Lamotrigine Reduces Craving and Depressive Symptoms in Cocaine Dependence
I present three patients diagnosed with cocaine dependence according to the DSM-IV criteria. They had used cocaine for an average of 5.4 years, and they had made an average of 3.1 quit attempts in their lifetimes. Patients had used cocaine for an average of 12.10 days during the 30 days before completing the baseline assessment battery. Their average baseline Cocaine Craving Questionnaire—Brief10 score was 48 and corresponding Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score was 17. After 12 weeks on lamotrigine monotherapy, 200 mg/day, the respective scores decreased to 7 on the BDI and 21 on the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, with no reports of relapse.
My results suggest that lamotrigine might have bimodal action by reducing craving and depression symptoms and thus could be a useful drug in preventing relapse in cocaine dependence.
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