As one of the most damaging addictions in modern society, meth addiction has ruined countless lives. The addiction has become a major part of American society, becoming a scourge in both working class neighborhoods and affluent areas. Regardless of your background or your income, you might just find yourself drawn into circles where meth is used regularly. Thankfully, though, there is constant work being carried out to try and find a solution to combat meth addiction. And now, a two-drug combination shows promising results.

Clinical data carried out shows that two drugs working in combination with one another can produce some exciting results. Indeed, the study found that a combination of an antidepressant and an opioid addiction treatment might be the ideal ‘cocktail’ needed. In the trials so far, they found that over 13-percent of those who took part in the trial were capable of producing a methamphetamine-free urine test. With those who were given the placebo group, just 2.5-percent of those were able to return the same test results.

The study has been carried out at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and was headed-up by Madhukar Trivedi. Trivedi, who is in charge of the mood disorders department of the university, is the lead author of the paper. He concluded his findings in the New England Journal of Medicine, saying: “There is hope now for methamphetamine use disorder.”

A step in the right direction in combating meth addiction?

Though those who took part in the process believe that the results are encouraging, others – including those not involved in the trial – were also enthused by the progression that is happening. Indeed, the medical director for the Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction, Miriam Komaromy, said: “This study provides one of the very few medication tools that we have reason to believe is helpful for treating methamphetamine use disorder, so I’m actually quite excited.”

So, it looks like a combination of naltrexone and bupropion might be the way to go if we are to try and find some kind of meaningful solution to combating addiction. For years, treatment has been limited and punishment extensive; treatments like this, though, show that there can be a path to helping those who have fallen into a life of addiction.

However, experts are naturally being cautious, saying that more will be needed than 12-week trial to see if this can really hold water. As the first acid test for the whole process, though, this is about as encouraging as anyone could have hoped for in terms of results being produced.

The hope is that there is not a simple exercise to say that someone is ‘free’ from addiction; as others have noted, it is important that those who get free of addiction do so in a means that allows them to still have an open shot at a progressive future.

These things matter; paying close attention to the detail is just as important as it is celebrating the optimistic outlook that this study offers.

Citation

https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/13/drugs-treat-methamphetamine-addiction-trial/