Brief Report: Predictors of Relapse for Patients With Dextromethorphan Dependence

The recreational use of dextromethorphan (DXM) triggers dependence. The pattern and clinical predictors of relapse are unclear.

Here, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical information of 28 patients with DXM dependence (20 males and 8 females).

The mean age at admission was 25.89 years (standard deviation [SD] = 7.84), and the average duration of DXM abuse was 24.96 months (SD = 17.40). The relapse rates at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 7.14%, 25%, 71.43%, and 89.29%, respectively. Depression and anxiety status at baseline were positive predictors of relapse (r = -.539, P = .006, R²  = 0.290; r = -.449, P = .024, R²  = 0.202, respectively).

Our results suggest that patients with DXM dependence are at high risk of relapse and that measuring affective disturbance is important for predicting the outcomes of their treatment.

This study first identified a high relapse rate among patients with DXM dependence and found that the baseline depression and anxiety status was correlated with the time length of relapse. These findings not only warn us of the vulnerability of DXM-dependent relapse but also reveal the importance of measuring affective disturbance in relapse prevention. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00-00).