Use in Opioid Detoxification
Lofexidine is not an opioid, whereas methadone is. Some opioid detox programs use methadone in decreasing amounts in their detox protocol, whereas other detox programs use lofexidine. The drugs are completely chemically unrelated, and their physiological effects are completely unrelated, although both are used as part of an opioid detoxification protocol. Whereas lofexidine cannot stop opioid withdrawal and merely eases some symptoms of withdrawal, methadone—being an opioid itself—will completely ameliorate all withdrawal symptoms in a sufficient dose. Indeed, one suggested use for lofexidine is to ease withdrawal symptoms of methadone dependence. While abstaining from opiates and taking lofexidine, effective detoxification can succeed in as little as 3 days, although the standard duration of detoxification using lofexidine is 10 days. The LD50 of lofexidine is 77 mg/kg. Lofexidine is not currently available in the United States. Britannia Pharmaceuticals has licensed lofexidine to be sold by US World Meds for sale in North America, and clinical trials are currently underway to secure approval for sale in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
An additional benefit of lofexidine treatment is that it is given as part of an outpatient, or ambulatory regimen, and can be completed without a hospital stay. This reduces costs for both healthcare provider and patient, and keeps specialist hospital beds free for particularly difficult withdrawal cases.
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