Researchers report that geography and finances played a role in the rate of amphetamine, opioid use among pregnant women.
New research points to the troubling rise of amphetamine and opioid use among pregnant mothers is on the rise, particularly in rural areas.
The research, according to Forbes, was conducted by examining 47 million US deliveries over 12 years. The results state that from 2008 to 2015, US births associated with amphetamine use doubled from 1.2 per 1,000 to 2.4 per 1,000. Of those, the majority were from methamphetamine use. Likewise, the rate of opioid use among expectant mothers also grew rapidly in a similar timeframe, quadrupling from 1.5 per 1,000 births to 6.5 per 1,000 births.
According to researchers, geography played a role. By 2014-2015, amphetamine use during pregnancy resulted in “adverse outcomes” in about 1% of deliveries (11.2 per 1,000) in the rural West. Additionally, research shed light on the fact that the greatest amount of opioid misuse during pregnancy was concentrated in the rural Northeast and led to delivery complications in 3% of women (28.7 per 1,000 deliveries).
Research also indicated that higher numbers of expectant mothers using amphetamines and opioids were from poor areas, had public insurance and were non-Hispanic white.
Lead study author Lindsay Admon of the University of Michigan’s Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital stated that in such cases, there are often barriers to the right type of care.
“Early and adequate access to prenatal care for women with substance use has been shown to improve birth outcomes,” Admon said, according to Forbes. “However, geographic disparities have a major impact on the health and well-being of pregnant women and infants. There are significant barriers to obstetric care access in many rural communities, particularly for women with substance use.”
Researchers also discovered that in mothers using amphetamines, the risk of death and birth complications was 1.6 times that of mothers using opioids.
Admon noted in a press release that these results were surprising.
“We know from our previous research on maternal health disparities that there are disproportionately higher rates of substance affected births in rural communities. . . . When we looked at the specific types of substances driving this disparity, we were surprised to find that amphetamine use accounted for such a significant portion,” she added. “Our findings suggest both amphetamine and opioid use are growing public health crises that affect delivery and birth outcomes.”
Admon added that it is vital that medical professionals evaluate pregnant women for substance use disorder.
“It is critical that health providers employ universal screening for substance use early in pregnancy,” Admon stated. “Optimizing access to prenatal care is a crucial mechanism to connect women with the services they need for their health and their baby’s health.”
ARTICLE OVERVIEW:Alcohol poisoning usually occurs with binge drinking. It is a very serious and potentially fatal condition. We review symptoms and what to do in an emergency here.
Alcohol poisoning, or “alcohol overdose”, is a serious and sometimes fatal consequence of drinking too much alcohol in a short period of time. When there is too much alcohol in the bloodstream, your system shuts down. Involuntary actions like
Breathing
Heart rate
Temperature control
and the gag reflex that prevents choking are impaired.When someone is poisoned by alcohol, s/he will eventually stop breathing or choke on their own vomit…leading to coma or death. Even if you survive the poisoning, you can suffer long-lasting brain damage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, on average there are six alcohol poisoning deaths every day or approximately 2,200 a year. Drinking on empty stomach increases your risk for poisoning, as the rate of alcohol absorption is faster. Mixing drugs and alcohol also increases the risk of poisoning. Butcertain groups of people also have an increased risk of alcohol poisoning. These include:
Young people: Teens and adolescents are more likely to binge drink and are not experienced enough to know when to stop. Drinking games also put this group at risk.
Females: Women are usually smaller, have more body fat, and lower total body water content than men. Also, their ability to metabolize alcohol can be affected by menstrual cycle and higher levels of estrogen.
People in poor health: People with poor health are more vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol.
People with low height to weight: In this group of people, alcohol can enter the bloodstream faster.
Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
Knowing the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning might save someone’s life.The usual symptoms include:
Bluish skin color or paleness
Dulled senses
Impaired coordination
Low body temperature
Mental confusion
Seizures
Slow heart rate
Slow or irregular breathing
Sweaty skin
Unconsciousness or difficulty staying conscious
Vomiting
Keep in mind that a person experiencing alcohol poisoning may not have all of the symptoms listed here, and don’t forget that alcohol poisoning can lead to long- lasting brain damage or death.
Always seek medical help when someone passes out.
Alcohol Poisoning BAC
The risk of alcohol poisoning is measured by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). BAC measures the percent of alcohol in your bloodstream, breath or urine. It expresses the weight of ethanol in grams, in 100 milliliters of blood, or 210 liters of breath. In most states, a BAC of .08 is considered legally intoxicated.
As BAC increases, the risk of alcohol poisoning increases as well.
Age, weight, gender, metabolism, and alcohol tolerance are factors that can determine how quickly the body processes alcohol and the amount it can tolerate. That is why two people who have consumed the same amount of alcohol may have different BAC levels.
As BAC increases, the risk of alcohol poisoning increases as well.
Alcohol Poisoning Levels
There are predictable stages of alcohol poisoning, buthow fast an individual will reach each stage and what symptoms will it manifest, depends on metabolism and the factors listed above in the article.
An unconscious person who has been drinking is at risk of dying.
When to Call 911
Deciding if someone has an alcohol poisoning can be tricky. Err on the side of caution instead of risking serious consequences.
If you suspect that someone has alcoholpoisoning, call 911 or the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 for immediate medical assistance. Also, be prepared to give relevant information about the kind of alcohol and the amount the person drank.
So, what can you do while waiting for help to come?
Check their breathing.
If conscious, try keeping them awake.
If possible, try keeping them hydrated.
Keep them in a sitting position.The person’s gag reflex may be impaired so it is important to try keeping the victim in a sitting position in order to avoid choking on his/her vomit and breathing problems.If, however the person lies down turn his/her head on the side to prevent choking. Never lie them on the back.
Never assume that the person will get better if it get some sleep. Be aware that even if someone has stopped drinking, there is risk of alcohol poisoning for some time afterward. That is because the heart keeps pumping and alcohol continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate in the body.
Act immediately!
Don’t hesitate to call 911 or the Poison Control Center.
Poisoning or Hangover?
There is a big difference between alcohol poisoning and a hangover. A hangover occurs when you drink too much and the body responds. It’s like a big, “OUCH!” or a group of unpleasant signs and symptoms to remind you not to do it again. Typically, hangovers after a single night’s drinking go away on their own…but alcohol poisoning requires immediate medical assistance.
Alcohol poisoning is dangerously drinking too much. Binge drinking 4 or more drinks for women or 5 or more drinks for men in a short period of time typically leads to high blood alcohol concentration. Then, alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex. Large doses of alcohol will eventually stop these functions.
As a general rule, the more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk of a problem.
Q: How can you tell the difference between a hangover and poisoning?
A: Count your drinks. What tips the balance from drinking that produces impairment to drinking that puts one’s life in jeopardy varies among individuals. Age, sensitivity to alcohol, gender, speed of drinking, medications you are taking, and amount of food eaten can all be factors.
How Long Does Alcohol Poisoning Last?
Acute poisoning effects can last for as long as you continue drinking, and can be fatal if left untreated. Full recovery may take days, or even weeks, depending on the severity of the case. After being released from hospital, some people can take up to a month to start feeling normal again.
In general, the effects of alcohol are usually felt within 10 minutes and then peak at maximum an hour after consumption. If you binge drink and start experiencing alcohol poisoning symptoms your BAC will continue increasing for 30 – 40 minutes after the last drink. That is because the liver is still processing the alcohol.
But alcohol poisoning can last from hours to several days.The only thing that reverses the effects of alcohol is time…something you may not have if you are suffering from an alcohol overdose.
How to Treat Alcohol Poisoning
Call 911 when you suspect alcohol poisoning. The condition requires advanced treatment techniques. This person is in a life or death situation and needs immediate medical care.Possible interventions can include:
Give activated charcoal.
Give oxygen therapy or use a respirator.
Give vitamins and glucose to prevent further complications.
Monitor vital signs.
Prevent breathing or choking.
Prevent dehydration.
Pump the stomach to minimize the body’s alcohol absorption.
Again, alcohol poisoning is typically treated in an emergency department. Prompt medical treatment is very important in cases of overdose, and doctors have to recognize and treat the dangerous condition. Do not attempt to wake a person up, give them a shower, or have them drink coffee.
Call 911 in any case of suspected alcohol poisoning.
As you’re waiting for medical help, you can:
Monitor airway and breathing.If you know CPR, use it as needed.
Stay with the person at all times.
Turn the person on the side to prevent inhaling of vomit.
Watch for seizures.
Treatment and observation will last until the vital signs return to normal. Full recovery may take days, or even weeks, depending on the severity of the case. During this period, the person may feel depressed, loss of appetite, discomfort, and memory problems.
Can Alcohol Poisoning Kill You?
Yes, alcohol poisoning can be fatal.Very high levels of alcohol in the body can shutdown critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, resulting in death. The following may happen if alcohol poisoning is ignored and/or goes untreated:
Breathing slows, becomes irregular, or stops.
Dehydration can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, or death.
Low body temperature or hypothermia.
Too little blood sugar can lead to seizures.
The heart beats irregularly or stops.
You can chokes on your own vomit.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an average of 6 people die of alcohol poisoning each day in the U.S. Alcohol poisoning deaths affect people of all ages but are most common among middle-aged adults and men. For example, 3 of 4 of those (76%) of alcohol poisoning deaths are among adults ages 35 to 64. Likewise, about 76% of those who die from alcohol poisoning are men.
How to Prevent Alcohol Poisoning
The best way to prevent alcohol poisoning is to drink moderately. Smart drinking can also help prevent problems. Take responsibility and educate yourself about the dangers it encompasses. Implement the following strategies to reduce the chances of overdose:
Don’t accept drinks from stranger or from suspicious sources.
Don’t indulge in rapid binge drinking.
Eat before you drink.
Never mix alcohol with drugs or medication.
Stay hydrated. Drink water in between alcohol.
Stop drinking altogether.
If you crave alcohol and can’t stop drinking, you may need help. Give us a call to learn about rehab.
Don’t Let Alcohol Poisoning Happen
You can prevent alcohol poisoning 100%. Only you can keep your alcohol intake within the safe limits. Monitor what you drink how much you drink and how fast you drink.Know your tolerance and avoid extremes.
If you or a loved one exhibits risky drinking habits, it can be a cry for help. There is always a way out. Recovery is possible. Seeking treatment is sometimes the best option because it helps people to learn to say, “No,” and get their life in control.
Don’t wait, ask for help today.
Our compassionate hotline operators are waiting for your call.
If you need help, feel free to call us. OR, leave us a message in the comments section below. We love to hear from our readers. And we try to answer all real-life comments with a personal and prompt reply.
A breakdown of healthy foods to eat that will help rebuild the health of those in recovery.
Getting clean and sober is a huge accomplishment, one that needs all the support it can get. The foods you eat can dramatically impact the quality of your sobriety, so choosing to eat for the health of your brain is hugely supportive to long-term recovery.
After initially getting clean, many people struggling to stay that way find themselves understandably binging on sugar, caffeine and white bread products to calm the storm within. Unfortunately, the immediate satiation leads over time to worsening coping mechanisms – the opposite of what is needed in early sobriety.
Whole foods (simply meaning foods that have been minimally processed and are free from additives such as preservatives, added sugars, etc.) are the best choice, as nutrients in those foods can increase brain health (which assists in elevating and steadying mood), alleviate some of the symptoms of withdrawal, and speed the body and brain healing process. Organic, whole foods have the benefit of being without pesticide sprays which may put a further burden on an already stressed brain.
US News reports that many rehab clinics serve foods geared toward rebuilding the health of the client. There are specific nutritional elements particularly helpful in this goal. Tyrosine is an amino acid that converts dopamine during the digestion process.
Dopamine is a “feel good” neurotransmitter which is often at abnormally low levels in early recovery. This lack of dopamine is concurrent with low energy and motivation, apathy, a depressed mood and intense substance cravings. Eating tyrosine-rich foods will increase dopamine levels. High-tyrosine foods include bananas, sunflower seeds, soybeans, lean beef, lamb, pork, whole grains and cheese.
L-glutamine is an amino acid that offers immune and antioxidant benefits and can help reduce sugar cravings. L-glutamine heavy foods include dark, leafy greens like kale, spinach and parsley, and beets, carrots, beans, Brussels sprouts, celery, papaya and protein-rich foods like beef, chicken, fish, dairy products and eggs.
Antioxidants in general help to rebuild your immune system and speed the body’s detoxing process during withdrawal. Antioxidant-rich foods include berries like blueberries and strawberries as well as leeks, onions, artichokes and pecans.
GABA is good for lessening early recovery struggles with anxiety, restlessness and insomnia. Kefir (a fermented yogurt-like drink), shrimp and cherry tomatoes are some GABA-rich foods.
Tryptophan is another essential amino acid in the body that helps create serotonin, the famous neurotransmitter that brings an uplifted mood. It is found in a number of foods, including cheese, turkey, lamb, pork, tuna fish, oat bran, and beans and lentils.
Pete Davidson, who has been vocal about his mental health issues, penned a post on Instagram about the cyberbullying he has received due to his former relationship with Ariana Grande.
Comedian and Saturday Night Live writer Pete Davidson is opening up about the online attacks he has fielded since his breakup with Ariana Grande, and while he was dating the singer.
Davidson said that people have bullied him online and in public, bringing up his mental illness and suicidal ideation, during and after his relationship with Grande. The pair started dating in May and quickly got engaged, before splitting up in October.
Davidson has been open about being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in the past and took this opportunity to talk frankly about cyberbullying.
“I’m trying to understand how when something happens to a guy the whole entire world just trashes him without any facts or frame of reference,” Davidson wrote on Instagram on Monday. ”I’ve been getting online bullied and in public by people for 9 months. I’ve spoken about BPD and being suicidal publicly only in the hopes that it will help bring awareness and help kids like myself who don’t want to be on this earth. I just want you guys to know. No matter how hard the internet or anyone tries to make me kill myself. I won’t. I’m upset I even have to say this.”
Davidson was diagnosed in 2017 and has been open about how his mental illness affects him.
“I’ve been having a lot of problems,” he told Marc Maron on the WTF podcast in September 2017, according to Time. “This whole year has been a f—ing nightmare. This has been the worst year of my life, getting diagnosed with this and trying to figure out how to learn with this and live with this.”
However, Davidson told Variety that he has been educating himself in order to learn how to live with his illness.
“The last few years have been real rough with me,” he said. “I took all these mental health classes and really spent a lot of time getting me good.”
In May, he talked about the misconception that people with BPD can’t have healthy relationships.
“Normally I wouldn’t comment on something like this cause fuck you,” he wrote, according to The Cut. “But I been hearing a lot of ‘people with bpd can’t be in relationships’ talk. I just wanna let you know that’s not true. Just because someone has a mental illness does not mean they can’t be happy and in a relationship. It also doesn’t mean that person makes the relationship toxic. Everybody is different and there are a lot of treatments for mental illnesses and I have done/am doing all of them … I just think it’s fucked up to stigmatize people as crazy and say that they are unable to do stuff that anyone can do.”
Lil Xan had announced in November that he intended to enter rehab but he had issues finding a bed in a treatment facility.
Lil Xan has gone to rehab for the first time, according to an Instagram post penned by his girlfriend. Lil Xan, or Diego Leanos, is a 22-year-old rapper from the west coast with a big following. Since the recent overdose deaths of Mac Miller and Lil Peep – both idols of Lil Xan – those around Xan had heightened concerns about his safety.
Lil Xan recently got tattoos memorializing Mac Miller, and CNN reported that Xan said in an interview that Miller’s death made him want to quit music.
Lil Xan entered rehab hoping this would be a new start to his life; he declared his rap moniker would be changed from Xan, which is short for Xanax, to his actual name, Diego.
Diego had announced in November that he intended to enter rehab, but had issues finding a bed in a treatment facility. On December 2, Diego’s girlfriend Annie wrote on his Instagram:
“This sweet angel of mine officially entered rehab this morning. I’m sorry for all the confusion circulating about Diego leaving for rehab,” Smith wrote alongside a photo of Diego. “It’s a tricky thing since people are coming in and out of the facility so often that rooms end up getting switched around and dates can be pushed back. I’m so beyond proud of this precious boy for being the strongest person I know and for wanting to live a better life. Please keep him in your prayers, he is doing his best right now to find peace with himself. We love you all so much, and we appreciate all of the support. I love him beyond words and cannot wait to see what the future holds for our family. xanarchy family – love, Annie”
A later Instagram post, also by Annie, read, “Diego was just admitted into his first treatment. He loves each and every one of you sending good wishes and prayers to him,” she captioned a selfie of the musician. “We thank you all so very much for all of the love and support you are sending his way. He will be back soon, with another top 10 album we love you all xanarchy family ! – love, Annie”
Diego has been public about his ongoing struggle with opioid addiction. In November he told TMZ, “As far as my sobriety goes right now, there was a long period of time where I was clean. But I relapsed. . . . Any other addict would understand that that s—t just happens. You just relapse — you don’t want to — and then you get clean again. It’s like a process. You need treatment and help and sometimes that doesn’t even help. It has to come from within. That’s what I’ve learned.”
Dennis Quaid said in a recent interview that in the midst of his cocaine addiction he was doing two grams a day.
Actor Dennis Quaid, who has said that he did cocaine almost daily during the ’80s, told The Sunday Times this week that during one binge he saw himself being dead, a frightening experience that led the star to put himself in rehab.
“I was doing about two grams a day,” Quaid said, according to People. “I was lucky. I had one of those white-light experiences where I saw myself being dead and losing everything I had worked for my whole life.”
That led Quaid to check into rehab, which he completed in 1990, before marrying actress Meg Ryan in 1991. The pair were married until 2001.
“I would do coke and I would use alcohol to come down,” he said. “I liked coke. I liked it to go out.”
Quaid said that when he stopped using he still experienced cravings for the drug, saying he “missed it for quite a while.” Earlier this year, Quaid said that getting sober was a challenge.
“A lot of it had to be learned,” he said during an interview with People magazine in March “And part of it is just where I come from, I guess. Sometimes your hopes get ahead of your dreams, so you can get disappointed that way. Adversity is the thing that teaches you how to handle that.”
However, these days Quaid, 64, gets his high from working out regularly.
“I’ve always had a high metabolism. I get a high from exercising. I really do,” he said. “I think it does what all those antidepressants are supposed to do.”
He has also taken up meditation, “which puts me into the present moment because that’s all there really is,” he said. “Because either you worry about the future or there’s something about the past, but if you’re in the present moment, then there’s no problem at all. I’m sitting here. I’m just fine.”
Quaid said earlier this year that despite his past drug use and three public divorces, he’s content now.
“I’m most happy when I just kind of get out of my own way and let things happen,” he said. “I’m not the guy that’s living an enlightened experience all the time; I blow my top many times. In life we’re either forced, kicking and screaming, into change—or we learn to cope with it. But I really am at peace now.”
My gabapentin withdrawal symptoms included vertigo from the moment I woke up until about midday, hot flashes that rivaled menopause, daily migraines, and what I prefer to just call intestinal distress.
I started taking gabapentin (generic form of Neurontin) in September 2017, a couple of weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico (where I live). My husband Paul and I own an organic farm with tropical fruit trees and livestock. Well, we still have the animals, but Maria destroyed about 80 percent of our trees. She left behind felled trees, broken tree limbs and organic material from mudslides on our driveway and the road outside our gate.
About two weeks after Maria hit, as Paul and I were cleaning the farm and the stretch of road that runs the length of our property, I noticed nerve pain in my pinky and half of the ring finger on my left hand. At first it was gradual but within a week it was keeping me up at night.
I sat behind a desk for 30 years and I know about ergonomics and some of the causes of nerve problems—such as pinched nerves in necks and carpal tunnel. I adjusted the way I was holding the rake, shovel and machete but the neuropathy didn’t subside.
I saw my doctor who ordered an MRI of my neck. She also gave me a prescription for gabapentin. She knows my family’s history and my fear of genetic predisposition to addiction.
“I know you’re worried about addiction. This isn’t a controlled substance. Its primary indication is for epilepsy but it’s extremely effective on neuropathy. It’s well tolerated. Take 800 milligrams at bedtime.”
Normally I won’t fill new prescriptions until after I’ve had a chance to research the medication, but without Internet or even cell service, I had to trust her.
And it worked well, sort of. The constant pins and needles disappeared overnight, but my fingers had started curling and my hand was becoming weak. The MRI showed nothing abnormal, which made no sense to my doctor. She referred me to a neurosurgeon.
After Hurricane Maria, many doctors’ offices and hospitals were either closed or running at a fraction of capacity because they too didn’t have electricity and were using generators. Since most doctors and clinics were only seeing gravely ill patients during this chaotic time, I had to wait until December to get an appointment—seven weeks away.
By early November I could no longer straighten my pinky and ring finger and my entire left hand was weak. Not only was farm work out of the question, I couldn’t even hold a fork to feed myself. And then I noticed the muscle atrophy—especially between the thumb and index finger. What the hell was happening to me?
Diagnosis: Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Eventually the neuropathy returned, and again, it kept me up at night. In the middle of November, my doctor increased the dose of gabapentin to twice a day. On December 1, I saw the neurosurgeon. By this point I had the signature claw hand associated with cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS). The ulnar is the longest nerve in the arm, running from the neck through the pinky and half the ring finger and is normally protected by the “funny bone.”
The doctor assumed, because of the rapid onset of symptoms, that I had subluxation (dislodged ulnar that was bouncing around), and therefor a very narrow window in which he could operate. He warned my husband and me that even with surgery, my hand could remain deformed and I also might never regain full use of it. He suggested I learn to use dictation software. “I don’t think you’ll ever have enough strength in your hand to write again. I recommend you do physical therapy after the surgery but I’m not overly optimistic.”
The nerve pain was, at times, excruciating. The neurosurgeon increased my gabapentin dosage to 800 milligrams three times a day. Even with this increase to 2400 milligrams daily, it was within the recommended range of between 1200 and 3600 milligrams daily. Twelve days later I had the surgery.
Following surgery, three months of intensive physical therapy and working really hard at home in between my thrice-weekly PT appointments, I regained most of the strength I’d lost. I saw the neurosurgeon at the end of March. Holding the physical therapist’s report that tracked my progress, he said he was very happy with my outcomes—even he was surprised how well I’d recovered. “I think you can start writing again by June. How’s the nerve pain?” He asked me.
It never disappeared, I told him. He said that if I still had neuropathy by six months post-surgery, I was probably stuck with it for life. He recommended I stay on the gabapentin three times a day forever. At the time his recommendation made sense, so I kept taking the medicine, fully accepting that I’d be on it indefinitely.
A Second Opinion I Didn’t Seek
In August I started seeing a new chiropractor for chronic pain in my lower back stemming from an accident I had when I was 18. We covered my medical history and the medications I was taking. Despite my age (nearly 52), I only take vitamins and supplements. Then I got to the gabapentin. “I may be overstepping,” he said, “but if you have ataxia, you shouldn’t take gabapentin. Talk with your doctor but I recommend getting off it as soon as possible.”
I finally did the research I wished I’d been able to do nearly a year earlier. Unfortunately, he was right. I noticed I was losing my balance more often and that I had gained weight. I looked back on the last year and realized I had all the signs of an increased tolerance to and a dependence on gabapentin, but I was also conveniently ignoring some of the negative side effects.
If I went longer than 10 hours without taking a dose, I’d get vertigo and start sweating excessively. With a half-life of five to seven hours, after 10 hours, my body was already going into withdrawal. And the worst part? The neuropathy was returning. These are all normal side effects of using gabapentin, but since there’s less risk of addiction and overdose, doctors routinely prescribe gabapentin in place of opioids.
Never Quit Gabapentin Cold Turkey
A funny thing happens when your eyes are wide open for the first time—it’s like a fog lifting. Horror stories abound about the dangers of quitting gabapentin cold turkey.
I read an article by a woman who was having a hell of a time weaning herself off it. She’d been taking between 1800 and 3600 milligrams a day for 20 years, and her doctor suggested a six-day titration schedule. Then I read this from The Mayo Clinic: “Do not stop using Gabapentin without checking with your doctor. Stopping the medicine suddenly may cause seizures.” Seizures? How did I get here?
I talked with my primary doctor, who suggested a 25 percent reduction every week. The taper was sensible, but it felt too drastic and as someone who is risk averse, I altered it so that the dose decreased in smaller increments and I stayed at each level for a longer period.
My first three weeks were a bitch. I had vertigo from the moment I woke up until about midday. I had hot flashes that rivaled anything menopause could throw at me. I had daily migraines and what I prefer to just call intestinal distress. Nothing I ate agreed with me and I lived on ginger ale.
It was so bad that four days in, I posted the following on my Facebook wall:
At the time of this writing I am two days from being completely off gabapentin. Unless you saw my left hand before surgery, you’d never know it was deformed. I’ve regained close to 100 percent of the strength I lost. I am writing full time again. I’m obviously grateful to the neurosurgeon and physical therapist—who are nothing short of miracle workers.
And you want to know the kicker? The neuropathy isn’t that bad these days. At moments it can be annoying, but it’s not interfering with sleep. I’ve started losing weight again and the fog is lifting.
With hindsight being 20/20, I’m not sure if I would have started using gabapentin. Prior to having surgery to fix subluxation of my ulnar nerve, the neuropathy was unbearable. Gabapentin did what it was supposed to do but I should have started coming off it six to eight months ago, perhaps while I was still in physical therapy.
If gabapentin has been recommended for you, please do your research and talking with your doctor about all the risks and alternatives. Only then can you make an informed decision.
Note: The Fix does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor does anything on this website create a physician/patient relationship. Please consult your physician before beginning or stopping any medication, or if you require medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Have you taken (or stopped taking) gabapentin? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
A new study examined the brain scans of men and women with online gaming disorder to figure out if there were any notable differences.
When it comes to issues with online gaming, men may be more likely to develop problematic habits than women.
According to CNN, new research has revealed that in the brains of men with internet gaming disorder, changes are indicated in the regions of the brain associated with impulsivity. In comparison, the brain scans of women also with the disorder showed no such changes.
Yawen Sun, senior author of the study and diagnostic radiologist at Ren Ji Hospital in China, told CNN via email that males may be more prone to internet gaming disorder. The disorder was only recently added to the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases and is defined as when an “online gamer plays compulsively to the exclusion of other interests, including school and family life.”
“Males with IGD (Internet Gaming Disorder) were found to be more affected by genetic influences than females with IGD,” Sun wrote.
She added that high levels of testosterone in younger males could add to behaviors “such as taking greater risks, being less responsive to punishment, and exhibiting more aggressive behaviors.”
For the study, Sun and fellow researchers sought out 32 men and 23 women, all of whom had internet gaming disorder, as well as 30 males and 22 females without the disorder.
The 105 study participants all had resting-state functional MRI scans, according to CNN. Sun states that this particular type of scan “measures brain activity by detecting associated changes in blood flow.”
In examining the results, the researchers found differences in the brains of men with the gaming disorder versus the brains of men without. In the brains of those affected with the disorder, Sun says there were alterations of brain function in the superior frontal gyrus, which is a part of the prefrontal lobe that has to do with impulse control. When comparing the scans of both sets of women, there were no such differences.
According to Sun, the brain changes that showed in the MRIs “may be one of the risk factors, not the result” of internet gaming disorder.
Sun also stated that “the cortex matures later in males and does not catch up to females in the prefrontal cortex regions by adulthood.” As such, she says younger males have demonstrated less impulse control than their female counterparts.
“Numerous studies, including neuroimaging studies, have found that IGD and substance addiction share similar neural mechanisms,” Sun said. “I speculate that males are more susceptible to the effects of long-term online-game playing in comparison with females,” she added.
Sun says more research is needed but that doing such research in China may prove difficult.
“Most parents in China do not regard IGD as a disease,” she said. “They think there is no need to do the MRI examination.”
A new study examined the impact of pet ownership on people with treatment-resistant depression.
It’s no secret that animals can bring people joy, but a new study indicates that adopting a pet could prove particularly beneficial for those with severe depression.
The study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, found that for those with severe depression that was not easily treatable, adopting a pet could help lessen symptoms.
Jorge Mota Pereira and Daniela Fonte, two Portuguese researchers, recruited 80 study participants who had “treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.” They encouraged each one to adopt a pet. Of the 80 participants, 33 agreed to adopt, with 20 individuals choosing a dog and seven choosing a cat.
According to The Independent, over the following 12 weeks, the participant’s depression symptoms were studied during checkups at four and eight weeks.
The results at the end of the study implied that adopting the pet had been beneficial for some. More than 33% of the group, according to the Independent, had higher scores on depression rating systems like the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, and the scores were considered mild rather than severe.
According to the study’s authors, one reason for this may be that the level of care a pet requires could impact depression symptoms positively.
“By having the responsibility of taking care of an animal, people have to get up in the morning to take care of the animal, namely pet them and feeding them,” the researchers wrote, according to Bustle. “In the specific case of dogs, the need of taking a dog for a walk, hike and run promotes the increase of physical activity and could help its owner to meet new people that also have pets, sharing experiences and improving their social skills.”
The researchers concluded that owning a pet could be an “effective adjuvant” to more traditional depression treatments.
“So, although pet-adopters and the controls were matched for baseline depression symptoms, there may have been other ways that they differed,” he writes. “For instance, perhaps there was something different about the personalities or social circumstances of the pet adopters that contributed to their willingness to adopt a pet and to their higher remission rates (raising the possibility that the pet adoption itself was not the main ‘active ingredient’ in their recovery).”
Michael Bloomberg wrote about his intentions to fight the opioid epidemic in the 10 states hit hardest by it in a recent op-ed.
Former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced that he will spend $50 million to fight the opioid epidemic, focusing on 10 states that are hardest-hit by drug overdoses.
“The opioid epidemic is a national health crisis of historic proportion. Yet the federal government is still not tackling it with the urgency it requires,” Bloomberg wrote in an op-ed for USA Today. “What’s truly needed is a comprehensive strategy that includes the policy changes necessary to stem the epidemic and overcome barriers to treatment. We are not waiting around for the federal government to provide that strategy.”
Grants will be made through Bloomberg Philanthropies, beginning with a three-year grant to Pennsylvania, which is expected to be about $10 million, according to TheWashington Post. Pennsylvania has an overdose rate of about twice the national average but also has an innovative approach to fighting drug addiction, including an Opioid Command Center that meets weekly. The Bloomberg grant will help support that and similar programs aimed at reducing the overdose death rate.
“States have already been leading in ways Washington hasn’t, and foundations can offer resources and expertise that can help them accelerate their work now,” Bloomberg wrote.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said that his state was chosen because they’re already doing good work in fighting the opioid epidemic but still have lots of problems to confront.
“I think Bloomberg Philanthropies was looking for a commonwealth or a state that was actually doing something,” Wolf told The Washington Post. “What I would hope is we can use the $10 million as a really generous add-on to the kinds of things we’re already doing.”
Bloomberg hopes to fund initiatives that can be replicated and help solve the overdose epidemic nationally.
“What we think we can do with $50 million is show the way in these 10 states,” Bloomberg said. “If they do things that we think make sense, then we will help fund it.”
It was not immediately clear which other states would benefit from Bloomberg’s grant money. However, the philanthropist hopes that the funds will make a difference to families across the nation.
“The pain, suffering, and death from opioid abuse is truly a national emergency. In just the time it took to read this commentary, another child has been removed from his or her parents’ care because of a parent’s opioid use,” he wrote. “Solving this crisis will not be easy. But states have a chance to show the federal government that bolder actions can save lives. And with so many communities crying out for leadership, there is no time to waste.”
