Abstract
Cocaine dependence is an enduring problem and years of research and drug development has yet to produce an efficacious pharmacotherapy. Recent clinical research suggests that chronic treatment with amphetamine-like medications produces tolerance to cocaine's reinforcing effects and may offer a viable pharmacotherapy. Three methamphetamine-dependent participants that had been in our clinical laboratory experiments and previously addicted to cocaine are reviewed. Data obtained from initial screen and informal conversation suggested that all participants considered methamphetamine to have helped them stop using cocaine and eliminate cocaine craving. Methamphetamine also significantly decreased their alcohol consumption but did not alter cannabis or nicotine use.
Highlights
Cocaine dependence remains a major medical, social and legal concern
Numerous preclinical animal studies show that chronic treatment with AMPH or METH produces tolerance to cocaine’s behavioral and reinforcing effects in animals [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
Recent clinical studies show that AMPH attenuates cocaine’s positive subjective effects [10] and that treatment with sustained-release METH reduces rates of cocaine positive urine and decreases craving for cocaine in cocainedependent individuals [11]. Consistent with these studies, we review three unique case histories of METH-dependent participants previously addicted to cocaine who abruptly stopped when they started using METH
Summary
Cocaine dependence remains a major medical, social and legal concern. Years of research assessing potential pharmacotherapies for cocaine dependence have not yielded a single effective medication suggesting a different drug development strategy is needed [1]. Drugs with similar pharmacological action to that of cocaine such as d-amphetamine (AMPH) and medically formulated methamphetamine (METH) administered chronically produce tolerance to its reinforcing effects and may be useful in treating cocaine dependence. Recent clinical studies show that AMPH attenuates cocaine’s positive subjective effects [10] and that treatment with sustained-release METH reduces rates of cocaine positive urine and decreases craving for cocaine in cocainedependent individuals [11]. Consistent with these studies, we review three unique case histories of METH-dependent participants previously addicted to cocaine who abruptly stopped when they started using METH. They stated that METH “cured” them of their cocaine addiction
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