Natural treatments for narcotic use disorder

• PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: None

• OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Acupuncture, Brahmi (Bacopa monniera), Ginkgo biloba, lobelia, N-acetylcysteine, passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), rosemary, velvet antler, yoga

DEFINITION: Treatment of addictions to narcotics, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Introduction

The family of drugs loosely known as narcotics includes chemicals in the opioid family, such as heroin, along with cocaine and variations of methamphetamine (or speed). All of these drugs produce intense psychological symptoms during withdrawal, and most cause physical symptoms, making them some of the most addictive substances known.

The process of overcoming narcotic addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), involves short-term assistance to ease the immediate withdrawal period, long-term psychological work to induce behavior change and address coexisting mental health conditions, and, in some cases, maintenance treatment with long-acting narcotics such as methadone and suboxone. New classes of medications are under investigation for aiding withdrawal.

Proposed Natural Treatments

There are no well-established natural treatments to aid the treatment of SUD, but some have shown some promise.

Passionflower. The herb passionflower is thought to have mild sedative properties and has been suggested as an aid to drug withdrawal. A fourteen-day double-blind trial enrolled sixty-five men with opioid use disorders and compared the effectiveness of a blend of passionflower and the drug clonidine to clonidine alone. Clonidine is used widely to assist in narcotic withdrawal. It effectively reduces physical symptoms, such as increased blood pressure. However, it does not help emotional symptoms, such as drug-craving, anxiety, irritability, agitation, and depression. These symptoms can be quite severe, and they often cause enrollees in drug treatment programs to end participation.

In this fourteen-day study, the use of passionflower with clonidine significantly eased the emotional aspects of withdrawal compared to the use of clonidine alone. However, more research is necessary to prove this treatment effective.

Acupuncture. Although some animal studies suggest that various forms of acupuncture may have some benefits for chemical dependency, study results in humans have been mixed at best, with the largest studies reporting no benefits. For example, while benefits were seen in a much smaller single-blind trial, a large placebo-controlled trial that evaluated 620 cocaine-dependent adults found acupuncture no more effective than sham acupuncture or relaxation training. Similarly, a single-blind, placebo-controlled study of 236 persons found no benefit from ear acupuncture for cocaine dependency. In a similar study involving individuals with heroin use disorder, a high dropout rate made the results difficult to interpret. Finally, in a placebo-controlled trial involving eighty-three people with SUDs attending a methadone detoxification clinic, the addition of ear acupuncture did not improve withdrawal symptoms or cravings. Methadone, a relatively weak narcotic, is commonly used to treat narcotic dependency over the long term.

Other natural approaches. One study provides weak evidence that the substance N-acetylcysteine might be helpful for treating cocaine dependence. Similarly weak evidence hints at potential benefits for opioid use disorder with the herbs Brahmi (Bacopa monniera), rosemary, and velvet antler.

Weak evidence hints that the substance lobeline from the herb lobelia might offer benefit for methamphetamine use disorder. Also, a ten-week double-blind trial failed to find ginkgo helpful for cocaine dependence. Another study failed to find hatha yoga helpful for enhancing the effectiveness of a methadone maintenance treatment for heroin use disorder.

Kratom, a herbal extract from the leaves of an evergreen tree that grows in Southeast Asia, has shown great promise in relieving the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. It has been shown to reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression. However, kratom carries its own risks of SUD and should be used with caution.

In a review of twenty-one studies involving almost three thousand persons, researchers concluded that Chinese herbal medicine was as effective as commonly prescribed medications for drug withdrawal symptoms in those with heroin use disorder. However, they could not draw any conclusions regarding what specific herbs were most beneficial, though it appeared Tai-Kang-Ning, ginseng, and U’finer played specific roles. Another review of Chinese herbal medicine identified several herbs that showed promise for treating specific drug dependecies. Rhizoma Corydalis (Yanhusuo) showed promise for general drug dependence. Ginsing and sinomenine emerged as beneficial for opioid use disorder, and Uncaria rhynchophylla (Gouteng) had positive impacts on dependency to methamphetamine and ketamine.

Bibliography

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Case-Lo, Christine. “Home Remedies for Opiate Withdrawal.” Healthline, 8 Mar. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/home-remedies-opiate-withdrawal. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Kampman, K., et al. “A Pilot Trial of Piracetam and Ginkgo biloba for the Treatment of Cocaine Dependence.” Addictive Behaviors, vol. 28, 2003, pp. 437–48, doi:10.1016/s0306-4603(02)00226-5. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

“Kratom for Opioid Withdrawal: Does it Work?” Mayo Clinic, 30 Dec. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prescription-drug-abuse/in-depth/kratom-opioid-withdrawal/art-20402170. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Larowe, S. D., et al. “Is Cocaine Desire Reduced by N-acetylcysteine?” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 164, 2007, pp. 1115–17, doi:10.1176/ajp.2007.164.7.1115. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Liu, T. T., et al. “A Meta-analysis of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Treatment of Managed Withdrawal from Heroin.” Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, vol. 29, 2009, pp. 17–25, doi:10.1007/s10571-008-9290-1. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Margolin, A., et al. “Acupuncture for the Treatment of Cocaine Addiction.” Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 287, 2002, pp. 55–57, doi:10.1001/jama.287.1.55. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

Yu, Rui, et al. “Natural Products as the Therapeutic Strategies for Addiction.” Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, vol. 175, 2024, p. 116687, doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116687. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.

Zhu, Weili, et al. “Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Drug Addiction.” International Review of Neurobiology, vol. 135, 2017, pp. 279–95, doi:10.1016/bs.irn.2017.02.013. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.