Treatment of crack-cocaine-induced compulsive behavior with trazodone

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment 1995-03, Vol.12 (2), p.85-88
• Main Authors: Khouzam, Hani Raoul, Mayo-Smith, Michael F., Bernard, Donald R., Mahdasian, Jack A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Cocaine; Compulsive Behavior - chemically induced; Compulsive Behavior - psychology; Compulsive Behavior - rehabilitation; crack; Crack Cocaine - adverse effects; Crisis Intervention; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug addictions; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug therapy; Female; foraging; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Patient Admission; pharmacotherapy; Substance abuse treatment; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - psychology; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - rehabilitation; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Toxicology; trazodone; Trazodone - adverse effects; Trazodone - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/0740-5472(95)00001-L

Foraging is a compulsive behavior of searching for pieces of crack cocaine that the individual believes might have been accidentally misplaced. Three clinical cases of compulsive foraging behavior associated with crack cocaine are described. Due to the development of side effects secondary to the antidepressant desipramine, the patients were switched to the antidepressant trazodone. The use of trazodone led to remission of the foraging behavior. The authors hypothesize this remission was due to trazodone serotonin reuptake inhibitory action. In all three cases, the patients did not relapse into abusing crack cocaine.