Bromocriptine in cocaine withdrawal--does it work?

Abstract

Heavy cocaine use has been reported to lead to dopamine depletion in the brain, which in turn may be responsible for strong cocaine craving after withdrawal. Bromocriptine, a dopaminergic agonist, was used on that basis to prevent relapses in the withdrawal period. In an uncontrolled trial of 25 heavy cocaine users, measurements of pre- and post-bromocriptine serum prolactin levels-as indicators of inhibitory dopaminergic control-did not suggest dopamine depletion. Moreover, in 13 of these 25 patients, an assessment scale for craving and for other subjective discomforts indicated some improvement in only a slight majority, which is probably inseparable from placebo effect.