Despite increasing interest in natural and
complementary therapies for
substance use disorders, rigorous clinical studies in this area are few in number. Recent clinical studies, although preliminary, have reported potential
therapeutic effects for hypericum in the treatment of smoking cessation, for prickly pear extract in the prevention of alcohol hangover and
magnesium supplementation as an adjunct to
methadone treatment. Other clinical studies have reported negative findings for ginkgo as an adjunctive treatment for
cocaine dependence, for artichoke in prevention of alcohol hangover, and acupuncture for alcohol withdrawal. Relevant findings from animal studies are also discussed. Neither
vitamin E nor
Liv 52 had a useful effect in alcohol-related
liver disease. A study of
silymarin in baboons, which was undertaken in an attempt to untangle the conflicting findings of human studies, reported a potential for this compound to prevent liver injury. There is increasing awareness of safety issues associated with
complementary therapies. Safety issues pertinent to
substance use treatment are discussed in this review.
SUMMARY: Several pharmacological and psychosocial treatments for
substance use disorders are solidly evidence-based and improve both individual and public health outcomes. At this stage, there remains insufficient evidence to support the use of natural and
complementary therapies as a primary intervention for
substance use disorders. Further clinical trials are required to clarify the potential role of particular agents.