Archive: Blog, Heroin, Opioids
Understanding The Current Wave Of Heroin Use
September 13th, 2016One cannot go through a week without hearing some story in the local news about heroin; an arrest, an overdose, the numbers of ER visits increasing, etc. Googling for “Heroin Use,” to see what the trends are in news stories, the first three pages display ten articles posted in the past 12 hours. Over one […]
Carfentanil-Laced Heroin Abuse And Addiction
July 25th, 2016What Is Carfentanil? Carfentanil, which was formerly known under the commercial name Wildnil, was first synthesized in the early 1970s. It was produced for commercial applications as a general anesthetic for large animals. It was not created or intended for human use. The National Institutes of Health’s Open Chemistry Database explains that it “is an […]
Commonly Abused Muscle Relaxers
May 5th, 2016Temporary Relief Muscle relaxants do not work directly on our muscles, but on the brain and thus are full body relaxants. As a result, muscle relaxers only offer a temporary alleviation for pain. Patients may also experience, euphoria, calmness, and physical and emotional pleasure. Patients that abuse muscle relaxants may take more than what is […]
Medication Assisted Therapies For Addiction Treatment
April 13th, 2016Medication-Assisted Addiction Recovery People in drug rehabilitation often require medicinal help to complete their recovery. These medicines are designed to increase the effectiveness of rehab and to create a permanent state of soberness for people recovering from addiction. Each medicine prescribed offers a different effect. For example, some are used as a “replacement” drug, i.e., […]
Opiate/Opioid Withdrawal And Insomnia
April 12th, 2016What Is Withdrawal? Opiate withdrawal or “dope sickness” results from prolonged use and physical dependence. This physical dependence can happen with both illicit and prescribed opiates. The withdrawals can occur not only after discontinuation but also after a significant reduction of use. These can be very unsettling and uncomfortable; the time it takes for the […]
Suicide Prevention In Early Recovery
March 24th, 2016Identifying Why People Commit Suicide In Early Recovery Every person has a different reason for considering suicide while in early recovery. These reasons may seem trite or silly to you, but they are very real to the person who feels them. The following influences are among the most common in people who either contemplate or […]
What Are The Most Powerful Opiates?
March 10th, 2016Morphine When it comes to measuring the potency of opiates, morphine remains the measuring stick; all other opiates are described as more potent than morphine or less. There’s a simple reason for that: morphine is the actual active ingredient in the opium plant. It is, in effect, the substance that causes an opiate to be […]
What Are Precipitated Withdrawals From Suboxone?
March 1st, 2016This severe condition catches many by surprise during the detoxification process and can derail rehabilitation efforts. A better understanding of treatment and preventative measures for this condition can greatly improve the chances of a more comfortable detox for those in recovery. What Are Precipitated Withdrawals? Precipitated withdrawals occur when opioid blockers are introduced in the […]
Panel Recommends FDA Approve Implant To Treat Opiate Addiction
February 5th, 2016What Is Probuphine? Probuphine is a skin implant developed by Titan as a method of treating opiate withdrawal symptoms. Essentially, the implant is placed under the skin where it slowly releases a small dosage of buprenorphine hydrochloride. It is designed to provide people like you with a round-the-clock dose of this important medicine. While new […]
Signs Of Heroin Use
February 3rd, 2016Physical Symptoms The most common physical sign of heroin use is thought to be “track marks,” or small puncture wounds on the skin. The injection site may become infected from multiple pokes, leading to scars. Track marks are most commonly observed on the arms and inside of the elbows. Long sleeves are often worn (even […]
A Timeline Of Opiate Withdrawal
December 7th, 2015Opiate withdrawal is an incredibly painful situation that the American Society of Addiction Medicine estimates drives 1.9 million Americans into addiction. However, it is important to understand that opiate withdrawal does not have an infinite timestamp: it has an obvious timeline and endpoint. And while it may be extremely difficult to weather, reaching the finish […]
The Fight Against Heroin And Opiate Abuse: Obama’s New Plan
November 12th, 2015The Washington Post estimated that this new plan would have a moderate effect on the war against heroin and opiate abuse. Heroin and prescription drug overdoses now kill more people than car accidents each year: heroin overdose deaths alone have quadrupled in the last decade. Heroin and opiate abuse is a troubling epidemic and something […]
