A controlled trial of flumazenil and gabapentin for initial treatment of methylamphetamine dependence.

Drug use has been associated with craving, which may be described as a powerful and sometimes overwhelming urge to use the drug. Patients seeking treatment for methylamphetamine dependence must cope with drug cravings as they engage in psychosocial treatments. Changes in brain GABA(A) receptors during substance use and withdrawal provide a neurobiological basis for craving and associated anxiety.

Open-label study of a proprietary treatment program targeting type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor dysregulation in methamphetamine dependence.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the pharmacological component of a proprietary medical treatment program targeting type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor dysregulation in adults who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for methamphetamine dependence.

Participants And Methods: A prospective, open-label, single-group study of the medication portion of a proprietary treatment program for methamphetamine dependence was conducted from July 1, 2005, to May 10, 2006, at Research Across America, an outpatient private, for-profit, clinical research company in Dallas, TX. In the study, flumazenil, hydroxyzine, and gabapentin, all of which were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for indications other than drug dependence, were used off-label for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence.