Gabapentin reduces cocaine use among addicts from a community clinic sample.
BACKGROUND
Individuals with chronic psychiatric conditions display a high rate of cocaine use. Gabapentin was hypothesized to reduce cocaine use by restoring inhibitory GABAergic feedback on ascending dopaminergic projections to nucleus accumbens neurons.


METHODS
Nine participants with DSM-IV cocaine dependence were selected from patients attending a large community psychiatric clinic. During a 24-week open-label trial of gabapentin (800-2400 mg/day), qualitative urine drug screens were collected from the participants up to 3 times per week. Data were collected from September 1999 to May 2001.


RESULTS
With gabapentin, the mean +/- SD number of cocaine-positive urine screens decreased from 53.11 +/- 13.23 to 35.22 +/- 14.84 (t = 3.58, N = 9, p <.01). The number of weeks of abstinence from cocaine increased from 2.1 +/- 1.5 to 8.0 +/- 5.5 (t = 3.21, N = 9, p <.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Gabapentin appeared to be a safe and efficacious medication to reduce cocaine usage in a community sample of psychiatric patients.
Raby
Wilfrid Noel
WN
Division of Substance Abuse, Substance Treatment and Research Service Clinic, New York State Psychiatric Institute New York, NY 10032, USA. rabywil@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu
Coomaraswamy
Siobhan
S
D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000588:Amines; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D010045:Outpatients; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
D000085:Acetates; D000588:Amines; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin