The reasons for lack of efficacy of clinically tested medications include heterogeneity of METH-abusing population and comorbidity between METH and other psychiatric disorders [19]. Furthermore, more clinical research is needed on the co-use of METH and opioids as well as how their combination affects overdose risk. Moreover, to increase the efficacy of pharmaceuticals, particularly dopaminergic, future studies should develop a way to increase the levels of dopamine D2 receptor, which are decreased in individuals chronically abusing METH [69-73]. METH relapse remains the biggest problem in MUD and warrants more pre-clinical and clinical studies. A single study has investigated ondansetron for the treatment of MA dependence [44]. This four-arm trial assessed different doses of ondansetron (0.5 mg, 2 mg, 8 mg po OD) against placebo in measures of abstinence, use, severity of dependence, withdrawal, craving and retention in treatment.
This may cause collapsed veins, tetanus, abscesses, and damage to the heart, lungs, liver, and brain. Amphetamine users may also use other drugs inappropriately to manage the side effects of amphetamines. Benzodiazepines, for example, are anti-anxiety agents that may be used to help an individual sleep, but that can also be addictive. In certain cases, psychotic symptoms can last for months or years after methamphetamine abuse has ceased.
Amphetamine-Related Psychiatric Disorders
Similarly, while women were often excluded by the study design, no study examined only women. It is unknown how generalisable any of the results reviewed here are outside of the context in which they were conducted, and it is unwise therefore to combine results across populations. Five studies examined the opioid antagonist naltrexone, including two that used an extended-release formulation [29, 56] and one that used an implant [63].
- A person living with an addiction may find that they cannot control their use of a particular substance or activity, such as drinking alcohol, smoking, using recreational drugs, or gambling.
- Desirable effects of amphetamines include euphoria, alertness, and increased energy.
- These findings demonstrate the efficacy of the two treatments as well as patient engagement in the treatment.
- However, neither diagnostic tool differentiates between AMPH/MA and other non-cocaine stimulant SUDs; while the 11th Revision of the ICD narrows the definition to “stimulant dependence including amphetamines, methamphetamine or methcathinone” [9].
Moreover, high quality in implementing the treatment can be ensured due to tailoring the treatment to the needs of each individual [9]. Furthermore, using pharmacological treatments combined with BCBT is applicable to a broad range of patients due to the practical techniques and skills that such therapies impart to patients [10]. To date, there are no systematic reviews that specifically show the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments alone or in combination with BCBT in treating Iranian amphetamine abusers.
Amphetamine addiction signs and symptoms
The full texts of the identified papers were assessed by two independent reviewers (M. K and M.R). The researchers were not blinded to the objectives of the study but they used the same criteria and worked on the Amphetamine Addiction review procedures independently. Any disagreement on the eligibility criteria was solved by discussion among the research team. All reviewers had at least four years of experience in the subject of the study.
In the future, a combination of cognitive therapy(ies) with medication(s), followed by an anti-METH vaccine to maintain low METH intake long-term, will likely work the best against MUD. METH and other drugs of abuse themselves are far too small to be immunogenic; therefore, the first step in active METH immunotherapies is creating a hapten molecule, a chemical derivative of METH, and linking it to immunogenic carrier protein [124]. Subsequently, the conjugate is purified to remove free haptens and mixed with appropriate adjuvants, which help boost the innate immune https://ecosoberhouse.com/ response. Production of monoclonal METH antibodies involves immunization of mice with immunogenic METH hepten-protein carrier complex, isolation of polyclonal METH antibodies, and complex genetic engineering processes [126]. In both approaches, METH entry into the brain is reduced because immunoglobulins are too large to cross the blood-brain barrier. To date, one monoclonal METH antibody (ch-mAb7F9) capable of effectively holding METH in the bloodstream and disabling its entry into the brain has been produced and tested its safety and tolerability [127, 128].
Alternative Names for Amphetamines
One study (2%) examined amineptine [300 mg oral (po) daily (OD)], an atypical tricyclic antidepressant, in inpatient participants for AMPH withdrawal over 14 days [43]. Participants randomised to amineptine were significantly less depressed at Day 7 and had improved clinical global impression scores at Day 14 in the completer analysis (i.e. only those completing study protocol) compared with placebo. In terms of feasibility, amineptine has never been approved by the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and has been suspended in other jurisdictions due to hepatotoxic effects and abuse liability. Despite multiple research studies and clinical trials performed, there is no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for MUD.
The drug is typically made in clandestine laboratories with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter ingredients. Amphetamine-type stimulants include MDMA, pseudoephedrine, and synthetic cathinones. Classified as Schedule II Substances, they have a high potential for abuse and addiction.
