Possible Interaction: Central Nervous System Stimulants and Cocaine

“The long-term use of cocaine may stimulate atherosclerosis, probably through endothelial cell dysfunction.”

“Most drugs that enhance brain dopamine levels (e.g. DAT blockers like cocaine and methylphenidate) produce behavioral effects like those of stimulants causing them to be abused.”

“However, clinical trial eligibility criteria excludes most high-risk patients from participating, and introducing stimulant substitution to the wider treatment community would likely expose more vulnerable patients to the medical risks associated with stimulant treatment while using cocaine.”

“Although results have been mixed, some evidence supports using stimulant medication to reduce cocaine use.”

“Possible reasons for efficacy of stimulants include enhancement of monoamine function dysregulated by chronic cocaine or methamphetamine use.”

“Converging evidence indicates that repeated exposure to motor stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamine produces marked alterations in network responsiveness of striatal neurons to subsequent challenge with the same stimulant drug.”

“In recent years, use of cocaine and amphetamines and deaths associated with stimulants have been on the rise, and there are still no FDA-approved medications for stimulant use disorders.”

“Significant contributing cardiac conditions were associated with higher adjusted odds of stimulant compared to opioid (aOR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.19-1.79, p < 0.01) and cocaine compared to MAMP death (aOR = 1.66, 95%CI = 1.13-2.45, p = .01).”

“There was a significant decrease in striatal dopamine release in stimulant users compared with healthy controls: the effect size was −0.84 (95% CI, −1.08 to −0.60; P < .001) for stimulants combined and −0.87 (95% CI, −1.15 to −0.60; P < .001) for cocaine.”

“ Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug which use is increasing among some part of the population.”

“Since preclinical … to stimulant drugs during the period corresponding with adolescence, but not … with childhood, increased sensitivity to the rewarding effects of cocaine (8), prospective studies of larger samples of adolescents treated with stimulant medications are … to more carefully evaluate the consequences of stimulant exposure during this developmental period.”