Combination of two drugs can help treat methamphetamine addiction for some, new clinical trial data shows
As rates of methamphetamine overdose soar in the United States, one of the biggest challenges for both people who use stimulants and clinicians is that there are no approved treatments for this type of addiction — unlike the three medications authorized to treat opioid use disorders.
But in a new study, researchers found that a combination of two existing drugs — one, a treatment for opioid addiction, and the other, an antidepressant — can help some people who use methamphetamine regularly cut back. In a clinical trial, the researchers reported Wednesday, 13.6% of participants treated with the two drugs had repeated urine tests free of methamphetamine, compared to just 2.5% of those who were given placebos.
