Cocaine-induced cocaine craving

In nine experienced users of cocaine, we examined the urge to use cocaine or other drugs following a 40 mg dose of intravenous (IV) cocaine with and without oral pretreatment with 2.5 mg bromocriptine. The urge to use cocaine was assessed with a questionnaire constructed to assess both wanting and craving for cocaine or other drugs. Fifteen minutes after the administration of cocaine (but not after placebo), subjects' ratings for both drug wanting and drug craving were significantly increased. Our results provide a laboratory demonstration of cocaine-induced increases in the urge to use drugs in humans. The findings, stressing the role of internal stimuli associated with drug administration, suggest the possibility of distinguishing among related, but perhaps distinct, components of the fluctuating levels of motivation to reuse drugs.