Injections may save meth, cocaine, heroin addicts

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article appeared on News Break.

Consider them booster shots for sanity and good behavior.

Injections that may help treat methamphetamine and cocaine addiction are in the works. If approved by the FDA after clinical trials, they could blaze new trails for addiction treatment.

Doctors know that a drug called Invega, available in a monthly injection, helps quell meth-induced psychosis. Invega, an antipsychotic used to treat schizo-affective disorder, has undergone clinical trials in China for the treatment of meth.

One study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry concluded Invega extended-release tablets significantly reduced symptoms of methamphetamine-induced psychosis. The 2019 paper explained that methamphetamine use has become epidemic worldwide.

Popularity of meth exploding in China

The authors of the Frontiers in Psychiatry study pointed to Chinese statistics which illustrate meth’s growing popularity.

China tracks and registers its citizens with substance abuse disorders. In 2010, the registry listed 360,000 people with meth addiction, or 27 percent of the total addiction registry. Just six years later, a whopping 1.6 million meth users represented more than 60 percent of all drug addicts in China.

China has not seen success in managing meth addiction. Addicts frequently return to the hospital in psychotic episodes.

But those who took Invega for the study had significantly less psychotic episodes and remained in treatment longer.

The study did not prove that Invega can help those addicted to meth abstain. But one of its limitations is that it did not measure whether meth use decreased among the study participants in frequency or amount.

Why meth use often leads to a dead end

Methamphetamine induces psychosis, delusions, mood swings, and paranoia. Invega showed success in treating those symptoms.

Once a person becomes addicted to meth the cravings can be fierce. Meth releases massive amounts of dopamine in the brain. It can lead to delusions and psychosis beyond just the high.

All the while addiction is taking hold quickly with all the dopamine spikes. Meth’s addictive vise combined with its ability to induce psychosis means dead ends can come fast. Many people end up permanently disabled due to meth addiction.

Help reducing cravings with Invega may allow a person to at least consider going into rehab for methamphetamine addiction. That’s why the authors of the China study called for a second study using injectable Invega.

Of course, antipsychotics can’t be given to just anyone. But for those experiencing a mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, Invega could be a game-changer if they are addicted to meth.

What are schizophrenia and bipolar disorder?

Bipolar disorder is a condition where people experience peaks and valleys in their moods. Without medication, there seldom is peace.

Schizophrenia is a personality disorder with several characteristics. People with schizophrenia may suffer from delusions, hallucinations, agitation, phobias, and even the doldrums.

Invega also is used to treat schizo-affective disorder. Schizo-affective disorder comes with symptoms similar to schizophrenia. However, schizo-affective disorder also is characterized by bizarre behavior, confusion, problems with communication, and mania (bursts of energy).

Clinical trial now enrolling for meth users on Invega

A clinical trial now is enrolling to determine whether Invega can help people kick meth, or at least help them cut back. You can learn more about enrolling by clicking here.

Cocaine vaccine: Animal tested but not human-approved

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian already showed a vaccine keeps cocaine from reaching the brains of animals.

More than 2 million Americans are addicted to cocaine, according to their research. Cocaine sends almost half a million people annually to emergency rooms, it explained.

“While there are drugs like methadone designed to treat heroin, there aren’t any therapeutics available to treat cocaine addiction ,” said Dr. Ronald Crystal, chair of the Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and a pulmonologist at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “We hope that our vaccine will change that.”

The vaccine is now being tested on humans. Subjects receive one shot per month for six months.

Monthly shot reduces cocaine cravings

A shot to reduce cocaine already has been tested on monkeys. Monkeys who got the shot significantly stopped using cocaine. At the end of the 20-week study, however, all but one of the six monkeys still picked cocaine over candy.

The vaccine uses a weakened cold virus to produce an immune response. The immune response causes the antibodies to also go after cocaine molecules, gobbling them up like Pac-Man, according to Crystal.

The vaccine is called dad5GNE. In layman’s terms, it prevents cocaine from reaching the brain.

Shots for heroin addiction already approved

Buprenorphine has been proven to help those struggling with opioid addiction to abstain. It also helps relieve withdrawal symptoms.

The medication proved its mettle in a study of more than 500 people. Most had been using opioids for 11 or 12 years.

Those receiving buprenorphine in the double-blind trial stayed in treatment twice as long as those who did not.

The study showed those receiving a monthly injection did not need daily medication for their opioid dependence.

Naltrexone, or Vivitrol, also is an injection used to treat heroin addiction. It blocks receptors in the brain so an opioid user can’t get high. It also helps reduce cravings.

Breakthroughs still not a magic bullet

The heroin medications proved to be a game-changer in the treatment of the disorder. Still, most people with addiction never seek help.

The Affordable Care Act mandated coverage for addiction treatment. Most people who want to get into treatment can find a way to pay for it.

But the stigma surrounding addiction remains. For true recovery, experts say people suffering from addiction need peer support such as a 12-step group.

Many people are opposed to 12-step groups for a variety of reasons. The good news is there are other groups that support addicts and alcoholics. They include SMART Recovery, LifeRing, Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) and Women in Sobriety.

While a simple shot might reduce drug cravings, people need to understand what triggers them to use to achieve long-lasting recovery.