http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/bipolar-medication-helps-addicts-quit-cannabis/2008/03/06/1204779968972.htmlKate Benson Medical Reporter
March 7, 2008
A COMMON medication used to treat people with bipolar disorder could help cannabis addicts kick the habit without suffering withdrawal symptoms such as aggression and depression, a study has found.
Researchers at Corella Drug Treatment Services and the University of NSW studied 20 people who used cannabis every day for at least nine years, prescribing them 500 milligrams of lithium twice a day for seven days. They found that three months after the treatment most of the users were smoking cannabis less often, and many had given up completely.
Cannabis is the most commonly abused illicit drug in Australia, and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre estimates that one in 10 people who try it will become addicted.
Heavy users who try to give up usually experience marked disturbances in mood, sleep and hostility, which can cause them to relapse, making recovery more difficult, but the chief investigator of the study, Adam Winstock, said yesterday that the possibility of finding an effective treatment to manage withdrawal was exciting. "This was a very small trial, and it was carried out in hospital with people who were highly motivated and did not have mental health problems or used other drugs, so it had its limitations, but I'm hoping the results can be matched in a controlled trial next year because we were very impressed with the outcome." Dr Winstock said.
All the participants reported they had been abstinent for an average of 88 per cent of the days since their treatment, and 29 per cent had not used cannabis at all. Studies in rats had shown they experienced an increase in levels of the hormone oxytocin when given lithium during withdrawal from cannabis. Oxytocin is dubbed the "happy hormone" and is released during lactation, orgasm, childbirth, hugging and touching and can produce feelings of wellbeing.
"When the rats were made to go through withdrawal without lithium they appeared to be aggressive and moody, but when they were given lithium they were a little more chilled," Dr Winstock said. "Many people say they smoke a lot of pot because they are depressed, but the truth is that most people in our trial cheered up significantly when they stopped. The bottom line is that quitting can be difficult, but there is help available, and if people do stop smoking pot every day most of them get a lot happier and get a lot more out of their lives," Dr Winstock said.
