Scientists in Brazil are developing the first vaccine that could help break cocaine addiction::The vaccine is designed to help produce anti-cocaine antibodies in the body of a person who is chemically dependent on the substance.
Scientists in Brazil are developing the first vaccine that could help break cocaine addiction::The vaccine is designed to help produce anti-cocaine antibodies in the body of a person who is chemically dependent on the substance.
It sounds like this treatment would need close supervision as it appears to only remove the effects of cocaine but not the desire of the effect of cocaine. From the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
“cocaine acts by binding to the dopamine transporter, blocking the removal of dopamine from the synapse. Dopamine then accumulates in the synapse to produce an amplified signal to the receiving neurons. This is what causes the euphoria commonly experienced immediately after taking the drug”
Would people not just chase the equivalent effect from another drug or substance or potentially overdose trying? Do people go through full withdrawal with this treatment? I would presume so.
There’s a similar therapy used sometimes with alcoholics – although in that case, the drug (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disulfiram) doesn’t just block the effects of intoxication, it makes the experience intensely miserable (sometimes even to the point of being life-threatening).
Disulfiram can be quite successful when used correctly, but the success of the treatment largely depends on the patient’s willingness to continue the therapy. I imagine the same will apply with this vaccine.
There are two less extreme medications for alcohol abuse prevention. Naltrexone -also used for opiate cravings, and Campril. Naltrexone also blocks effects of alcohol without making you violently ill, but speaking from experience, enough alcohol can overcome the effect.
I can’t speak to Campril much because it gave me horrible side effects and I had to stop taking it pretty much immediately.
IIRC one of the anti-opiate medicines does the same thing. Any time you consume opiates you get ridiculously sick to the point where it’s just not worth it.
Naltrexone ftw!
Yeah the addiction is to dopamine, cocaine is just an easy way to get that fix. Gambling and other lesser addictions give the same dopamine fix, but then there are good addictions that provide the same dopamine hit. None of them are as immediate and as powerful as the old nose candy though (aside from amphetamines).
Some people are hardwired to “love dopamine” more than others (so called “addictive personalities”), so it’s all about replacing a bad addiction with a good one. I have ADHD and it went untreated for nearly 4 decades, I was always the one out of my group of friends that could be like “nah, I’ve had enough coke tonight, my sinuses are on fire and I’m not getting anything more out of it, I’m just wasting money at this point” meanwhile my friends are always like “YOU WANNA DO/GET MORE?!?” 😳 I still get high from it, but I can apparently control myself a lot better than other people.