What is Lucemyra, and what is its mechanism?
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are an important tool for those who are addicted to opioids.
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are an important tool for those who are addicted to opioids. This pharmacological component's efficacy in treatment has been demonstrated in numerous studies. To date, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three drugs to treat opioid use disorder (OUD): methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. One or more of these three drugs are included in all brand-name MOUD prescriptions. Bunavail, Belbuca, Subutex, Suboxone, Naltrexone (Vivitrol), Sublocade, and ZubSolv are some of the most well-known brand names. MOUDs such as buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) can be administered for short-term or long-term maintenance. There is always the option to taper off of an MOUD. Patients with OUD, on the other hand, should be treated indefinitely and for a long time. Relapse rates are much lower in patients on long-term MOUD treatment regimes. MOUDs are safe, effective, and evidence-based when used long-term. Aside from the FDA-approved MOUDs described above, there are a number of other drugs that can aid in the recovery process. Lucemyra, a brand-name drug, is one of these helpful supplementary medications. The purpose of this article is to explain what Lucemyra is and how it works in the context of OUD treatment. In May 2018, the FDA approved the use of Lucemyra. Its intended usage is to alleviate the symptoms of opioid withdrawal in adults, making it easier to stop taking opioids abruptly.
What exactly is Lucemyra?
Lofexidine oral pills are marketed under the brand name Lucemyra. Lofexidine (Lucemyra), unlike most FDA-approved MOUDs, is neither an opioid agonist nor an opioid antagonist. The opioid antagonist naltrexone is found in many MOUDs. It's critical to start naltrexone-containing drugs only after the opioids have been eliminated from the patient's system. Patients taking MOUDs that contain an opioid antagonist, such as naltrexone (Vivitrol) or buprenorphine/naltrexone (Suboxone), must normally wait 7-14 days after their last opioid usage. Patients who begin naltrexone medication too soon risk developing an abrupt opioid withdrawal syndrome.
For patients, the symptoms they encounter throughout this 7-14 day period can be incredibly uncomfortable, frightening, and overwhelming. Non-opioid medicines such lofexidine (Lucemyra) can aid with these symptoms without jeopardizing the initiation of an opioid antagonist-based MOUD treatment regimen. Lofexidine (Lucemyra) is a short-term drug that is only administered for 14 days. Opioid withdrawal symptoms are treated with lofexidine (Lucemyra), however it does not address opioid use disorder. The difference between lofexidine (Lucemyra) and FDA-approved MOUDs is significant. It's crucial to understand how lofexidine (Lucemyra) works in order to grasp this distinction.
What is the mechanism of Lucemyra?
Lofexidine (Lucemyra) is an oral central alpha 2-adrenergic receptor agonist that is non-opioid. Despite this intimidatingly technical explanation, lofexidine (Lucemyra) functions in the body in a pretty straightforward manner. Lofexidine (Lucemyra) works by reducing the overproduction of the hormone norepinephrine, which is responsible for many of the unpleasant symptoms associated with opiate withdrawal. Norepinephrine is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. The release of norepinephrine is often suppressed by opioids. When opioids are used on a regular basis, the brain releases more norepinephrine to help manage the chemical imbalance. When someone whose brain has been accustomed to constant, consistent amounts of opioids abruptly quits taking opioids, their brain is flooded with norepinephrine. A high amount of norepinephrine in the brain can produce aches and pains, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle spasms and twitching, insomnia and sleeping troubles, chills, muscular tension, heart pounding, runny eyes, and yawning, among other withdrawal symptoms. Lofexidine (Lucemyra) reduces these symptoms by delaying norepinephrine release and restoring the chemical balance in the brain. Lofexidine (Lucemyra) does not completely eliminate withdrawal symptoms, but it does assist to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with many of them.
Withdrawal symptoms are usually the most severe in the first 5 to 7 days after the last opiate use. During this time, patients will begin taking lofexidine (Lucemyra). Because withdrawal symptoms rarely last more than 14 days, lofexidine (Lucemyra) should only be used for up to 14 days. The dosage varies depending on the patient, the severity of the withdrawal symptoms, and the type of opioid the patient was taking previously. Lofexidine (Lucemyra), as previously stated, does not treat OUD; it merely relieves the unpleasant symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Lofexidine (Lucemyra) should be provided as part of a long-term treatment plan that also includes a maintenance medicine like buprenorphine/naltrexone (Suboxone).