Nefazodone decreases anxiety during marijuana withdrawal in humans.
Margaret Haney, Carl L. Hart, Amie S Ward, Richard W Foltin
Psychopharmacology January 2003 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-002-1210-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subject, placebo-controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7 |
| Population | Marijuana smokers not seeking treatment for marijuana use, averaging 6.0 (±1.3) marijuana cigarettes/day, 6.4 (±0.4) days/week |
| Interventions | Nefazodone Marijuana |
| Dose | 450 mg/day |
| Duration | 26 days per maintenance condition (9-day outpatient phase plus 17-day inpatient phase) |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Key points | Nefazodone maintenance did not alter the acute effects of active marijuana. During marijuana withdrawal, nefazodone decreased ratings of "Anxious" and "Muscle Pain" but had no effect on increased ratings of "Irritable" or "Miserable" or on decreased sleep quality, and participants still reported substantial discomfort. |
Abstract
Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include increased irritability, depression and anxiety, and decreased sleep quality. Nefazodone, which is an antidepressant with sedative properties, may attenuate symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. The present within-subject, placebo-controlled study investigated the effects of nefazodone during marijuana withdrawal. Marijuana smokers [ n=7; averaging 6.0 (+/-1.3) marijuana cigarettes/day, 6.4 (+/-0.4) days/week], not seeking treatment for marijuana use, were maintained on two doses of nefazodone (0, 450 mg/day) for 26 days each. Each maintenance condition began with an outpatient phase (9 days) and continued with an inpatient phase (17 days) in a residential laboratory. Marijuana was smoked 5 times per inpatient day at 1000, 1300, 1600, 1900 and 2200 hours. On days 1-4 (baseline), the first four marijuana cigarettes were placebo (0.00% THC), while the final marijuana cigarette was active (3.04% THC). On inpatient days 5-8, only active marijuana was smoked, while on days 9-16, only placebo marijuana was smoked. Mood, psychomotor task performance, food intake and sleep were measured daily. The order of maintenance dose was counterbalanced between groups. Nefazodone maintenance did not alter the acute effects of active marijuana as compared to placebo nefazodone maintenance. During marijuana withdrawal, nefazodone decreased ratings of "Anxious", and "Muscle Pain", while having no effect on the marked increase in ratings of "Irritable", "Miserable" or decreased sleep quality. Nefazodone decreased certain marijuana withdrawal symptoms, but participants still reported substantial discomfort. These data provide further evidence of marijuana withdrawal, and highlight the need for more marijuana treatment options.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Dronabinol for the treatment of cannabis dependence: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Drug and Alcohol Dependence July 1, 2011
- Marijuana dependence: not just smoke and mirrors. ILAR Journal 2011
- Cannabis reinforcement and dependence: role of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. Addiction Biology June 2008
- Effects of smoked marijuana in healthy and HIV + marijuana smokers. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology November 2002