Pilot Randomized Trial of Bupropion for Adolescent Methamphetamine Abuse/Dependence

Abstract Purpose To perform a pilot clinical trial of bupropion for methamphetamine abuse/dependence among adolescents. Methods Nineteen adolescents with methamphetamine abuse (n = 2) or dependence (n = 17) were randomly assigned to bupropion SR 150 mg twice daily or placebo for 8 weeks with outpatient substance abuse counseling. Results Bupropion was well-tolerated except for one female in the bupropion group who was hospitalized for suicidal ideation during a methamphetamine relapse. Adolescents receiving bupropion and females provided significantly fewer methamphetamine-free urine tests compared to participants receiving placebo ( p  = .043) and males ( p  = .005) respectively. Conclusions Results do not support the feasibility of additional trials of bupropion for adolescent methamphetamine abuse/dependence. Future studies should investigate the influence of gender on adolescent methamphetamine abuse and treatment outcomes.