Drugs

IV Drug Abuse and Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the medical term for blood clots that form in veins deep within the body’s tissues. While these clots can form in any deep vein, they most typically appear in deep veins in the thighs or lower legs. When clots associated with DVT break loose and travel in the bloodstream, they can lodge in the lungs and trigger a potentially deadly lung obstruction called a pulmonary embolism. IV drug abusers have elevated risks for the development of deep vein thrombosis, as well as a related condition called thrombophlebitis. In addition to formation of a pulmonary embolism, DVT in an IV drug abuser can lead to a highly dangerous blood-borne infection called septic thrombosis. Continue Reading

Treatment for Physicians

Propofol Abuse By Healthcare Professionals Rising

Had it not been for the high-profile death of Michael Jackson, most people may never have heard of the drug propofol. It was an overdose of propofol obtained through his personal physician that killed the popular musician. Now the drug is back in the news, but this time it is doctors who appear to be misusing the sedative. Continue Reading

Detox

What to Expect for Drug Detox While Incarcerated

Drug detox and treatment for prisoners has become an increasingly worrisome issue for addict advocates, prisoners’ families, and counselors. The rigors of going through detox while in jail were once so drastic that many offenders, especially those with drug-related charges, were ordered instead to a medical treatment facility for the process, either prior to or instead of a jail sentence. With an increase in drug-related incarcerations in the last 20 to 30 years, there has consequently been a rise in the number of prisoners addicted to drugs and alcohol. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Special Report published in 1997, those with drug-based offences accounted for more than 60% of those incarcerated in federal prisons. This is a significant increase and has spurred a demand for safe and healthy detox in prisons.

The Risks of Unassisted Detox in Prison

Addicts suffer as much from a physical disease as a mental one, and detox can be a harsh process, especially for opiate addicts. Symptoms of withdrawal can range from the minor (cold sweats, insomnia, nervousness) to the comparatively major (seizures, heart palpitations and coronary arrest). When unassisted, incarcerated addicts are left to gamble with their health and safety during detox. Fortunately, awareness and advocacy have helped spur policy changes and more effective treatment programs within jails and prisons. It’s not perfect by any means. With only 40 percent of federal prisons offering extensive drug and alcohol treatment programs and about 73 percent offering some form of treatment, including detox, there is considerable room for improvement. Let’s take a look at the steps that these proactive institutions are taking to assist prisoners in detox, and beyond that, in treatment and healing.

Jail and Prison Detox Method: Rapid Detox

There are a couple of ways in which proactive jails and prisons handle addict detox. The first method, rapid detox, is controversial; its affects and effectiveness have been a source of debate among medical and clinical professionals since its first public introduction in 1992. This process is geared toward opiate addicts, whose withdrawal symptoms are almost always the most severe. It shrinks what would normally be weeks of detox into mere hours.

The process begins with patient sedation. Opioid blockers are then injected into the addict’s body, intercepting all signals of the drugs to the patient’s brain. The sedation allows for the addict to go through a quick and painless withdrawal under sedation, avoiding the usual nausea, depression, insomnia and other symptoms most experience. Though the patient usually wakes up achy, this is nearly the extent of the discomfort they experience.

Some medical and psychological professionals argue that this “quick fix” is not a long-term solution for addicts, but years of conclusive studies have shown that this method is sometimes the only method that works, especially for those who could never endure withdrawal symptoms through to the end. Most professionals agree that all detox must be followed by therapy and treatment to be effective and lasting.

Rapid detox does have its drawbacks, however. Addicts with pre-existing medical conditions, especially those coronary-related, are at a higher risk of severe injury or death using this method. Also, women who are pregnant, as well as their unborn fetus, are at an extremely high risk through this method. In such situations, traditional or alternative methods are usually employed.

Jail and Prison Detox Method: Methadone Treatment

This method is also highly controversial, and it relies upon “weaning” an addict off of opiate substances. Methadone is a maintenance medication created for slowly reducing the amount of intake an addict gets. It blocks drug signals to the brain and satisfies intense cravings in the attempt to reduce actual drug use. While recommended by the IDU, HIV prevention organization and many outpatient clinics, other health care professionals remain skeptical, claiming that it trades one form of addiction for another. However, advocates for the method claim that USDA regulation instituted in 2001 coupled with a minimum one-year treatment plan is substantially more effective in producing dependent-free patients than traditional detox methods. It also offers a safer alternative for those with pre-existing health conditions whose bodies would not handle the pain and physical rigors of traditional or rapid detox.

How to Prepare for Incarceration

While many jails and prisons offer solid detox and treatment for addicts, nearly as many do not. If you have the option and time before sentencing or incarceration, it may be a healthier and safer option to check into a clinic specializing in safe detox prior to serving your sentence. This will allow for the safe environment and control of a professional detox system, reducing the risks to those going through withdrawal. If allowed through the institution you’re placed in, take full advantage of detox and treatment plans offered, and if you have the option, always seek follow-up therapy for substance abuse prior to your release.

Food Addiction

Fatty Foods Alter Brain’s Response to Sadness

In its oldest form, eating is for survival. Our bodies tell us to eat to stay alive. But today, food is everywhere we turn and we use that food for more than survival.  People with anxiety, depression, stress, relationship problems, loneliness and low self-esteem often seek out food as a temporary comfort. However, this temporary “comfort food” is no solution for serious mental health illnesses or emotional problems. It can also lead to weight gain and health problems. Continue Reading