Wellbutrin plus reward helps cocaine users cut back

	Tweet

Supplementing the antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion) with a reward system called “contingency management” (CM) can further reduce cocaine use in addicted subjects maintained with methadone, new research shows.

With CM, an addicted individual is given a positive reinforcement whenever he provides objective proof of a positive behavioral change. In the present study, subjects were given a small amount of money for each cocaine-free urine sample they provided. The amount could escalate to a maximum of $45 per week.

In the 25-week study, which is reported in the Archives of General Psychiatry, 106 opiate-dependent, cocaine-abusing individuals were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: CM plus Wellbutrin, CM plus placebo, voucher control plus Wellbutrin, and voucher control plus placebo.

With the voucher control, subjects simply received money for each urine sample submitted, regardless of the result.

Opiate use fell significantly and to a similar extent in all four groups during the study, the report indicates.

In the CM plus Wellbutrin group, cocaine-positive samples dropped significantly during the first 13 weeks and then remained low during the following 12 weeks. After an initial rise in cocaine use, a drop in use was also noted in the CM plus placebo group, albeit not to the extent seen in the CM plus Wellbutrin group.

By contrast, no reduction in cocaine use was seen in either voucher control group.

This study, the authors conclude, indicates that Wellbutrin augmented with CM “may be an effective treatment for cocaine abuse.”

SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry February 2006. 

RELATED STORIES:
Antidepressant withdrawal symptoms seen in babies   FDA approves Wellbutrin X for treatment of seasonal depression   Anxiolytics:  Therapeutic Monitoring   Marijuana-like brain chemicals work as antidepressant   Antidepressants, ECT, and Phototherapy   Prozac saves thousands of lives   SSRIs and cardiovascular health   Drug Approval Processes May Have Delayed Safety Warnings for Antidepressants   Antidepressants that are more efficient and faster   European drug watchdog backs Prozac for children   Antidepressants Help Men Decrease Alcohol Consumption, but Not Women   Antipsychotic meds may raise blood sugar   Prozac counters emotional turmoil after stroke   Link between genetic variation and outcome of antidepressant treatment   Researchers identify target of the widely prescribed antidepressant Prozac

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]