The Effect of Modafinil Treatment on Cravings in Methamphetamine Use Disorder

There is a need for treatments that can reduce cravings in methamphetamine use disorder (MUD), which is trending upwards worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of modafinil treatment on substance craving in patients with MUD. The study included 100 patients with MUD who were being treated in an inpatient detoxification center. Patients were divided into two groups as modafinil group (MG) (<i>n</i> = 51) and non-modafinil group (NMG) (<i>n</i> = 49) and compared with each other in terms of sociodemographic data, severity of addiction, change in craving scores on the 1st, 7th and 14th days. The change in craving scores during the first week was found to be significantly greater in the modafinil group (MG) compared to the non-modafinil group (NMG) (<i>p</i> < .001), indicating that modafinil effectively reduced methamphetamine cravings within the first week of treatment. When the changes in craving levels were compared between the groups in the first and second week, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (<i>p</i> > .05). The mean substance craving scores at hospitalization were higher in MG than NMG (<i>p</i> < .001). Modafinil may be beneficial in the treatment of MUD, especially when used in the first weeks of treatment, especially in patients with higher cravings at baseline.