The efficacy of venlafaxine in the treatment of depression, withdrawal symptoms, and craving in individuals with methamphetamine dependence

ABSTRACT

Background

Currently, there is no confirmed drug intervention in the treatment of methamphetamine (MA) dependence. In the present study, we tested the possible influence of venlafaxine in individuals with MA dependence.

Methods

A total of 52 male patients (mean age: 33.93 years) diagnosed with MA dependence referred to Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran, was randomly assigned either to enlafaxine or a placebo condition. At the baseline, as well as 4 to 8 weeks later, patients completed questionnaires on depression, withdrawal symptoms, and cravings.

Results

The mean scores of withdrawal symptoms (hyperarousal, anxiety, reversed vegetative), depression, and cravings (desire & intention, negative reinforcement, and control) during the study and in both groups had a descending trend. Unlike the effect of the studied groups, the effect of time on the repeated measure model was significant. The mean of inverse symptoms, desire, and control from the fourth week to the end of the study did not have a statistically significant difference.

Conclusion

The results showed that venlafaxine can be effective in reducing depression, withdrawal symptoms, and cravings in people who are dependent on MA, though these results were observed in parallel in the placebo group, and as such warrants further study.

KEYWORDS:

• Withdrawal symptoms
• depression
• craving
• methamphetamine dependence

Acknowledgments

The present work is the doctoral thesis of Fatemeh Lalehgni. The authors would like to thank the Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center and Clinical Research Development Unit (CRDU) of Emam Khomeini, Mohammad Kermanshahi, Farabi Hospital, University of Medical Sciences, and Kermanshah, Iran, for their support, cooperation, and assistance throughout the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This article was financed by the Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Vice Chancellor for research and Research and Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran [Grant number: 97255].