Condition
Cocaine Abuse
Cocaine use disorder is compulsive cocaine use despite harm, as repeated dopamine surges leave the brain with fewer dopamine receptors, fueling tolerance and craving. N-acetyl cysteine has the strongest evidence among supplements, with omega-3 fatty acids moderate, and in one placebo-controlled trial of 73 cocaine-dependent volunteers, citicoline improved addiction symptoms. That citicoline evidence is limited, resting on a single small study, so it is an early signal rather than a firm answer.
Sources: PMID 21769048
- Supplements studied
- 2
- Graded outcomes
- 2
- Trials
- 3
- People studied
- 86
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocaine Addiction Symptoms No effect | 1 study | 73 people | ||||
Studies that measured cocaine addiction symptoms | ||||||
| Bipolar Disorder Symptoms No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 44 people | |||
Studies that measured bipolar disorder symptoms | ||||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocaine Addiction Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 13 people | |||
Studies that measured cocaine addiction symptoms | ||||||
Key findings
- Cocaine Addiction Symptoms
- Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
The Cocaine Use Disorder Recovery Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements
- N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)1,200–2,400 mg daily in divided doses
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids2–4 g EPA+DHA daily
Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed
- N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of craving in substance use disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Safety and tolerability of N-acetylcysteine in cocaine-dependent individuals
- Effects of daily treatment with citicoline: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in cocaine-dependent volunteers
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of citicoline add-on therapy in outpatients with bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence