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AltaPointe Health Study Finds Low-Dose Ketamine Helps Fentanyl Users Start Buprenorphine Without Severe Withdrawal
A low intramuscular ketamine dose before buprenorphine rapidly reduces fentanyl withdrawal symptoms, enabling immediate treatment start without side effects, study shows.
- Using an extremely low intramuscular dose of ketamine, the study's authors reported rapid fentanyl withdrawal relief and immediate buprenorphine initiation without side effects at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.
- Because fentanyl withdrawal can worsen before improving, fentanyl-dependent individuals often avoid buprenorphine due to fear of painful withdrawal symptoms lasting up to five days.
- Researchers reported the study followed 50 patients at AltaPointe, with over half free of withdrawal within an hour and stays dropping from 66 to seven hours.
- Researchers said the strategy could be adapted across care settings, describing it as simple, inexpensive and promising for expanding buprenorphine access in inpatient, emergency, outpatient, residential, prison/jail and mobile clinics.
- Given safety and logistics, researchers reported ketamine injection by a healthcare provider is safer and costs 44 cents per patient, supporting further trials.
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AltaPointe Health Study Finds Low-Dose Ketamine Helps Fentanyl Users Start Buprenorphine Without Severe Withdrawal
MOBILE, Ala., Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Drug overdoses caused an estimated 73,000 U.S. deaths last year, with the synthetic opioid fentanyl causing the majority of fatal overdoses.
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Total News Sources45
Leaning Left6Leaning Right5Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 21%
C 62%
R 17%
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