Abstract
This open-label study was done to determine which of several recommended agents and rationales may be effective for outpatient detoxification of cocaine dependence. A total of 324 cocaine-dependent persons were sequentially assigned to subgroups of 8-23 subjects and detoxified with 20 different treatment agents. Subjects who received each treatment agent were compared to a control group of 18 subjects who received only placebo and amino acids. Fourteen of the 20 agents (70%) appeared inappropriate for outpatient cocaine detoxification because they demonstrated intolerable side effects, a first-week drop-out rate over 40%, or failed to reduce urine cocaine metabolite concentrations. Cocaine use appeared to increase with bromocriptine mesylate, levodopa, and phenmetrazine hydrochloride, since mean cocaine urine concentration increased during treatment. Although no agent was statistically superior in performance to the placebo (control) group on any evaluation criterion, amantadine hydrochloride, bupropion hydrochloride, mazindol, nifedipine, pentoxifylline, and prazosin hydrochloride did not demonstrate any obvious liabilities and warrant further study as outpatient cocaine detoxification agents.