The Relationship between Antidepressant Use and Smoking Cessation in Pregnant Women in Treatment for Substance Abuse

Abstract

Background: Bupropion's efficacy for smoking cessation in pregnant women is unknown. Objectives: To determine if substance-dependent women prescribed bupropion smoked fewer cigarettes/day than those prescribed citalopram/escitalopram or no antidepressant medication. Methods: Comparison of smoking in bupropion (n = 11), citalopram/escitalopram (n = 17), and no antidepressant (n = 28) groups. Results and Conclusions: Trend for greater decrease in smoking for the bupropion vs. citalopram/escitalopram group [−6.4 vs. −.4 cigarettes/day (p = .276)], although the bupropion decrease was similar to that seen in the no antidepressant group [−5.3 cigarettes/day]. Scientific Significance: Data support continued study of bupropion in depressed pregnant substance-dependent smokers.

Keywords :

• Addiction
• antidepressants
• pregnancy
• smoking
• substance abuse

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Study supported by DA023186 and DA12403. These results were presented at the Joint Conference of the Society for Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) and SRNT-Europe, Dublin, Ireland, April 2009. The authors wish to thank Linda Felch and Jeannie-Marie Leoutsakos for statistical support; Kathryn Mercogliano for research assistance; and Deborah Shoup and Terry White for medical records assistance.