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Drug treatment for methamphetamine

Tronica

Tronica

Executive Director
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Joined
Mar 12, 2002
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5,242
Location
Castlemaine, Australia
Hi everyone

I wanted to start a discussion about drug treatments for methamphetamine, for those who wish to reduce or quit. Obviously it's not like opioids where we have known tried/tested replacement therapies. So far I don't think there's been a treatment trialled that really works but many different research studies continue to try and find something useful.

Has anyone here been involved either in a trial or a self-guided replacement, e.g. with ADHD meds or other stimulant medications?

Also wanted to draw your attention to a study currently recruiting young people in Victoria to try new medications for methamphetamine reduction. Here's the link to the Drug Studies thread for more info. Could be of interest if you are in the target group!
 
There was a study at St Vincents in Sydney in the last few years that tried substituting dexamfetamine for meth users. I believe it is finished and the results were inconclusive - as they have been for most published studies about amphetamines substitution. What I’ve read about most studies is that the specific requirements regarding subjects make them fairly pointless. For example they typically exclude poly drug users and people with mental health conditions.

Personally, I had limited success trying dexamfetamine substitution. WHen not consuming meth I had great success for many years treating my ADHD symptoms with prescribed dexamfetamine (10 mg 3x per day). After taking meth regularly for 6 months at 3-4 grams per week I quit and tried taking 80-100 mg dexamfetamine per day in a single dose (as was done in the various studies I read). It did not prevent cravings off relapse to any great degree. But it did not notably worsen my addiction either.

However, I did find that my regular dose of dexamfetamine for ADHD combined with the anti-psychotic Abilify was more effective and supported long periods of abstinence.

I had far more success breaking long streaks of methamphetamine addiction with Ketamine and LSD. Several trips over a 3-4 weeks seemed to flick a switch that totally removed any interest in methamphetamine and resulted in months long periods of abstinence from methamphetamine. Relapse was however eventually caused by social triggers.
 
There still lays Dexamphetamine in my cupboard,
The true treatment was to remove and cut off anyone in life from that scene, got a new phone number, new social media platforms.
Made it impossible to get anything and never asked anyone around - didnt have anyone to ask.

When you can concentrate on the tv whilst watching a movie or a show that really did it for me, simple things where paranoia
would set in where it doesn't anymore.

Side effects from Methamphetamines' : Psychosis i hear voices which are more prominent with stress normally one sided conversations with people sometimes i recognize the voices and its funny i never hear my families voices when i start hearing them, which for a long time
it was very exhausting hearing them and it really affected my mental health but i have learnt to either tell them to fuck off or
i have told myself if they are real ill find out what they are one day. The voices only really started after i was severely assaulted last year
so i feel they are trauma induced but thats another story as to which the reason i did reduce/stop my use.
 
Nightrider19 said:
There still lays Dexamphetamine in my cupboard,
The true treatment was to remove and cut off anyone in life from that scene, got a new phone number, new social media platforms.
Made it impossible to get anything and never asked anyone around - didnt have anyone to ask.

When you can concentrate on the tv whilst watching a movie or a show that really did it for me, simple things where paranoia
would set in where it doesn't anymore.

Side effects from Methamphetamines' : Psychosis i hear voices which are more prominent with stress normally one sided conversations with people sometimes i recognize the voices and its funny i never hear my families voices when i start hearing them, which for a long time
it was very exhausting hearing them and it really affected my mental health but i have learnt to either tell them to fuck off or
i have told myself if they are real ill find out what they are one day. The voices only really started after i was severely assaulted last year
so i feel they are trauma induced but thats another story as to which the reason i did reduce/stop my use.
Click to expand...
To be fair, trauma is the reason 95% of us are here on this site anyway.
 
Tronica said:
Hi everyone

I wanted to start a discussion about drug treatments for methamphetamine, for those who wish to reduce or quit. Obviously it's not like opioids where we have known tried/tested replacement therapies. So far I don't think there's been a treatment trialled that really works but many different research studies continue to try and find something useful.

Has anyone here been involved either in a trial or a self-guided replacement, e.g. with ADHD meds or other stimulant medications?

Also wanted to draw your attention to a study currently recruiting young people in Victoria to try new medications for methamphetamine reduction. Here's the link to the Drug Studies thread for more info. Could be of interest if you are in the target group!
Click to expand...

I am considering this. Thanks for the heads up!
 
Psych treatments and medications, drugs counselling thats it really. If your a poly drug user of meth and opiates like me im prescribed methadone 90mg daily for my opiate addictions and they just offer counselling for the meth addiction. I also have bipolar, antisocial personality, anxiety/panic. I got released from prison this year after serving 2 and a half years locked up in nsw australia and tell you what i was clean the whole time apart from my methadone. The only time ive been clean from meth for any significant period is prison time. Its hard to kick the rock good lucky brother. If your serious my advice is get psych and drug counselling, smoke weed to relax, if you use opiates as well get treatment for opiates first and then address your meth addiction in counselling and psych meeting. If you have mental health issues get meds might help kill your urge to use meth
 
the only thing that worked long term for me was ayahuasca and holotropic breathwork. plus intense trauma informed healing that got to the root of why I was using to begin with. Took many years and a few relapses but now I don’t even feel tempted by it.
 
I’ve used different psychedelic or dissociative drugs to terminate a methamphetamine bender, and then subbed dexamfetamine for a few weeks in a gradual taper.

But I’ve also gone cold turkey from the same level/length of meth usage.

Interestingly the time to relapse was approximately the same in both cases. About 3-4 months. Even though I could have kept taking dex if I felt cravings.

I think the problem is meth relapse is very sensitive to triggers. People/places/contexts. And substitution with dex doesn’t really shield against that.
 
I'm sure I've read many people complaining about meth/adderall not working once they are on antipsychotics so I suppose they could be used if one is desperate enough. Not sure if doctors would allow this and they can cause significant side effects but continued meth usage may be more damaging.
 
Vagabond696 said:
To be fair, trauma is the reason 95% of us are here on this site anyway.
Click to expand...
Yes. I’ve recently been reading a lot about this; specifically Gabor Mate’s stuff.I just finished The Myth of Normal. Great book.
Jabberwocky said:
For example they typically exclude poly drug users and people with mental health conditions.
Click to expand...
I was in a treatment program when I saw an ad for a clinical study. I jokingly told my counselor that I guess I have to start using again so I could participate.

Oh, except I wouldn’t qualify because I have mental health issues. Don’t they realize that addiction and mental health go hand in hand? Sheesh
 
Mushrooms have also helped me significantly. Ive switched to "speed" in the last month. I havent had ice in around that time but this "speed" is keeping me off the true crystal. Who knows they could be the same but i feel so much better on this speed. Soon ill get off that.
And the ice got me off a 17 year heroin habit. Not going back to either of them.
 
Would beer help someone drinking straight vodka?

I strongly suggest desoxypipradrol or bioisostere will prove to be the most effective treatment. The long duration an SERT activity (to reduce stimulation) might well work.

The great thing is that to the public it's a novel compound so it's not 'just giving drug addicts drugs'.

That said, when a friend sent me MDPV & desoxypipradrol, I didn't like either. But neither did I touch stimulants for.... 17 year so far.
 
Burn bridges with all your meth connects and friends. Carefully though, don’t get yourself “iced”

But seriously you just gotta be sick of it all to really want to quit. I know it sucks. The psychosis for me lasted years. It took probably 5 years before I actually wanted to smile
 
cletusSamboy said:
I'm sure I've read many people complaining about meth/adderall not working once they are on antipsychotics so I suppose they could be used if one is desperate enough. Not sure if doctors would allow this and they can cause significant side effects but continued meth usage may be more damaging.
Click to expand...
My partner was under a Treatment Authority and on antipsychotics, whilst also trying to quit meth for like 2 years. We tried dexamphetamine, which didn't work for him while he was on the antipsychotics. I was happy as a big in shit though! He was not able to be actually prescribed any stimulant in any form. He used modafinil for energy during "the big sleep' (but it only barely gets you through) and Mirtazapine to be able to sleep once we had completed the big sleep and were up to 'the big scary everything' phase
He also managed to get prescribed some sort of blood pressure pill for the nightmares, which helped him HEAPS.
He was seeing a nutritionist.. we both basically rattled with all the supplements he fed us, the most important I am told were NAC, krill oil, vital greens and a really good probiotic.
 
There’s a drug regimen for methamphetamine addiction involving a combination of bupropion and naltrexone, it’s effective for 10-15% of users iirc
 
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