Methods of enhancing opiate analgesic potency or detoxifying an opiate addict

摘要

This invention relates to a method of selectively enhancing the analgesic potency of morphine and other clinically used bimodally-acting opioid agonists and simultaneously attenuating development of physical dependence, tolerance and other undesirable side-effects caused by the chronic administration of said bimodally-acting opioid agonists comprising the co-administration of a bimodally-acting opioid agonist which activates inhibitory opioid receptor-mediated functions of neurons in the nociceptive (pain) pathways of the nervous system and an opioid receptor antagonist which selectively inactivates excitatory opioid receptor-mediated side-effects caused by said bimodally-acting opioid agonists. This invention further relates to a method of detoxifying and treating opiate addicts utilizing said opioid receptor antagonists, as well as to a composition comprising an excitatory opioid receptor antagonist of the invention and a bimodally-acting opioid agonist.