Carvedilol affects the physiological and behavioral response to smoked cocaine in humans

The noradrenergic system is implicated in mediating some of the physiologic al effects of cocaine. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether treatment with an adrenergic blocker, carvedilol, which would be expected to attenuate the physiological effects of cocaine, would also attenuate the subjective and behavioral response to cocaine in humans. Twelve crack coca ine users participated in this double-blind, placebo-controlled outpatient study. Acute treatment with 50 mg of oral carvedilol attenuated the smoked cocaine-induced increases in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood press ure. The number of cocaine self-administrations was lower under 25 mg carve dilol treatment condition compared with 50 mg carvedilol or placebo treatme nt conditions. The subjective responses to smoked cocaine deliveries were n ot affected by carvedilol treatment. These results suggest that acute treat ment with carvedilol attenuates the physiological effects of smoked cocaine . The effects of carvedilol on cocaine self-administration need to be studi ed further. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.