Sertraline Does Not Help Methamphetamine Abusers Quit
In a recent NIDA-funded study, the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft) made quitting methamphetamine harder. Prescribed to relieve depression during the methamphetamine withdrawal process, sertraline produced a number of unpleasant side effects and may have interfered with behavioral interventions as well. Dr. Steven Shoptaw, Dr. Alice Huber, Dr. Walter Ling, and their colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) noted that methamphetamine abusers in withdrawal frequently complained of fatigue, lack of pleasure, sad mood, and persistent daytime sleepiness. The researchers