well as excessive protein breakdown or excessive loss, such as severe burns, chronic wasting diseases after surgery, senile osteoporosis, and tumor deterioration.

Pharmacological effects:

Methandienone is a dehydrogenated derivative of methyltestosterone. Its protein assimilation is similar to that of testosterone propionate, but the androgenic effect is weaker, about one percent of the latter. This product can promote protein synthesis, inhibit protein heterogeneity, maintain positive nitrogen balance, increase appetite, muscle growth, and weight gain; can promote calcium and phosphorus deposition in bone tissue, promote bone cell interstitial formation, and accelerate bone calcification and bone Growth; can promote tissue regeneration and granulation formation, accelerate wound repair. Lower blood cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism.

Principles for the application of alternative opioids:

1. Methandienone should not be administered by intravenous injection, especially for detoxification treatment. Injection is prohibited; when used for pain treatment, it can be administered by oral, intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.

2. Due to the effect of cross-tolerance, when detoxification treatment and replacement maintenance treatment are performed on opioid dependent patients, Methandienone should be administered individually according to the severity of the opioid dependence of the patient, and the initial dosage should be small to avoid respiratory depression .

3. Alternative maintenance treatment is based on adequate and appropriate doses. Therefore, attention should be paid to adjusting the dose of methandienone according to the patient’s drug dependence to achieve individualized medication.