Stimulant Use Disorder
Cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription stimulants used in ways not prescribed.
What to know. No FDA-approved medication for stimulant use disorder — however, off-label medications can be used effectively to reduce use.
What major medical bodies recommend first when this condition is the focus of care.
Off-label medications can be used in addition to behavioral therapy.
How clinicians think about it.
The DSM-5 lists eleven signs grouped into four areas. The number that fit in the past year suggests a severity — not a verdict.
- ·Using more than meant to
- ·Wanting to cut down
- ·Time spent using
- ·Cravings
- ·Trouble at work / school
- ·Relationship strain
- ·Giving up activities
- ·Risky situations
- ·Using despite harm
- ·Tolerance
- ·Withdrawal
Plainly: what makes this condition dangerous.
Cardiovascular events — heart attack, stroke
Psychosis with heavy or prolonged use
Severe sleep disruption and depression on stopping
What's offered, and what we usually start with.
Helps with triggers and relapse prevention.
Bupropion, naltrexone, topiramate — modest evidence in select cases.
Asked often, answered briefly.
Stimulants work very differently in the brain. Decades of trials haven't found a clearly effective medication. CBT and off-label medications can still help reduce use.