IMPACT OF BUPRENORPHINE THERAPY ON THE NORMALIZATION OF SEXUAL FUNCTION AND STATES OF ANXIETY

According to certain, studies, chronic opioid use has a major impact on the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Hypogonadism occurs in more than half of male opioid users and elevated cortisol levels in approximately one-fifth of addicts. Buprenorphine as a kappa opioid antagonist reduced release of adrenocorticotropic hormone and in these way was reducing anxiety and depression in heroin addicts. The AIM of our research was to determinate the impact of buprenorphine therapy on sexual function and anxiety. Materials and methods: The cross-sectional study included 19 male and 1 female patients on buprenorphine therapy aged between 25-51years with a diagnosis of F11.22. The patients were evaluated in the Day hospital for treatment of drug abuse, department of Psychiatric Hospital Skopje. Sociodemographic characteristics (age, marital status, years of education, employment) of patients were determined using a questionnaire specially designed for the study. The anxiety state of the patients was determined using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale consisting of 14 items. Sexual dysfunction was determinate by Scale for Quality of Sexual Function (QSF) as an outcome measure for both genders. The results were analyzed statistically using descriptive methods, the t-test for independent samples. The correlation between the observed variables was tested using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rho). A significance level of 0.05 was used to determine statistically significant differences and associations. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows, version 25. The results show inverse correlation between duration of buprenorphine treatment with the score of anxiety r=-0,411; p=0,072 and with sexual dysfunction r=-0,192; p=0,418. Also in our study we got inverse correlation between the buprenorphine doses with the score of anxiety r=-0,136; p=0567 and with sexual dysfunction r=-0,528; p=0,017. But in both cases we got results without statistically significances. Conclusion: Longer buprenorphine treatment with adequate doses give lower scores of sexual dysfunction and anxiety.