An experimental study in the treatment of narcotic addicts with cyclazocine

Abstract

The potent narcotic antagonist, cyclazocine, has a long duration of action and is effective when administered orally. Although tolerance develops to many of the effects of cyclazocine, including dysphoria and sedation, tolerance does not develop to the drug's ability to antagonize the toxic, euphoric properties of morphine. Subjects who had received cyclazocine orally twice daily on a continuing basis experienced only a very mild degree of euphoria when given very large doses of morphine, and developed only a very mild degree of physical dependence after continued administration of large doses of morphine. Cyclazocine antagonizes pharmacological actions of importance in the addiction to narcotic analgesics, and it could be useful in the ambulatory treatment of the abstinent addict.