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Happy Half-Birthday to Me!
2008-05-02 20:38:00 Well! It’s been a while since I’ve made a post here, and I have missed y’all something terrible, but I can’t think of a better reason to break my writer’s block than this: This week marks the six-month anniversaryof me beginning Suboxone treatment! Woot! I can hardly believe that a half of a year has already passed, ...
By: Suboxone Blog
Handling a Percocet Withdrawal
2008-03-22 03:59:00 Percocet is the brand name for a drug that combines oxycodone and acetaminophen. This same combination but in different strengths can also be found in the brand name drugs, Roxicet, Tylox and Endocet, but Percocet is by far the most popular prescription painkiller.
Things to Consider in Lortab Withdrawal
2008-03-12 01:43:00 Lortab, a combo of hydrocodone and acetaminophen like Lorcet, Norco and Vicodin, seems to be a supplemental drug of choice for those addicted to OxyContin and other oxycodone derivatives. Note: I have met a handful or two that somehow stumbled onto Lortab without realizing the addictive effects and ended up ?strung out,? but more often I hear people say that they are addicted to other drugs and then couldn?t keep up with their body?s tolerance and so supplemented with Lortab.
Taking the Plunge
2008-03-11 02:53:00 When the folks here at Suboxone Blog asked me to write a few guest posts, I was flattered and really excited. I also thought the writing would be easy. It's easy enough for me to bang out posts over at Diary of a Quitter, after all.
By: Suboxone Blog
What Winners on Suboxone Do is Blog
2008-02-29 04:12:00 There are two excellent blogs out there run by a rad lady in recovery named Erin. One is What Winners Do and the other is her latest addition to the recovery blogging family, The Suboxone Help Spot.
The Difference Between Naltrexone and Naloxone
2008-02-25 13:42:00 There seems to be a little confusion about the difference between the two ?nal-xone? drugs, naltrexone and naloxone. Two very different drugs, the similar names are confusing but what makes it worse is the fact that both are related to the treatment of drug and alcohol abuse. Hopefully this will clear up the misconceptions.
What to Expect if You Overdose
2008-02-17 12:38:00 We?ve talked a lot about how to recognize an overdose when you see it, what not to do it if it happens to a friend of yours and certain risks you can avoid to keep yourself out of the emergency room, but in most cases, if you overdose, you aren?t going to know what hit you, much less what to do about it. So if the worst happens and you end up flat on your back on a gurney, here?s what the medical professionals will most likely do.
Know an Overdose When You See One
2008-02-17 00:38:00 You may know what to do when someone you are with overdoses and you may know what not to do as well, but if you don?t know what an overdose looks like, that knowledge isn?t going to help very much. An opiate overdose is often difficult to discern in its early stages as the effects of opioid-based drugs can be pretty overwhelming. But there are a few signs and symptoms that can tip you off before things get out of hand.
What to Do in the Event of an Overdose
2008-02-15 20:10:00 The other day, I told you what not to do in the event that someone you are with overdoses on opiates. Here?s what you actually should do:
5 Risk Factors for Opiate Overdose
2008-02-14 16:49:00 So to continue this string of posts in my self-proclaimed Overdose Awareness Week, today we are going to tackle the topic of risk factors. Knowing the risks that you are taking is crucial when it comes to preventing an undesired outcome, and with opiate overdose, there are 5 specific things that are red letter risks. Want to avoid an opiate overdose? Then pay attention.
3 Urban Overdose Myths to Avoid Like the Plague
2008-02-13 19:42:00 In the world of urban myths, drugs hold court, with stories that range from their potency and effect to a number of various crimes that have been undertaken in their name or under their influence. Most of these myths are harmless, but the ones that pertain to crazy home remedies for opiate overdose are extremely ...
3 Tips to Avoid a Codeine Overdose
2008-02-12 20:57:00 Codeine is a highly addictive opioid-based prescription medication. Taken every six to eight hours based upon your level of pain, it doesn?t take longer than a few weeks to build up a tolerance and require a larger dose to get the same initial pain relieving effects. However, even though you may not feel the effects of the codeine, it doesn?t mean that the drug isn?t in your system. Some may make the mistake of taking more than the prescribed dosage in order to self medicate their pain. Even taking the drug exactly as it is prescribes can result in an overdose. Unless you are vigilant, if you are taking codeine, you are at risk for a codeine overdose.
Naltrexone and Gene Variants Studied in Addicted Patients
2008-02-11 20:00:00 So there?s a new study out that focuses on a specific gene variant that is commonly found in addicts and how those who possess that particular gene react when taking naltrexone. Turns out, the overall outcomes of treatment for these people was far better for those on naltrexone than on those without.
Heath Ledger Dies of Accidental Overdose
2008-02-07 21:39:00 So it turns out that the initial speculation was correct: Heath Ledger did accidentally overdose on a variety of prescription drugs including oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. This information was released by the New York medical examiner?s office, so it?s pretty much an accepted fact. I apologize to those who don?t want to believe that it?s true, but like I?ve said before, Heath?s death only proves that even with a ton of money, even when everything is legally prescribed and you have all the medical attention and treatment you could possibly want, overdose is still a real possibility.
By: Suboxone Blog
Drug Addiction and Organ Transplantation
2008-02-06 19:52:00 It?s common knowledge that addiction can tear up your body, especially your kidneys and liver for prescription painkillers and alcohol and your lungs, gums and mouth if you smoke, not to mention the not so healthy decisions you make while under the influence that put the rest of your body in harm?s way. So it should make sense that a number of drug addicts and alcoholics end up needing an organ transplant of some kind. A big area of concern is that transplant patients with a history of addiction will relapse after the surgery and in effect, ?waste? the organ by destroying it with drugs and alcohol. But according to a study published in the Liver Transplantation journal and online, only about 6 percent of former alcoholics and 4 percent of drug addicts relapse in a given year after their transplant.
By: Suboxone Blog
Subconscious Signals Trigger Drug Craving
2008-02-04 19:24:00 The word ?trigger? is a common one heard in drug rehab and support group settings and refers to just about anything that makes you want to get loaded, get drunk or get high. It could be something negative like dealing with family members who stress you out or something positive like a New Year?s Eve celebration where everyone else is under the influence. New research on brain imaging, however, says that triggers to use can start in addicts even before an obvious stressful trigger event happens.
Texas Draws a Hard Line on Needle Exchange
2008-02-01 19:41:00 Texas, apparently, isn?t quite as progressive as it could be when it comes to needle exchange programs and the prevention of spreading HIV through dirty needles among intravenous drug users. ?Should they or shouldn?t they? is the question before Bexar county health officials this month as they debate whether or not to open the state?s first (legal) needle exchange program. To make sure that everyone knows who?s boss, however, Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed has made it clear that anyone caught distributing needles in the meantime will be prosecuted despite the pending ?revolution.?
Are Patients or Doctors Responsible For Opioid Medication Abuse and Addicti
2008-01-31 07:39:00 Peggy Compton, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Nursing at the UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles and recently published an article online at Pain-Topics.org, "Should Opioid Abusers Be Discharged From Opioid-Analgesic Therapy?" Basically, she says that those who are using prescription opiates are in a precarious situation and that abruptly stopping their medication is dangerous. A thorough exit plan is a necessity when doctors take on the responsibility of prescribing opioid-based medications like Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, OxyContin and others.
New Studies Link Brain Patterns To Addiction
2008-01-30 18:24:00 Ever wondered why you can tell yourself over and over that you?re not going to do something and then, the second you stop thinking about it, you realize you?re doing it? Whether it?s indulging in another chocolate chip cookie or picking up when you?re trying to stay clean, these compulsive behaviors are linked to specific parts of the brain. A recent study has been studying this part of the brain to learn more about addiction and how it develops.
Celebrity Drug Rehab Profile: Seth ?Shifty? Binzer
2008-01-27 21:41:00 Seth Binzer, otherwise known as Shifty, is one of the celebrities sharing his drug addiction recovery with the world on VH1?s Celebrity Drug Rehab. Born in LA, he moved around in his childhood only to return to the City of Angels for his teen years. He immersed himself in the West Coast hip hop scene and became a graffiti artist, meeting all the people who would help him start his music career. His high point came when he was the lead singer for Crazytown and their singles ?Butterfly? and ?Starry Eyed Surprise? were at the top of the charts.
Celebrity Drug Rehab Profile: Jessica Sierra
2008-01-25 06:13:00 The biggest complaint about Jessica Sierra?s appearance on VH1?s Celebrity Drug Rehab reality TV show is the fact that she?s not really a celebrity. Where everyone else in the house has logged years in the entertainment industry, Jessica Sierra entered a contest and lost. Granted, it?s one of the most-watched contests on TV--American Idol--and she wasn?t the first one cut or anything, but as far as celebrity goes, you have to define the word pretty loosely to include Sierra.
Celebrity Drug Rehab Profile: Daniel Baldwin
2008-01-25 03:10:00 Daniel Baldwin is better known for his association with his two brothers, Alec and Stephen, than for his own acting career. He?s done a bit of producing and directing work as well, but his most famous exploits are off camera, including a cocaine-induced streaking incident in New York?s Plaza Hotel and arrest for grand theft ...
Heath Ledger Dies of Prescription Painkiller Overdose
2008-01-23 07:11:00 The story according to the New York Post is this: Heath Ledger, the Oscar-nominated actor, died of a pain pill overdose. Was it suicide? They don?t think so. He had prescriptions for the Vicodin and Xanax that were the apparent cause of his death.
Celebrity Drug Rehab Profile: Jeff Conaway
2008-01-21 09:03:00 Jeff Conaway is one of the celebrities on VH1?s Celebrity Drug Rehab, a popular new reality TV show that I?ve talked about here before. I?ve been doing celebrity drug profiles this year as a way to encourage you?either by an example to shoot for or by showing you how bad it can get?and it seems to make sense to do a celeb drug rehab profile on each of the celebs currently sharing their very painful experiences on national television.
Celebrity Drug Rehab Profile: Winona Ryder
2008-01-20 06:56:00 A beautiful woman and an incredible acting talent, Winona Ryder is unfortunately best known for her performance on a security camera in a Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue in November of 2002. She was convicted of grand theft and felony vandalism (i.e. shoplifting) but her sentence took into account the large amount of prescription painkillers in her possession at the time of her arrest and she was ordered to go to drug counseling in addition to paying a $10,000 fine.
History of Opiates: The Facts
2008-01-18 13:00:00 In the last few years, Oxycontin, a synthetic opiate agonist produced by Purdue Pharma, has made headlines across the nation due to it becoming more of a street drug than a medically supervised and intended painkiller.
Addictionologist Agresti Comments On VH1?s Celebrity Rehab
2008-01-15 10:50:00 Dr. Mark Agresti is a leading addictionologist and the operator of Meditox, one of the fastest growing, outpatient opiate detox programs in the United States. He?s seen VH1?s latest reality TV show hit, Celebrity Rehab and, to be blunt, he?s not impressed.
By: Suboxone Blog
The Big Picture of Genetic Influence in Drug Addiction
2008-01-13 21:13:00 A new genetic drug addiction study was published last week in PLoS Computational Biology. According to the report, researchers from the Center for Bioinformatics at Peking University in Beijing have put together the gene atlas that underlies drug addiction and identified five molecular pathways that are commonly found in people who are addicted to four different drugs.
By: Suboxone Blog
Washington DC Will Invest $650,000 In Needle-Exchange Programs
2008-01-08 20:13:00 Much-needed needle-exchange programs are finally making their way into our nation?s capitol?legally, that is, and fully sanctioned and funded by the city. According to the Washington Post, Washington DC plans to invest about $650,000 in needle exchange programs.
By: Suboxone Blog
Doctors Play a Big Part in Painkiller Overuse
2008-01-05 19:41:00 When it comes to drug addiction, everyone wants to point fingers and place blame. As a result, ?blaming the victim? is quite common. Addicts are accused of being weak-willed and at fault for their own addictions, especially when the addiction is opiate prescription medications. How hard is it choose not to take a pill?
Celebrity Rehab Profile: Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem)
2008-01-04 22:28:00 Marshall Mathers, better known as Eminem, is one of the most successful recording artists of the past decade. Each of his three albums have hit number one on the pop charts and 5 of his singles have been in the top 10 with "Lose Yourself" hitting number one. Unfortunately, like many others who share the spotlight with him, Eminem found himself addicted to sleep medications and went to a short-term inpatient rehab to cover.
Genetic Link Found in Family Members with Opioid Dependence
2008-01-03 18:14:00 It is a well known fact that if either of your parents or your grandparents were or are addicted to drugs and alcohol then chances are you will most likely develop an addiction if you decide to use, too. The Yale School of Medicine has further clarified this assumption by identifying a common gene among ...
Celebrity Rehab Profile ? Nicole Richie
2008-01-02 20:44:00 Nicole Richie has suffered in the spotlight: her struggle with maintaining a normal weight, her spat with Paris Hilton, her in and out rehab status for heroin addiction. The gossip columns and paparazzi love to report that she is on her way back to rehab or going AWOL from a rehab facility to hit the shopping mall. At 26 years old, Richie has lived 10 lives in the press and with the conflicting stories from CNN, her press agent and the tabloids, who knows what?s really true?
Large Family Study Pinpoints Genetic Linkage In Drug Addiction
2007-12-31 18:52:00 We?ve known for quite some time now that if your parents or grandparents had issues with addiction that you, too, would have a lower tolerance to drugs and alcohol. Now, researchers at Yale School of Medicine have identified a gene that shows a predilection for addiction to opioid-based drugs like OxyContin, heroin and morphine.
Pros and Cons of Medical Detoxification
2007-12-30 18:36:00 Medical detoxification is a way of breaking an addiction to drugs with the help of a prescription designed to ease the symptoms of withdrawal. The alternative?quitting ?cold turkey??can be painful and even deadly depending on the dosage. A medical detox gives you the benefit of a drug-free life without the nasty physical withdrawal symptoms that would otherwise be a part of the experience.
By: Suboxone Blog
Deadly Mechanism of Methadone
2007-12-29 19:36:00 In 2004, more than 3800 people died from methadone overdose in the United States, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Every year since, overdoses due to methadone have continued to increase by about 20 percent. Once the gold standard in drug addiction treatment, methadone has quickly become one of the most commonly abused prescription opiates on the black market and by legal prescription for chronic pain.
By: Suboxone Blog
The Mechanism of Naloxone in Narcotic Addiction Treatment
2007-12-29 03:54:00 The term ?narcotic addiction treatment? refers to any treatment with the goal of breaking addiction to opioid-based drugs like heroin, morphine, OxyContin, Vicodin and other prescription painkillers. An opiate addiction treatment that makes use of naloxone is especially effective. It can be used alone like when paramedics use it to treat overdose victims or in combination with other drugs like in Suboxone where it is combined with buprenorphine.
By: Suboxone Blog
OxyContin-Making Execs Heavily Fined For Misleading the Public About Addict
2007-12-28 01:54:00 It?s not just the doctors, dealers and users who are getting trouble in the courts these days for excessive use of prescription opiate painkillers. Now Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, a common opioid-based prescription medication, are under the gun. Specifically, three present and former executives at the company were ordered to pay a fine ...
By: Suboxone Blog
Painkiller Abuse
2007-12-26 20:29:00 We?ve been talking a lot this week about the rising rates of painkiller abuse and overdose in the United States. Buying drugs on the street or taking them from ailing family members who are legally prescribed the drugs are common but it seems that news of fraudulent doctors prescribing illegal amounts of opiate painkillers pops up every other day. How extensive is the problem of prescription drug trafficking exactly?
By: Suboxone Blog
Methadone Abuse Worse Than Abuse of Other Prescription Opiates
2007-12-25 09:32:00 It used to be that methadone was considered the drug of choice when it came to treating opiate addiction. However, with its increasing prevalence as a treatment for chronic pain, methadone has joined the ranks of other commonly abused opioid-based drugs like heroin, Vicodin, OxyContin and others. More than any other prescription painkiller, the rate of overdose by methadone has skyrocketed over the past five years. The rate of increase is about 390 percent according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). In 13 percent of overdose fatalities that were reported in the United States, methadone was a contributing or sole cause. Only cocaine kills more people than methadone. Methadone is far less expensive than other opiate pain relievers like OxyContin, so more and more doctors are prescribing it for that reason. Those who are addicted to opiate pain relievers also resort to methadone pills when they run out of their regular, more expensive prescriptions. The Drug En...
By: Suboxone Blog
Utah Doctor Charged for Illegal Painkiller Prescriptions
2007-12-24 19:05:00 More doctors are falling in the Federal search for those involved in illegal trafficking of prescription painkillers. And as we have seen before, doctors are not immune. One of the latest to fall is Dr. Warren Stack of Utah who was charged with 18 criminal counts that include illegal distribution of a controlled substance, conspiracy, health care fraud and money laundering. Up to 80 people a day received prescription opiate medications from Dr. Stack and five of them died because of it.
Methadone Overdose Deaths on the Rise
2007-12-23 21:43:00 Methadone prescriptions are on the rise and so too is the commonality of methadone overdose and death, according to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC). There are two reasons that methadone is prescribed: pain management and opiate drug addiction maintenance. It was rarely used for either purpose until the early ?80s when it was more commonly prescribed as a drug addiction treatment and OxyContin, its chemical cousin, was the prescription of choice for pain management. This quickly changed: the latest report from the NDIC says that methadone prescriptions have increased 715 percent in five years.
By: Suboxone Blog
Online Pharmacies Increasing in Popularity
2007-12-21 18:50:00 Despite the concerted efforts of local police to fight opiate drug trafficking through online pharmacies, the illegal virtual entities grow in number every day and so is the number of their customers. Those who are addicted to prescription painkillers often feel that they ?need? more than what their prescription provides. Easier than finding another doctor to supplement the prescription or a street dealer with the right wares is finding an online pharmacy that offer what you want and however much you want delivered right to your door.
By: Suboxone Blog
Painkiller Use On The Rise
2007-12-20 21:37:00 According to the latest surveys, painkiller use and painkiller prescription is rising every month in the United States. Between 1997 and 2005, the sales of five of the largest pain medications?codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine?rose by 88 percent. The numbers break down to more than 200,000 pounds each year, an average of 300 milligrams of opiate drugs for every American.
Anna Nicole: Prescription Painkiller Overdose
2007-12-19 21:04:00 When they did the autopsy on Anna Nicole Smith last year, Florida officials found the cause to be prescription painkiller overdose. Some of the nine drugs found in her system included methadone as well as a number of anti-anxiety opiate medications. Her son, Daniel, died a few days early, also a victim of prescription opiate medication overdose, methadone and other anti-depression drugs.
VA Pain Doctor Sentenced to Almost Five Years
2007-12-18 18:50:00 The feds are serious about indicting those involved in the illegal selling of prescription painkillers. Latest on the chopping block is a pain doctor in Virginia named William E. Hurwitz who was convicted on 16 counts of drug trafficking. Prosecutors wanted him to get life, but he was sentenced to 25 years, a sentence which was later overturned and cut down to about five years.
Don?t Walk Away and Leave a Friend to DIE Campaign Wins Award
2007-12-17 23:01:00 It?s a great campaign with a great name: Don?t Walk Away and Leave a Friend to DIE?and it won top prize at the Health Business Awards 2007 for its creator, UNISON member Steve Evans, a North West Ambulance paramedic.
Teen Drug Use Influenced By Their Gender And Their Friends
2007-12-16 19:51:00 If you?re worried that your teen or adolescent child is using drugs or drinking alcohol, you may have only to look at the combination of gender and their friends for the definitive answer, according to one new study published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Penn State Gets Grant to Fight Substance Abuse
2007-12-15 23:36:00 The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has granted Penn State University $5.7 million to invest in their continued community development with the goal of making families stronger and helping kids to avoid drug use and addiction.
Drug Addiction on the Rise In Soldiers Stationed in Somalia
2007-12-13 20:41:00 Drug abuse and addiction isn?t just a problem for Americans living in-country. According to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, soldiers stationed in southern and central Somalia are experiencing a noticeable rise in substance abuse and addiction. |
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