Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Clinical Update

Sleep Medications for Patients With Substance Use Disorders

October 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Benzodiazepines and z-drugs carry real risks for patients with SUDs, but there are effective non-addictive alternatives. This article reviews dosing, side effects, and practical considerations when prescribing DORAs, doxepin, ramelteon, trazodone, and other options to help clinicians choose the safest, most effective medication for your patients.

Clinical Update

Cannabis and Sleep: What to Tell Your Patients

October 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Many patients believe cannabis is a safe, natural sleep aid, but the evidence tells a more complicated story. This article reviews how THC affects sleep onset and REM sleep, why tolerance and withdrawal insomnia develop, and how to counsel special populations.

Research Update

Smoking Opioids Carries Lower Mortality Risk Than Injecting

October 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Harm reduction advocates often recommend smoking opioids over injecting, but is that guidance backed by data? A large analysis of national treatment records puts the question to the test.

Research Update

Weekly Extended-Release Buprenorphine During Pregnancy

October 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Sublingual buprenorphine remains standard for opioid use disorder in pregnancy, but adherence and diversion are real concerns. The first randomized trial of weekly extended-release buprenorphine in pregnant patients offers new data.

Research Update

Low-Dose Semaglutide Reduces Drinking Intensity, Not Frequency

October 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

GLP-1 agonists are generating buzz for alcohol use disorder, but rigorous trial data have been scarce. A new placebo-controlled trial tests low-dose weekly semaglutide against real-world and laboratory drinking measures.

Research Update

Website Helps With Benzo Taper

October 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Long-term benzodiazepine tapering is notoriously difficult, and clinician time is limited. A VA-based randomized trial tests whether a free, self-guided website alone can help patients successfully cut down or stop.

Research Update

Harm Reduction Vending Machines

July 14, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS., Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Vending machines stocked with naloxone, syringes, and HIV tests are spreading across communities. But do they reach the people who need them most, and what does the evidence say about their impact?

Clinical Update

Ibogaine for Opioid Use Disorder: What Patients Are Hearing and What You Should Know

July 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant Medical Director, Addiction Services Division, Connecticut Valley Hospital; Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University; Editor-in-Chief, The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Beyond the hype. Here's the evidence.

Research Update

XR Buprenorphine in the Fentanyl Era

July 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Can skipping the standard sublingual induction and moving directly to injectable buprenorphine improve early retention in patients using fentanyl? And does the maintenance dose actually matter?

Research Update

Smoking Cessation and SUD Recovery

July 1, 2026

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS.

Dr. Capurso has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Does quitting smoking during addiction recovery help or destabilize patients who are already working hard to stay sober? A four-year longitudinal cohort study offers a cleare answer.