doctors see increase in babies born with addictions
… and gynecologist at Mercy Medical Center, has been delivering babies who begin to experience withdrawal symptoms days or hours after being born to mothers who addicted to heroin or other opiates, or are on an opiate replacement treatment program.
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Brittany Ozarowski, NY Woman Who Faked Cancer Diagnosis To Fund Heroin …
Besides paying back the money in equitable restitution, she will need to do community service and enter into a 24-month inpatient and outpatient drug addiction treatment program. Failure to comply will result in four years of imprisonment. Still, some …
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This drug could make a huge dent in heroin addiction. So why isn't it used more?
By federal law, methadone must be delivered in a highly-structured opiate addiction program. It cannot be delivered in a physician's office. Buprenorphine can be. The Drug Abuse Treatment Act of 2000 was revolutionary in its specific intention to allow …
Read more on Washington Post (blog)

Question by Lucy: What is the addiction and recovery rate for antidepressants?
What is the addiction and recovery rate for antidepressants? Please include website you found the information on. THANK YOU!!!!

Best answer:

Answer by ixi26c
I am a psychopharmacology student (drugs and behavior). After Thanksgiving we’re going to discuss antidepressants in-depth. But what I already know tells me you do not become addicted to antidepressants. Also, the whole concept of “addiction” isn’t defined. What you’re probably referring to is physical dependency. You would not experience this. Physical dependency is characterized by withdrawal symptoms that tend to be exaggerrated and opposite effects of the drug. But antidepressants, specifically SSRIs (Zoloft, Prozac) have a very long half-life which means it takes a very long time for the body to rid itself of the drug. When you switch antidepressants you have to wait a couple of weeks before trying a new one, otherwise you may risk serotonin toxicity (which is a neurotransmitter in your brain). If you want web sources, why don’t you just search google? I’d be careful about what web sources you trust, however. I’d more readily trust books.

What do you think? Answer below!

New Clues to How Long–Term Drug Therapy Keeps HIV at Bay
26, 2013 (HealthDay News) — A new study suggests that the replication of HIV may slow or stop altogether in patients who are on long-term treatment, although remnants can still lurk in the body. And the researchers now suspect that the virus is …
Read more on U.S. News & World Report

Austin Drug Rehab Releases New Video on Services Available for People …
Drug detoxification is used to reduce or relieve withdrawal symptoms while helping the addicted individual adjust to living without drug use; drug detoxification is not meant to treat addiction but rather an early step in long-term treatment …
Read more on PR Web (press release)

New Best Drug Rehabilitation Video Features Founder Per Wickstrom …
Ultimately, Best Drug Rehabilitation offers recovery geared to the personalized needs of each client, which is an option that makes the chance for long-term success much more likely. Learn more at http://www.bestdrugrehabilitation.com/. Share on …
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Marijuana Addiction Survey Seeks Difficult Answers
Currently living in Barcelona, Spain while covering the private cannabis club industry there, Hudson worked for several years in the drug addiction treatment industry. He claims that even among staff at rehab centers, marijuana addiction isn't taken …
Read more on WebWire (press release)

Lady Gaga says she was addicted to marijuana: Is pot addictive?
There is a biological basis for pot addiction, adds Haney, whose research focuses on marijuana withdrawal symptoms and potential pot addiction treatments. She said that many chronic pot smokers — meaning they smoke at least once a day — will …
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Cheney book documents his struggles with heart disease
There were plenty of spirits at the Delaware Wine & Beer Festival Sunday to toast just about…- 11:46 pm …. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, we had it." … Obama has defended the National Security Agency surveillance programs, expanded in the Bush …
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AstraZeneca CEO keeping promises
Since the former chief operating officer of Roche AG was named CEO on Oct. 1, 2012, the firm has made five acquisitions, five collaborations with other pharmas to develop drugs, and entered two licensing deals. Six of the 12 … “Our people are focused …
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Born on drugs
In 2012, the number of infants suffering from a collection of withdrawal symptoms, known as Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, was documented as nearly 12 percent of the entire newborn population at Beebe, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Nancy Forsyth said …
Read more on Cape Gazette

Question by Liza Shevchuk: Natural Remedies For Brain Damage After Drug Abuse?
My older brother has done many drugs from about 16-21. Its been a year since his last use, and he’s been having some serious problems. He has high anxiety and he’s been having frequent episodes of “weird” (as he calls it) feelings. He doesn’t label it as feeling sick. During these episodes he feels jittery, emotional (even cry’s sometimes) out of control, his heart rate goes up. This also causes him to have insomnia. Maybe they’re panic attacks, but the thing is, what triggers it? This occurs randomly on a normal day. We believe its typical withdrawal symptoms, because he abused quite a few drugs. (Marijuana, cigarettes, ecstasy, crystal meth, shrooms, hookah, cocaine, inhalants, “uppers” (as he calls them))
He has gone to see his doctor several times to get treatment, and his doctor said he has migraines.
-____-
He prescribed him anti depressants and that didn’t help my brother AT ALL.
He does this herbal drop treatment (echinacea, other oils, etc) That help him sleep.
Now we’re trying to find him herbal remedies that would help repair his brain damage from all of the abuse he has done to it.
Thank you very much.

Best answer:

Answer by jannsody
I’m not sure that there will be repairing of the brain damage (presuming that he has that as I’m not a medical doctor :), but researchers believe that the brain is very “plastic” and may form new nerve pathways to *help* compensate for the injured areas.

With regard to inhalant use, my friend actually has a severe Brain Injury from huffing at the age of 12, now in her 30s. The chemicals in products used for huffing are actual *poisons* that were never meant to go through the bloodstream.

Please be *very* careful with herbal supplements or “remedies” (e.g., echinacea, ginkgo biloba, chamomile) as they can result in side effects and/or drug (medication) interactions. It’s best to check with a licensed pharmacist before taking any of them. Not everything that is “natural” is safe 😉

Regarding the panic attacks, some people have generalized anxiety (to know specific event) or other types of anxiety. The antidepressants may help to lessen the intensity and/or frequency of the anxiety symptoms. Such medications tend to take about 6-8 weeks before possibly noticing results. A caveat (warning) is that some antidepressants may cause insomnia (trouble getting to and/or staying asleep). However, there are medications that one may take to help counteract the insomnia.

Even though benzo’s (e.g., ativan, valium, xanax, klonopin) may be prescribed to help with sleep, they’re not always recommended as a medication due to their physical addictiveness. (Some withdrawal symptoms from benzo’s may include seizures, psychosis/mental break from reality, or even death.) Some psychiatrists (it’s best to get medication for mental health issues from a board-certified psychiatrist as opposed to “just” a family doctor) prescribe seroquel (or other medications), which is classified as an antipsychotic but in smaller dosages may help with sleep.

You’d mentioned that he’s gone to the doctor several times, and I’m wondering if he’s gone to a neurologist which is medical dr who can help rule out disorders of the nervous system – brain, spinal cord, nerves. I’m just thinking that to help “cover all the bases” (not trying to give false hope though, know what I mean).

I’m not sure that he’d still be going through withdrawal symptoms a year after stopping the drugs, but it’s a good idea to ask a doctor about that as well.

Pertaining to the anxiety, please show him this government site which may have some local counseling agencies: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ and can click the second link. Then one can click “near you” on the left-hand side of the page under “find facilities” and can type one’s city and state of residence into search. Their toll-free 24/7 referral helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Just an fyi that the first link is for those looking for substance abuse counseling/treatment, and that may be an option if he’s still “using” or having cravings for substances.

A 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), may have some local support groups. The only requirement is having a desire to get sober. One may attend an “open” AA meeting if there is no drinking problem: http://www.aa.org

This site has some common mottos pertaining to those 12-step programs, including “One day at a time”, “First things first” and “People, places and things”: http://www.royy.com/toolsofrecovery.html

Al-Anon is a 12-step program for the *friends and family* of the problem drinker, but one may attend an “open” Al-Anon meeting if the loved one doesn’t have a drinking problem: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org

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