Barbiturates are depressants that have been used to treat seizure disorders, insomnia, and anxiety. Treatments for anabolic steroid use disorder usually focus on the underlying causes of steroid use. Treatments may include behavioral therapies, hormone therapies, and antidepressants.
NIDA is conducting and supporting preclinical (laboratory) research into psilocybin’s effects on the brain and body, and whether there are similar substances that may have the same benefits without side-effects such as hallucinations. The institute also supports clinical investigations into psilocybin as a therapeutic substance. These include studies on its effectiveness and safety as a treatment for substance use disorders and to help people quit smoking.
Studies suggest people may experience mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms when they stop regular kratom use. More research is needed to determine whether kratom use can lead to substance use disorder and how to treat it. Regular use of inhalants can lead to symptoms of withdrawal after a person stops using them, including irritability, anxiety, and drug craving. It is chemically similar to prescription sedatives, but flunitrazepam is not FDA-approved for medical use in the United States. Outside the United States, flunitrazepam is prescribed to treat insomnia. Taking too much of an opioid can slow breathing so much that the person suffocates.
However, early evidence suggests that tianeptine-related substance use disorder can be treated with medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine. An overdose can be reversed if opioid overdose reversal medications, including naloxone (sometimes sold as Narcan®), are given quickly. An overdose can be reversed if overdose reversal medications such as naloxone (sometimes sold as Narcan®) are given quickly. Ketamine is a chemical compound approved by the FDA for use in short-term sedation and anesthesia in humans and animals. A ketamine derivative, esketamine, is approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression in adults. There is limited research on the health effects and addiction potential of delta-8-THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids.
Methamphetamine, taken alone or combined with fentanyl, contributes to the overdose crisis in the United States. The effects of khat are similar to other stimulants, such as amphetamines. Limited research suggests that taking ibogaine does not typically lead to a substance use disorder. Fentanyl can also be taken unknowingly when it is added to (or substituted for) other drugs. Dextromethorphan is not considered to have significant addiction risk, as its misuse may produce unpleasant dissociative and gastrointestinal symptoms. It is made from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca), which is native to South America.
An overdose can be reversed if overdose reversal medications, including naloxone (sometimes sold as Narcan®), are given quickly. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic (lab-made) opioid that is FDA-approved to treat severe pain after surgery and complex pain conditions. Over the past decade, fentanyl that is made and distributed illegally (sometimes called “illicitly manufactured fentanyl”) and other illegally made synthetic opioids have been increasingly found in the drug supply. An overdose can be reversed if overdose reversal medications, including naloxone (sometimes sold as Narcan®) are given quickly. This analysis, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, was led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, New York City, and the University of Florida, Gainesville. The data used for the analysis were collected through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, a grant program aimed at reducing drug trafficking and misuse administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Codeine is misused when it is taken in a way or dose that’s different than prescribed, taken without a prescription, or taken with other drugs to boost intoxicating effects. Psychedelic drugs can temporarily alter a person’s mood, thoughts, and perceptions of reality. Psychedelic drugs primarily influence the way the brain processes the chemical serotonin. They can bring on vivid visions and affect a person’s sense of self.
In teens, tobacco use may cause changes to the development of the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. Tianeptine is not an opioid, but at high doses it can have opioid-like effects, such as dangerous drops in blood pressure, heart rate, or breathing. Prescription drugs are misused when they are taken in a way or dose that’s different than prescribed or taken without a prescription. PCP (phencyclidine), or “angel dust,” is a synthetic (lab-made) dissociative drug developed as an intravenous (I.V.) anesthetic that has been discontinued due to serious negative health effects.
They may look like traditional tobacco cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or even everyday items like pens or USB memory sticks. Other devices, such as those with fillable tanks, may look different. People who use synthetic cathinones regularly may develop stimulant use disorder. People may use illegal synthetic cathinones on purpose—sometimes as cheaper or more accessible alternatives to other drugs—or unknowingly, as contaminants in other drugs.
GHB has been used to commit sexual assaults because of its strong sedation effects. It is also used as a “party and play” or chemsex drug among some gay and bisexual men. Treatment of dextromethorphan misuse usually involves managing symptoms of intoxication and may include medications such as antipsychotics or benzodiazepines. However, Flumazenil is approved for the treatment of benzodiazepine overdose.
Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and LSD, are generally considered to have low addiction psilocybin mushrooms effects potential, although it is possible for people to develop a hallucinogen-related substance use disorder. Psychedelic drugs related to DMT, such as psilocybin and LSD, are generally considered to have low addiction potential, although it is possible for people to develop a hallucinogen-related substance use disorder. Dissociative drugs can temporarily alter a person’s mood, thoughts, and perceptions of reality.
Better understanding these mechanisms is an active area of NIDA-funded research. This basic research plays an important role in identifying their health effects and potential therapeutic uses. There are also behavioral treatments for substance use disorders, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management. Drugs A to Z gives basic information on drugs with addictive potential, including how they are used, how they make people feel, and their health effects, including risk for substance use disorder.