Adderall Ingredient May Help Treat Cocaine Addicts

A study recently published in The Lancet to determine the effects of dexamfetamine—an ingredient in the ADHD drug Adderall—on cocaine users undergoing heroin-assisted treatment.

The study was a double-blind, randomized test that found “60 mg/day oral sustained-release dexamfetamine over twelve weeks was well-accepted, safe, and superior to placebo” (Blakinger, 2016). Researchers found that the cocaine addicts in the study receiving doses of dexamfetamine used cocaine less than those without the dose.

While this is the first study that “shows the benefits of a robust dose of sustained-release dexamfetamine as a valuable . . . medication in the treatment of cocaine dependence,” it is not the first study in which amphetamines have been studied in relation to cocaine addiction (Blakinger, 2016). The risks of using amphetamines as treatment are that high doses may cause heart attacks, psychosis, and even brain damage.

References

Blakinger, K. (2016). This Adderall ingredient could be useful in treating cocaine addiction. Retrieved from https://www.thefix.com/adderall-ingredient-could-be-useful-treating-cocaine-addiction

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