Medications for Amphetamine Detox
Currently there are no FDA approved medications for amphetamine detox. There are however, a number of medications being studied to help with this difficult withdrawal. Various supportive medications are available at detox centers to help you through the lengthy detox period that comes as a result of amphetamine addiction.
Medications Under Study
A few medications are currently under clinical trials. These medications are not on the market yet but may be one day.
Amineptine and Mirtazapine
According to the National Library of Medicine, two medications under investigation are amineptine and mirtazapine. Although both of these medications failed initial testing, some showed improvement on amineptine. Researchers are unsure whether this is a placebo effect or if they did have some positive results.
Amphetamine Antibodies
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, researchers are currently studying the possibility of using the body’s immune system to combat amphetamines in the blood. They inject antiamphetmine antibodies to neutralize the amphetamines before they reach the brain. As of this post, researchers these antibodies were still in clinical trials and not ready for human trials yet.
Ibudilast
Another promising drug in its trial stages is named ibudilast or AV411. This drug targets glial cells that protect and support critical neurons in amphetamine addiction. Ibudilast triggers the glial cells to swell around the neurons protecting them from the drug. This drug shows some promise in laboratory rats and is being fast tracked as a treatment for amphetamine detox.
Medications Currently in Use
Anticonvulsants may be administered to prevent seizures.
These medications may be given to help prevent the more serious symptoms of amphetamine withdrawal. They do not prevent withdrawal like methadone does for opiate detox but they do help stop some of the more troublesome problems.
Anticonvulsant Medications
These medications help prevent the seizures and convulsions sometimes associated with amphetamine detox. A few of the popular anticonvulsants are:
- Gabapentin
- Carbamazepine
- Pregabalin
- Lamictal
Anticonvulsants are useful in many types of detox where seizures may become a problem.
Antidepressant Medications
Antidepressants are given as the beginning of a longer form of treatment. Usually a severe depression and loss of pleasure are symptoms of amphetamine detox. There are many different antidepressants on the market. The antidepressant a doctor uses is decided by both individual choice and patient need.
Anti-anxiety Medications
Many doctors are reluctant to prescribe the most popular and fast acting anti-anxiety medications because they are both addictive and dangerous. In severe cases of anxiety, they will still prescribe medications like:
- Xanax
- Librium
- Klonopin
- Diazepam
If the anxiety is mild, they might prescribe a milder and much safer anti-anxiety medication such as buspar.
Other Supportive Medications
Doctors can give you a number of other supportive drugs during amphetamine detox including:
- Analgesics
- Rehydration medications
- Herbal medications
- Blood pressure medications such as Catapress
- Arrhythmia medications for irregular heart rate
These supportive medications are the most common ones that doctors give for amphetamine withdrawal. They help alleviate the symptoms but do not have much effect on the cravings for the drugs.
Finding a Detox Center for Amphetamine Detox
To find a detox center that can help you with a medication assisted detox, call 800-315-1376 (Who Answers?). We can help.