Posted by Ame Sans Vie on March 3, 2005, at 14:14:26
In reply to med for former stim. addict?, posted by bart on March 3, 2005, at 13:13:05
Hi there,
I think you're on the right track with meds like bupropion and dopamine agonists. Provigil is also worth looking into, but only if you have good insurance! There have been studies that show positive results with former cocaine addicts treated with either bromocriptine (Parlodel) or amantadine (Symmetrel), and I would imagine that the MAO inhibitors selegiline (Eldepryl) and tranylcypromine (Parnate) could be helpful as well.
On the other, much more controversial, hand -- many former stimulant abusers find that substitution therapy (e.g., methylphenidate [Ritalin, Concerta, Methylin, Metadate], amphetamine [Dexedrine, DextroStat, Adderall], or methamphetamine [Desoxyn]) works incredibly well, *if they are absolutely sure they can control their urges to abuse the medication*. Pemoline (Cylert) is another option, though much less attractive, as it has potential to cause life-threatening liver damage. Of course, you'd need to have a psychiatrist who's very understanding to even make treatment like this feasible, but surveys of psychiatrists and substance abuse treatment centers a few years back reported that around 70% of these doctors either have used substitution therapy with stim abusers or are open to the idea. Just a thought.
Best of luck,
~Michael
poster:Ame Sans Vie
thread:465967
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050227/msgs/465989.html