2021 AM Posters-Co-managing alcohol use disorder in patient who is also

Co-managing alcohol use disorder in patient who is also

Pdf Summary

This case report outlines the outpatient management of a patient with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who is also completing opioid and benzodiazepine (BZD) tapers. The patient was diagnosed with severe AUD and unspecified anxiety disorder. She started on acamprosate for her AUD and attended addiction therapy and peer group meetings. However, she had difficulty decreasing her alcohol use below 50 oz and was hesitant to consider more intensive care models.<br /><br />The patient, a 63-year-old woman, had a history of anxiety and chronic low back pain, for which she was on long-term alprazolam and prescription opioids. She had been working on a slow taper of opioids and BZDs under her primary care physician. The patient was also not on any antidepressants due to side effects.<br /><br />The introduction highlights the limited data available on patients with substance use disorders (SUD) who are chronically dependent on opioids or BZDs. Chronic opioid dependence is often misidentified as an opioid use disorder, and there is a need for better matching of SUD treatment options based on subtypes.<br /><br />The objective of the case report is to present a patient with AUD and co-occurring chronic opioid dependence and anxiety on chronic BZDs who is simultaneously completing opiate and BZD tapers.<br /><br />The discussion emphasizes the lack of data on patients with SUD and concurrent BZD and opioid use. Anxiety is strongly associated with dependence on substances such as alcohol, BZDs, and opioids, but targeted treatment options are lacking. In this case, the focus was on managing the AUD while continuing the opioid and BZD prescriptions.<br /><br />Overall, this case report highlights the need for further research into the management of patients with SUD and concurrent BZD and opioid use, as well as the importance of tailored treatment options for individuals with co-occurring disorders.

Keywords

outpatient management

alcohol use disorder

opioid taper

benzodiazepine taper

acamprosate

addiction therapy

peer group meetings

chronic low back pain

substance use disorders

co-occurring disorders

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