Quetiapine and Gabapentin Dramatically Improve Treatment-resistant Schizoaffective Disorder in a Patient With a Long History of Cocaine Abuse

Abstract

Objective: 

To describe the successful use of quetiapine and gabapentin in a patient with treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorder and comorbid crack cocaine addiction.

Case Report: 

This case report describes a 34-year-old man with a history of schizoaffective disorder, depression, and cocaine addiction. After numerous suicide attempts, repeated hospitalizations, and treatment with various conventional and atypical antipsychotics over a 10-year period, the patient showed dramatic improvement on a combination of quetiapine 800 mg/d and gabapentin 1200 mg/d. Over a 5-month period, his mood stabilized; he became less paranoid; he was able to cope better with his auditory hallucinations; and he had no cravings for crack cocaine. In addition, the concomitant administration of quetiapine and gabapentin in this patient caused no adverse events.

Conclusion: 

The concomitant use of quetiapine and gabapentin may have beneficial effects in patients with schizo-affective disorder and comorbid cocaine addiction refractory to other medications. Controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.