Aug 27, 2008 09:50PM
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Cocaine Addiction
• Gabapentin • Gamma-vinyl-gaba • Baclofen • N-acetylcysteine • Nocaine • Disulfiram • Modafinil
Please report your experiences with these on our
message board.
GABAPENTIN OR GABITROL
What it does: an anticonvulsant which reduces cocaine use, makes cocaine cravings easier to overcome and relapses less severe.
How it works: increases brain GABA
Side effects: sedation
Availability: by prescription from physicians
J Clin Psychiatry 2004:65:84-86 Gabapentin Reduces Cocaine use Among Addicts From a Community Sample,Raby WN reprints ***@****.
GAMMA-VINYL-GABA (GVG) OR VIGABATRIN
What it does: an anti epileptic drug which reduces cocaine cravings.
How it works: increases the amount of the neurotransmitter GABA in
the brain.
Side effects: sleepiness and fatigue.
Availability: Vigabatrin isn't licensed in the USA but is available to people who live in Canada and other countries.
Further information about Vigabatrin can be found by typing in “Vigabatrin and Cocaine” in a search engine.
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BACLOFEN OR LIORESAL
What it does: a muscle relaxant found to curb cocaine cravings and reduce use of cocaine especially in chronic, heavy users.
How it works: increases the amount of GABA in the brain.
Side effects: drowsiness, weakness, fatigue, nausea, headache, constipation
Availability: by prescription from physicians.
J Clin Psychiatry 2003:64:1440-1448 Randomized Placebo-Controlled trial for Cocaine dependence Shoptaw,S etc- reprints ***@****. Baclofen plus substance abuse counseling significantly reduced cocaine use in recovering addicts compared to placebo plus counseling.
N-ACETYLCYSTEINE (NAC)
What it does: an amino acid that curbs cocaine cravings and repairs damage in the brain caused by cocaine use in animals. Human trials will begin
in 2004.
How it works: restores glutamate levels to normal in the area of the brain where addiction occurs.
Availability: over the counter.
For specific suggestions of other amino acids that can lessen cravings see nutrition in the Holistic Approaches section of this web site.
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NOCAINE
What it does: provides a weaker version of cocaine's effects.
How it works: blocks the stimulant effects of cocaine.
Side effects: unknown to us.
Availability: only by participating in research trials.
Information about clinical trials on cocaine can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov. Just enter the word cocaine in the "Search Clinical Trials" box.
DISULFIRAM (ANATBUSE)
What it does: It is an anti-alcoholic agent that makes drinking of alcohol or use of cocaine highly unpleasant.
How it works: It increases acetaldehyde in the blood.
Side effects: nausea and vomiting, sometimes very severe, if any alcohol or cocaine is used. Other common side effects including rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, confusion and fainting.
Availability: by prescription from physicians
Recent research suggests that disulfiram (also known as Antabuse), a medication used to treat alcohol addiction, is effective in reducing cocaine abuse, especially in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Carroll KM, et al. "Efficacy of Disulfiram and Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Cocaine-Dependent Outpatients: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial." Archives of General Psychiatry. 61:264-272, 2004.
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MODAFINIL (PROVIGIL)
What it does: reduces high from cocaine and also reduces cocaine cravings
How it works: unknown... but it does increase glutamate in the brain
Side effects: most common side effects are headache, back pain nausea, nervousness, insomnia and anxiety.
Availability: by prescription from physicians
Warning: it is a schedule 4 drug so there is some potential for addiction to it
Dackis CA, Kampman KM, Lynch KG, Pettinati HM,O'Brien CP. "A double blind, placebo controlled trial of modafinil for cocaine dependence." Neuropsychopharmacology. 30: 205-211, 2005.
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