LUCEMYRA is not a treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), which is also called opioid addiction. If you have been diagnosed with OUD, your healthcare provider may prescribe LUCEMYRA as part of a complete treatment program for your OUD. This program continues after LUCEMYRA treatment is completed and may also include maintenance medications combined with behavioral counseling.1
How LUCEMYRA® Works
Watch how LUCEMYRA helps relieve symptoms of opioid withdrawal
Long-term opioid use changes the way nerve cells work in the brain2
- When opioids are initially taken, the brain produces lower levels of a naturally occurring hormone, called norepinephrine, that can affect breathing, muscle tension, and the ability to sleep
- Over time, your nerve cells become used to having opioids around. Because opioids reduce the levels of norepinephrine, your body responds by adjusting these levels
![MOA_1_2](https://lucemyra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/MOA_1_2.png)
When opioids are taken away suddenly, there is an imbalance of norepinephrine2
- The person will begin to feel lots of very unpleasant feelings and reactions. These are known as withdrawal symptoms
![moa-3](https://lucemyra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/moa-3.png)
LUCEMYRA helps adjust the balance of norepinephrine in the areas of the brain that cause withdrawal symptoms1,2
- This helps restore the chemical balance and helps relieve the symptoms that occur during opioid withdrawal
![moa-4](https://lucemyra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/moa-4.png)
![](/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/how-lucemyra-works-bottom.jpg)
References
- LUCEMYRA® (lofexidine) [Prescribing Information]. USWM, LLC; 2020.
- Kosten TR, George TP. The neurobiology of opioid dependence: implications for treatment. Sci Pract Perspect. 2002;13-20.