IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i12p7397-d840296.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trazodone Prolonged-Release Monotherapy in Cannabis Dependent Patients during Lockdown Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Series

Author

Listed:
  • Marianna Mazza

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Emanuele Caroppo

    (Department of Mental Health, Local Health Authority Roma 2, 00159 Rome, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Giuseppe Marano

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Georgios D. Kotzalidis

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy)

  • Carla Avallone

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Giovanni Camardese

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Delfina Janiri

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Lorenzo Moccia

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Alessio Simonetti

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Luigi Janiri

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

  • Gabriele Sani

    (Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
    Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

(1) Background: During the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, cannabis use increased relative to pre-pandemic levels, while forced home confinement frequently caused sleep/wake cycle disruptions, psychological distress, and maladaptive coping strategies with the consequent appearance of anxiety symptoms and their potential impact on substance use problems. (2) Aim: Long-acting trazodone (150 mg or 300 mg daily) has a potential benefit as monotherapy in patients with cannabis use disorder. The present work aims to investigate the effectiveness of trazodone in optimizing the condition of people with cannabis dependence under pandemic conditions. (3) Methods: All cases with cannabis use disorder were uniformly treated with long-acting trazodone 150 mg or 300 mg/day; their craving and clinical status were monitored through appropriate psychometric scales. Side effects were recorded as they were reported by patients. We described the cases of three young patients—one man and two women—who were affected by chronic cannabis use disorder and who experienced lockdown-related psychological distress and sought psychiatric help. (4) Results: The described cases highlight that the once-a-day formulation of trazodone seems to have a therapeutic role in patients with cannabis use disorder and to guarantee tolerability and efficacy over time. No significant side effects emerged. (5) Conclusions: The use of long-acting trazodone (150 mg or 300 mg daily) has a potential benefit as monotherapy in patients with cannabis use disorder. Trazodone deserves to be studied in terms of its efficacy for cannabis use disorder.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianna Mazza & Emanuele Caroppo & Giuseppe Marano & Georgios D. Kotzalidis & Carla Avallone & Giovanni Camardese & Delfina Janiri & Lorenzo Moccia & Alessio Simonetti & Luigi Janiri & Gabriele Sani, 2022. "Trazodone Prolonged-Release Monotherapy in Cannabis Dependent Patients during Lockdown Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Series," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-8, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:12:p:7397-:d:840296
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7397/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7397/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:12:p:7397-:d:840296. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.