Study: Antibiotics May Increase Risk for Opioid Abuse

A study published in eNeuro suggests taking antibiotics with opioids may increase the risk of opioid abuse. 

In the study, “Depletion of the Microbiome Alters the Recruitment of Neuronal Ensembles of Oxycodone Intoxication and Withdrawal,” the team administered antibiotics to rats for two weeks to deplete their gut-microbiome before giving them oxycodone. When the team compared the rats that only received oxycodone, they found the microbiome-depleted rats showed “profound” changes in how their brains responded to the opioid oxycodone. 

According to the study, the rats showed altered opioid sensitivity in brain areas implicated in addiction: The depleted microbiome exacerbated the effects of intoxication and weakened the effects of withdrawal.