Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Western Journal of Medicine logoLink to The Western Journal of Medicine
. 1990 May;152(5):573–577.

Pharmacologic approaches to the treatment of cocaine dependence.

W A Taylor 1, M S Gold 1
PMCID: PMC1002413  PMID: 1971975

Abstract

When pharmacologic agents are considered in the treatment of cocaine addiction, the objective of such treatment--sustained abstinence--must be considered. Medication and medical approaches have been disappointing in the treatment of cocaine overdose. The central neurobiologic mechanism(s) involved in cocaine toxicity are poorly understood. Without a cocaine antagonist, pharmacologic approaches have been less than promising in preventing relapse. Various psychoactive medications have been tried in early cocaine abstinence, with some success.

Full text

PDF
573

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aronson T. A., Craig T. J. Cocaine precipitation of panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 May;143(5):643–645. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.5.643. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Byck R., Ruskis A., Ungerer J., Jatlow P. Naloxone potentiates cocaine effect in man. Psychopharmacol Bull. 1982 Oct;18(4):214–215. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chaisson R. E., Bacchetti P., Osmond D., Brodie B., Sande M. A., Moss A. R. Cocaine use and HIV infection in intravenous drug users in San Francisco. JAMA. 1989 Jan 27;261(4):561–565. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Charney D. S., Menkes D. B., Heninger G. R. Receptor sensitivity and the mechanism of action of antidepressant treatment. Implications for the etiology and therapy of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981 Oct;38(10):1160–1180. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01780350094011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chasnoff I. J., Griffith D. R., MacGregor S., Dirkes K., Burns K. A. Temporal patterns of cocaine use in pregnancy. Perinatal outcome. JAMA. 1989 Mar 24;261(12):1741–1744. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clayton R. R. Cocaine use in the United States: in a blizzard or just being snowed? NIDA Res Monogr. 1985;61:8–34. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cocores J. A., Dackis C. A., Gold M. S. Sexual dysfunction secondary to cocaine abuse in two patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 1986 Jul;47(7):384–385. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Cregler L. L., Mark H. Medical complications of cocaine abuse. N Engl J Med. 1986 Dec 4;315(23):1495–1500. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198612043152327. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dackis C. A., Gold M. S. New concepts in cocaine addiction: the dopamine depletion hypothesis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 1985 Fall;9(3):469–477. doi: 10.1016/0149-7634(85)90022-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Dackis C. A., Gold M. S. Pharmacological approaches to cocaine addiction. J Subst Abuse Treat. 1985;2(3):139–145. doi: 10.1016/0740-5472(85)90043-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Estroff T. W., Gold M. S. Medical and psychiatric complications of cocaine abuse with possible points of pharmacological treatment. Adv Alcohol Subst Abuse. 1985 Fall;5(1-2):61–76. doi: 10.1300/J251v05n01_05. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gawin F. H., Allen D., Humblestone B. Outpatient treatment of 'crack' cocaine smoking with flupenthixol decanoate. A preliminary report. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1989 Apr;46(4):322–325. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1989.01810040028005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gawin F. H. Chronic neuropharmacology of cocaine: progress in pharmacotherapy. J Clin Psychiatry. 1988 Feb;49 (Suppl):11–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gawin F. H., Kleber H. D. Cocaine abuse treatment. Open pilot trial with desipramine and lithium carbonate. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1984 Sep;41(9):903–909. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790200085011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gawin F., Riordan C., Kleber H. Methylphenidate treatment of cocaine abusers without attention deficit disorder: a negative report. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1985;11(3-4):193–197. doi: 10.3109/00952998509016861. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Giannini A. J., Baumgartel P., DiMarzio L. R. Bromocriptine therapy in cocaine withdrawal. J Clin Pharmacol. 1987 Apr;27(4):267–270. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1987.tb03011.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Giannini A. J., Billett W. Bromocriptine-desipramine protocol in treatment of cocaine addiction. J Clin Pharmacol. 1987 Aug;27(8):549–554. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1987.tb03065.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Giannini A. J., Folts D. J., Feather J. N., Sullivan B. S. Bromocriptine and amantadine in cocaine detoxification. Psychiatry Res. 1989 Jul;29(1):11–16. doi: 10.1016/0165-1781(89)90182-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Khantzian E. J., Gawin F., Kleber H. D., Riordan C. E. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) treatment of cocaine dependence--a preliminary report. J Subst Abuse Treat. 1984;1(2):107–112. doi: 10.1016/0740-5472(84)90033-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kleber H. D. Cocaine abuse: historical, epidemiological, and psychological perspectives. J Clin Psychiatry. 1988 Feb;49 (Suppl):3–6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Klonoff D. C., Andrews B. T., Obana W. G. Stroke associated with cocaine use. Arch Neurol. 1989 Sep;46(9):989–993. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1989.00520450059019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Kosten T. R., Schumann B., Wright D., Carney M. K., Gawin F. H. A preliminary study of desipramine in the treatment of cocaine abuse in methadone maintenance patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 1987 Nov;48(11):442–444. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Louie A. K., Lannon R. A., Ketter T. A. Treatment of cocaine-induced panic disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1989 Jan;146(1):40–44. doi: 10.1176/ajp.146.1.40. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Novick L. F., Berns D., Stricof R., Stevens R., Pass K., Wethers J. HIV seroprevalence in newborns in New York State. JAMA. 1989 Mar 24;261(12):1745–1750. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Rosen H., Flemenbaum A., Slater V. L. Clinical trial of carbidopa-L-dopa combination for cocaine abuse. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Nov;143(11):1493–1493. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.11.1493a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Roth D., Alarcón F. J., Fernandez J. A., Preston R. A., Bourgoignie J. J. Acute rhabdomyolysis associated with cocaine intoxication. N Engl J Med. 1988 Sep 15;319(11):673–677. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198809153191103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Tennant F. S., Jr, Rawson R. A., McCann M. Withdrawal from chronic phencyclidine (PCP) dependence with desipramine. Am J Psychiatry. 1981 Jun;138(6):845–847. doi: 10.1176/ajp.138.6.845. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Tennant F. S., Jr, Sagherian A. A. Double-blind comparison of amantadine and bromocriptine for ambulatory withdrawal from cocaine dependence. Arch Intern Med. 1987 Jan;147(1):109–112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Tennant F. S., Jr, Tarver A. L. Double-blind comparison of desipramine and placebo in withdrawal from cocaine dependence. NIDA Res Monogr. 1984;55:159–163. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Trachtenberg M. C., Blum K. Improvement of cocaine-induced neuromodulator deficits by the neuronutrient Tropamine. J Psychoactive Drugs. 1988 Jul-Sep;20(3):315–331. doi: 10.1080/02791072.1988.10472501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Woody G. E., McLellan A. T., Luborsky L., O'Brien C. P., Blaine J., Fox S., Herman I., Beck A. T. Severity of psychiatric symptoms as a predictor of benefits from psychotherapy: the Veterans Administration-Penn study. Am J Psychiatry. 1984 Oct;141(10):1172–1177. doi: 10.1176/ajp.141.10.1172. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Zuckerman B., Frank D. A., Hingson R., Amaro H., Levenson S. M., Kayne H., Parker S., Vinci R., Aboagye K., Fried L. E. Effects of maternal marijuana and cocaine use on fetal growth. N Engl J Med. 1989 Mar 23;320(12):762–768. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198903233201203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Western Journal of Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES