Craving and drug reward: A comparison of celecoxib and ibuprofen in detoxifying opiate addicts

OBJECTIVE: Craving for substance abuse is a usual and complicated problem in patients, with opioid addiction, who are in their opioid cessation process. Craving has been added as one of the diagnostic criteria of substance use disorders in DSM-5. AIM: The present trial was intended to compare effects of celecoxib versus ibuprofen in reducing pain and in decreasing the desire to use opiates in patients undergoing opiate detoxification. (n=32). PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 32 patients (both inpatients and outpatients), who were undergoing opiate detoxification procedure entered this 4 week study. Subjects who suffered pain due to opiate withdrawal were randomized into two groups; group one received celecoxib 200 milligrams once daily and group two received ibuprofen 400 milligrams four times per day.  Self-reported Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) was utilized at baseline and at the end of the study to evaluate changes in opiate craving. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of treatment, with either ibuprofen or celecoxib, significant improvements in pain and craving were noted in each group. However no significant difference between the two groups was observed after 4 weeks of treatment with celecoxib and ibuprofen. CONCLUSION: The study noted that both celecoxib and ibuprofen, reduce craving in patients with opiate craving after 4 weeks of treatment without any significant difference between the two groups. The results suggest further study of celecoxib and other NSAIDs in the maintenance treatment of opiate craving.