Category: Addiction News

New Bill Aims To Deregulate Buprenorphine & Other Addiction Treatment Meds

The proposed bill would remove the extra barrier that prevents all doctors from being able to prescribe opioid treatment meds.

The movement to deregulate drugs that treat opioid addiction is gaining steam in New York with the support of 18 state public health directors and U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, who will soon introduce federal legislation to make it easier for doctors to prescribe medications like buprenorphine.

Currently, prescribers need special training and permission to give out addiction treatment drugs which they don’t need to prescribe opioid pain medications like oxycodone. The proposed bill would remove that extra barrier.

“These professionals can use their training and skill and ability to provide medication for treatment of pain,” said Tonko to STAT News. “But when it comes to addressing the illness of addiction, they have to jump through additional hoops.”

Buprenorphine, a major ingredient in medications like Suboxone, is an opioid initially designed to relieve pain without producing as many side effects as morphine. Though it is possible to abuse and become addicted to buprenorphine, opioid-tolerant individuals are generally unable to get high on controlled doses. It can therefore be used to treat cravings and withdrawal symptoms without getting patients high.

Opponents have expressed concern that deregulation could result in an increase in diversion and misuse of these drugs. However, addiction experts say that most illegal use of buprenorphine and similar drugs is used to treat addiction rather than for recreation. If access to addiction-treating drugs is expanded, they argue, non-prescription use should decrease.

“We want people to be getting medication from health care providers,” says addiction medicine specialist Dr. Sarah Wakeman. “The question with buprenorphine diversion is how you best reduce its non-prescribed use—and the answer is probably expanding access to treatment.”

Less than 7% of health professionals hold the DEA waivers necessary to prescribe addiction treatment medications. Currently, physicians need to go through an extra eight hours of training in order to obtain these waivers, and nurses and physician assistants have to complete 24 hours of training.

The lack of available prescribers means that even those who seek out addiction treatment may have to see a different health professional just to obtain a prescription for buprenorphine.

In March 2019, two physicians published a call for the deregulation of buprenorphine, saying that it could save thousands of lives. They cited the example of France, which removed additional restrictions on prescribing opioid addiction treatment drugs in 1995 and saw an 80% decrease in opioid overdose cases in the following years.

With opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. drawing close to 50,000 each year, even “just” a 50% decrease could save tens of thousands of lives.

View the original article at thefix.com

4 May 2019
How to Find the Best Rehab for Tranxene Addiction
Looking for a Tranxene rehab? Our guide can help you find the right treatment center.

Table of Contents

1. What is Tranxene and How is it Used?
2. Possible Symptoms in Tranxene/Clorazepate Users
3. Tranxene Dependence
4. Tranxene Addiction
5. Possible Symptoms of Tranxene Abuse and/or Addiction
6. Detox Comes Before Active Treatment in Rehab
7. Next Stop: An Addiction Treatment Program
8. Outpatient Care and Inpatient Care
9. Proven Treatment and Recovery Options
10. Picking the Right Addiction Program

If you or someone you know has a Tranxene addiction, your future well-being depends on your ability to find the appropriate resources for treatment. However, what do you do when you can’t tell quality programs from those that don’t meet accepted standards for care?

First, you must increase your understanding of how substance abuse can turn into addiction. In addition, you must spend some time learning the basics of effective rehabilitation. And to receive the best possible care, you must also learn how to focus on programs that combine core addiction expertise with personalized plans suitable for even the most unique treatment circumstances.

What is Tranxene and How is it Used?

Tranxene is the branded trade name of a medication called clorazepate (i.e., clorazepate dipotassium). It belongs to a widely prescribed group of substances called benzodiazepines. Members of this group can be used as anti-anxiety treatments (i.e., anxiolytics), sedatives or tranquilizers. Each approved use is based on benzodiazepines’ ability to decrease the amount of activity generated in your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

Tranxene and other members of this large family achieve an activity decrease by boosting levels of a natural chemical in your brain called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). When GABA levels rise, they essentially limit the maximum speed at which individual nerve cells can communicate. To a person who takes a benzodiazepine, this effect translates into feelings such as sedation (a reduced sense of irritation or agitation), calmness and relaxation.

Given the similarities in the ways these prescription drugs work, it’s not surprising that they share large parts of their chemical structures. However, their impact is far from identical. While there’s plenty of overlap, any given benzodiazepine can differ from its family members in three basic ways. First, it can reach your bloodstream at a faster or slower rate. Once it reaches your brain, its effects can last for a shorter or longer amount of time. And once it loses its effectiveness, it can take a shorter or longer period of time to clear your system.

The differences in how benzodiazepines act in your body are tied to the specific reasons that doctors prescribe them. Some medications of this type act as frontline treatments for seizure disorders. Others act as treatments for alcohol withdrawal or as temporary relief for severe cases of insomnia. In addition, benzodiazepines are often used as short- or long-term treatments for a group of mental illnesses known as anxiety disorders.

Tranxene’s most common use is as an anxiety disorder treatment. Your doctor may prescribe it for either short-term symptom relief or ongoing control of long-term symptoms. Doctors also sometimes use it to ease the symptoms of both seizure disorders and alcohol withdrawal. The prescription drug comes in the form of a standard, non-extended-release tablet. Three dosage strengths are available.

When you take Tranxene,its effects take hold quite rapidly. In fact, it will begin to alter your brain function in as little as half an hour. The medication is also short-acting. Depending on your level of intake and other factors, it takes only three to eight hours for an individual dose to wear off.

In the U.S., clorazepate is also available under the brand name Gen-Xene. In addition, you may receive a generic equivalent labeled as clorazepate dipotassium. When used illicitly, prescription drugs are sometimes identified by specific street names. But Tranxene does not appear to have a commonly used informal name. Benzodiazepines in general, however, may be referred to by street names such as:
- Benzos
- Tranks
- Blues
- Chill Pills
- Downers
Possible Symptoms in Tranxene/Clorazepate Users

If you take Tranxene or generic clorazepate, you may develop any one of a range of side effects. Specific symptoms you may experience include:
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue
- Sleepiness
- Headaches
- A confused mental state
- A nervous mental state
- Lack of normal saliva production
Medical attention is only required if these symptoms persist over time or take a severe form.

Use of the medication can also trigger side effects that always require immediate evaluation by a doctor. This list of symptoms in this more serious category includes:
- The appearance of a rash on your skin
- Blurry vision
- Double vision
- Slurring of your speech
- Involuntary muscle tremors
- Loss of your normal sense of balance
You should also contact your physician if any other unexpected symptoms appear.

Long-acting benzodiazepines are known for their potential to trigger an overdose. This power is due, in large part, to the amount of these substances that can build up in your bloodstream over time. Since your body eliminates Tranxene rapidly, its use does not come with the same degree of overdose concern. Despite this fact, an overdose is still possible if you use this prescription drug in excessive amounts.

You can seriously increase your chances of life-threatening problems if you ever combine the use of clorazepate with the use of opioid drugs or medications. The same fact applies if you drink alcohol while taking the medication. Why?

Opioids and alcohol both slow down your central nervous system, just like Tranxene and other benzodiazepines. When you take these substances together, they have an additive effect. This means you will experience more of a system slowdown than you would if you took any of these substances by themselves. The effect can easily exceed your body’s limits for normal, safe function. The end result can be a medical emergency with symptoms such as extreme drowsiness, intense lightheadedness, slowed breathing or other breathing problems, and unresponsive loss of consciousness.

The combination of opioids and benzodiazepines is of particular concern. That’s true because many people who hold prescriptions for Tranxene or similar treatments also hold prescriptions for opioid painkillers. In these situations, even small errors in dosage or increases in consumption can have major negative consequences. In fact, nearly one-third of all Americans who overdose on an opioid also have a benzodiazepine circulating in their systems.

Tranxene Dependence

Dependence is a possibility even if you take Tranxene at dosages prescribed by your doctors. Doctors and other health experts use the term dependence to describe certain changes in your normal brain function. These changes make your brain reliant on continued medication use in order to maintain a stable chemical environment. Dependence may be more likely if you take this prescription drug as a long-term treatment for seizures or anxiety.

If you bring your intake to a quick halt after dependence sets in, you stand a high chance of developing a significant case of Tranxene withdrawal. The same issue can also appear if you abruptly switch from a high dosage of the medication to a low dosage. Potential withdrawal symptoms you may experience include:
- Seizures or convulsions
- Memory disruptions
- A nervous or irritable mental state
- Insomnia
- Abdominal cramps
- Achy or cramping muscles
- Unusual sweating
- Uncontrollable body tremors
- Diarrhea
- A confused mental state
- Vomiting
If you take high dosages of a short-acting benzodiazepine like Tranxene, your symptoms may take a severe form.

Despite the potential for withdrawal, clorazepate dependence is not synonymous with addiction. If you become dependent, your doctor can alter your dosage or take other steps to manage your health and help you remain functional. In stark contrast, the hallmark of addiction is an unstable state of health that disrupts your ability to avoid serious, substance-related harm.

Tranxene Addiction

Some people may become addicted even when using the medication appropriately. However, addiction is more often associated with some form of prescription drug misuse or abuse. You can misuse or abuse clorazepate in three ways. First, if you don’t have a prescription for it, intake of even a single dose of Tranxene is illicit and improper. You can also engage in misuse/abuse if you hold a prescription but fail to follow the terms of that prescription. In these circumstances, consumption of individual excessive doses qualifies as abuse or misuse. You also meet the same standard if you consume normal doses at intervals that are too close together.

Tranxene addiction falls under the larger heading of an officially defined mental health condition called sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic use disorder. Doctors and addiction specialists can also apply this diagnosis to cases of non-addicted abuse that are serious enough to disrupt key aspects of your life.

Possible Symptoms of Tranxene Abuse and/or Addiction

You can have a maximum of 11 separate symptoms of sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic use disorder. At the low end, you must suffer from at least two of these symptoms in a 365-day timespan to receive a diagnosis. In moderately affected people, four or five symptoms are present. At least six symptoms affect the health of severely impacted people. When making a diagnosis in Tranxene users, doctors and other experts check for:
- Repeated use of excessive single doses of the prescription drug
- A recurring pattern of taking it too often
- The appearance of strong substance cravings during various times of the day
- Reliance on medication misuse/abuse as a favored leisure activity
- Tolerance to the drug effects of typical doses of Tranxene
- Use of the medication that repeatedly endangers your own physical safety or that of others
- Refusing to change your habitual use after it produces obvious signs of harming your mental or physical well-being
- Refusing to change your habitual use after it produces obvious signs of disrupting your most meaningful relationships
- Scheduling your day around your need to obtain the medication, use it or recover from its drug effects
- Shirking or otherwise failing to meet important obligations as a result of your prescription drug use
- Appearance of the same withdrawal syndrome that affects dependent users of Tranxene
Detox Comes Before Active Treatment in Rehab

Before you can undertake active enrollment in a substance program, you must go through a course of medical detox (also known as medical detoxification). Detox is designed to provide proper support while you break away from your habitual pattern of substance abuse/misuse. It can take months to go through this process if you’re addicted to a long-acting benzodiazepine. However, it takes far less time to detox from a short-acting product like clorazepate.

Benzodiazepine detox differs from many other forms of medical detoxification. To begin with, it does not involve the use of other types of medications to ease the intensity of your withdrawal symptoms. Instead, effective treatment is provided by gradually lowering your level of benzodiazepine consumption. This approach aims to stabilize your system while keeping you as free as possible from any withdrawal-related problems. At this stage, you may undergo a switch to a less powerful option from the same prescription drug family. Diazepam (Valium) is the common treatment choice in these circumstances.

During detox, your doctor may aim to completely halt your medication intake. This abstinence-based approach prepares you for a life in which benzodiazepine use does not play a role. However, if you have ongoing problems with an anxiety disorder or seizure disorder, your doctor may decide to take another approach. Instead of halting intake use altogether, you may taper down to a lower level of intake. In this way, you will still receive the help you need for your anxiety or seizure symptoms.

Next Stop: An Addiction Treatment Program

The efforts you make to complete detox can quickly go to waste if you don’t continue on to enrollment in addiction treatment. For this reason, rehab is considered an essential component of any recovery process. There are several reasons why rehabilitation plays such a vital role.

Perhaps most importantly, detox does not provide you with an opportunity to understand how and why addiction has become part of your life. It also doesn’t help you address the underlying behaviors and attitudes that help keep a pattern of substance abuse alive. In contrast, these important objectives are at the core of effective rehab programs.

Rehab addiction treatment also supports your recovery in other ways. For example, while you’re enrolled in treatment, your care team will help you avoid relapsing back into active substance abuse. During participation, you can also reduce or eliminate your exposure to places or situations that make abuse more probable.

Outpatient Care and Inpatient Care

In consultation with your doctor, you can choose the best setting for receiving required care. If you only suffer from two or three symptoms of addiction, your doctor may recommend that you enroll in outpatient treatment. This form of care gives you the freedom to live at home while still receiving the help needed to support your recovery. To gain access to that help, you make regular visits to your program’s main location.

If you suffer from more than three addiction symptoms, your doctor may instead recommend that you seek help by enrolling in inpatient treatment. This form of care requires you to reside onsite for the duration of your rehab program. While in residence, you receive ongoing oversight from your care team.

This ready availability cuts down any risks for unforeseen treatment complications. And if complications do occur, you’ll have prompt access to medical assistance. Inpatient addiction treatment also simplifies the process of modifying or updating the specifics of your recovery plan. If you’re severely impacted by addiction, you may go through a period of hospitalization before continuing on to an inpatient facility.

Even if you only experience two or three symptoms of Tranxene addiction, inpatient care may be better for you than outpatient care. That’s especially true if you have an anxiety disorder, personality disorder (PD) or any other life-disrupting mental health condition. When they overlap, substance issues and separate mental health issues can make a successful recovery much more difficult to achieve. Residential treatment may be essential for providing the needed level of help.

You may also decide to enter residential rehabilitation for a couple of other reasons. For example, your home life might not be stable enough to support your recovery needs. In addition, you may want to purposefully isolate yourself so you can avoid any harmful influences in your daily life. Conversely, you may choose outpatient care over inpatient care if you lack the funds or scheduling flexibility for residential treatment.

Proven Treatment and Recovery Options

Unlike some types of substance treatment, benzodiazepine-related care does not focus on the use of medication. Instead, most of the assistance you receive will come in the form of behavioral psychotherapy. This modern school of treatment uses active methods to help you address the deep-seated habits that provide support for abuse and addiction.

If you’re addicted to a benzodiazepine, you have three evidence-based options for behavioral psychotherapy. Perhaps the most common choice is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT starts by helping you realize how your typical behaviors and thoughts can bind you to a cycle of addiction. It follows up on this insight by helping you make changes that break that cycle and promote short- and long-term sobriety.

Programs may also use a motivation-based therapy designed to help you come to grips with the need for addiction treatment rehab. A specific approach called motivational enhancement therapy is often used for this purpose. In addition, you may receive something called psychoeducation. This family-centered approach to therapy helps you and your loved ones improve your knowledge of addiction and its widespread impact. It also helps you learn how to speak up for yourself during treatment and voice any concerns.

Picking the Right Addiction Program

Now that you’ve improved your understanding of how programs for Tranxene addiction treatment work, you can begin choosing the right program for your needs. For starters, you should exclude any option that does not follow the accepted model for proper treatment. That model is based on medical detox followed by active recovery techniques proven to produce benefits.

Any program you consider should be staffed with experienced experts who know how to deal with addiction in its many forms. A call to that program’s hotline should provide you with ready answers to all your questions. If necessary, the person you speak to should also be able to direct you to additional resources.

At the start of treatment, the first thing you should expect is an intake interview that includes a complete health assessment. That assessment should cover all topics that have an impact on your odds for effective rehabilitation. In addition to your addiction symptoms, that includes the presence or absence of PD, anxiety disorders or other notable mental illnesses.

Be aware that the best programs do much more than cover the basics in a competent way. They take a wider perspective that views addiction as just one part of your unique personal situation. By doing so, they make it much more likely that you will make effective progress on your path to sobriety. Specific things to look for in exemplary programs include supportive care options (e.g., stress management, yoga) and advanced treatments like EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing).

Bear in mind that the right facility improves your odds for success, but it won’t do the work for you. The main factor in your recovery remains your commitment to the process. But without a doubt, it’s best to maximize your chances by choosing your treatment destination wisely.

View the original article at thefix.com
4 May 2019
Can Watching Intense TV Shows & Movies Relieve Stress?

A survivor described to The Fix how she felt empowered while watching a traumatic storyline on a season of “Dexter.”

Psychological research has shown that for some, watching high-stress drama can actually relieve feelings of stress.

One reason for this is that viewers watching a traumatic event that they themselves experienced can feel that their experience is being normalized—not in the sense that it’s common, but that it is a part of the human experience. This reduces feelings of shame and self-loathing that can be the result of post-traumatic stress disorder after a trauma.

Alaina Leary, an editor and communications manager in Boston, wrote about her own experience of this phenomena for Hello Giggles. After being raped in college, Leary found that watching crime shows such as Dexter or horror shows such as The Vampire Diaries actually had a sedating effect.

Leary spoke with The Fix about her experience watching Dexter in the context of her rape. “I could see a survivor (Lumen, the woman Dexter saved, played by Julia Stiles) onscreen dealing with her trauma. In season five, Lumen goes from a traumatized, terrified person to a strong, confident person who has done a lot of healing from what happened to her.”

Despite the unlikely plot turns that occurred, Leary still felt empowered by the story playing out on the screen. “Lumen experiences very real effects of trauma like nightmares, panic attacks, specific triggers, and difficulties with trust/physical touch,” Leary explains. “I experienced all those things as a survivor too and it was powerful to see that portrayed in a narrative where the survivor heals, moves on, and lives their life.”

Those who have experienced trauma may find themselves caught in what is called reenactment, where the adult person recreates a traumatic experience, with themselves in a position of mastery, in order to gain a feeling of control over the events. The publication Psychiatric Clinics of North America notes that, “The only reason to uncover traumatic material is to gain conscious control over unbidden re-experiences or re-enactments.”

In other words, in order for it to be helpful to provoke stress through watching TV, movies or theater, the viewer must be aware of what is occurring inside themselves. Leary was conscious of what was happening as she watched stressful shows, and found it healing.

“I could channel my emotions into the characters while getting my own sense of healing through therapy and art,” Leary told The Fix. “I am someone who lives with love, compassion, and vulnerability, instead of mistrust, anger, and resentment. Those are my active choices. I get to decide who I am today.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 May 2019
Harvard, MIT Receive $9 Million Gift For Cannabis Research

The donation is the largest ever earmarked for marijuana research.

An investor who made millions investing in the medical cannabis market in Canada has donated $9 million to Harvard and MIT to find research on cannabis. The $9 million gift is the largest donation ever earmarked for marijuana research.

“Our desire is to fill the research void that currently exists in the science of cannabis,” Bob Broderick, a Harvard alumni, told the school.

Broderick hopes that the gift, which will be divided evenly between the two universities, will empower researchers to commit to studying cannabis, despite federal regulations and limitations on marijuana research.

“People take risks when they say, ‘I’m going to start doing cannabis work,’ ” Broderick told WBUR. “For a young researcher at MIT or Harvard to say, ‘I’m going to pivot my career and study the effects of cannabis,’ I don’t think that’s something that would have happened five years ago.”

Broderick said that it’s important for everyone that more research be done on cannabis and its health effects.

“And that’s going to be good for all of us,” he said. “A majority of Americans live in a regulatory environment that has either medical or recreational cannabis.”

Bruce Bean, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, said that the gift will allow researchers to learn more about THC and CBD, but also begin studying the hundred other cannabinoid compounds in marijuana.

“Even for [THC and CBD], I have to say our knowledge is very, very sparse in terms of how they actually have their effects on the brain. But for many of the other hundred cannabinoids or so we know — we really know nothing,” Bean said.

MIT professor and researcher Myriam Heiman studies the effect of cannabis on symptoms of schizophrenia. Her lab will receive $1 million of Broderick’s gift.

“We were saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to study this?’” she said. “And then this gift comes along and really is enabling us to do everything we wanted to do.”

John Gabrieli, another MIT professor who studies marijuana, will use $1 million to help fund research into the effects of cannabis for people with schizophrenia and autism. He said that marijuana use is already widespread among people with mental illness, so it’s important that research catch up with this current use and understand the health effects for this population.

“That’s why we need the science,” he said. “Because right now, it’s happening without the science, and it’s likely to happen all the more as marijuana becomes highly available legally in many states.”

Broderick hopes that his donation will inspire other philanthropists to help fund cannabis research.

“My thought is that this is the largest gift to support cannabis research, but it’s not going to be the largest for long,” he said.

View the original article at thefix.com

3 May 2019
Drinking While Pregnant Becoming More Common In The US

More than 10% of women reported drinking alcohol while pregnant, according to a new survey.

Over one in nine pregnant women consume at least one drink per month and about 4% engage in binge drinking—consuming more than four drinks at a time—according to a new survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

These numbers come from between 2015 and 2017, and are up from 2011 to 2013. In the earlier period, a little over one in 10 women drank while pregnant with a bit over 3% engaged in binge drinking.

Any amount of alcohol consumption while pregnant is considered to be unsafe for the developing embryo or fetus by the CDC.

Rates of drinking while pregnant appear to be associated with stress levels. Unmarried women were found to be twice as likely to consume alcohol during pregnancy and three times as likely to binge drink, and researchers pointed to the “financial stress associated with being the sole provider as well as lack of social support” as a possible factor. The youngest age group surveyed, ages 18-24, were also the most likely to binge drink. However, the age group most likely to drink at all was the oldest, ages 35-44.

In spite of the many warnings against drinking while pregnant, the idea that it’s safe for pregnant women to drink small amounts persists. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, even a single glass of wine increases the risk of health problems and fetal or infant death.

“There is no safe amount of alcohol when a woman is pregnant,” says their fetal alcohol syndrome FAQ page. “Evidence-based research has found that drinking even small amounts of alcohol while pregnant can increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, or sudden infant death syndrome.”

These risks increase substantially the more a pregnant woman’s blood alcohol level increases, making binge drinking even once during pregnancy more dangerous than an occasional single drink.

At the same time, a study published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2017 found that drinking and alcohol dependence are on the rise in the U.S., particularly among women and people of color.

The study found that “high-risk drinking,” defined the same as binge drinking in the CDC survey, increased by 58% among women from 2002 to 2013.

The CDC survey also found that women who engaged in binge drinking before becoming pregnant were more likely to do so during pregnancy.

To address the problem, the CDC recommends regulating the number of stores that sell alcohol in a given area, screening and counseling for “unhealthy alcohol use” for all adults 18 and older, and “alcohol use screening for all women seeking obstetric-gynecologic care, including counseling patients that there is no known safe level of alcohol use during pregnancy.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 May 2019
Doctor Receives 20-Year Sentence For Reckless Opioid Prescribing

The Manhattan doctor was convicted on 10 counts of unlawful distribution of oxycodone without legitimate medical purpose.

A family doctor based in Manhattan’s Upper East Side was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday (April 30) for recklessly prescribing opioid painkillers that played a role in one patient’s fatal overdose.

Dr. Martin Tesher, 83, was convicted in July of 10 counts of unlawful distribution of oxycodone without legitimate medical purpose to five patients, including 27-year-old Nicholas Benedetto.

In March of 2016, two days after visiting Tesher and receiving prescriptions for oxycodone and fentanyl patches, Benedetto fatally overdosed on the drugs.

According to SILive.com, one month before his death, Benedetto’s mother called Tesher asking him to stop giving her son prescriptions because he needed treatment. She told authorities that her son was smoking the fentanyl patches.

Tesher prescribed oxycodone and fentanyl patches to Benedetto and four other patients “after he learned, or had reason to believe, that these patients were addicted to drugs,” according to the Justice Department.

An expert witness testified that none of them “had verified medical conditions that would require the prescription of Schedule II opioids.”

Benedetto, while under the doctor’s care, tested positive for cocaine, heroin, morphine and methadone in addition to the oxycodone and fentanyl prescribed by Tesher.

Twenty years was the minimum sentence Tesher faced for his crime. The maximum was life in prison.

“In the midst of an unprecedented opioid epidemic, Dr. Tesher used his medical skills to harm, not heal and in doing so he cost a young man his life,” said U.S. Eastern District Attorney Richard Donoghue. “Such criminal conduct is an utter betrayal of the trust our society places in doctors and it warrants the severe sentence imposed today.”

The DOJ has recently cracked down on health care providers and drug companies accused of playing a role in fueling the opioid crisis.

Also last month, 60 people were indicted for the illegal prescribing of painkillers including doctors, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and other licensed medical professionals.

According to the Washington Post, the indictment included “doctors who prosecutors said traded sex for prescriptions and a dentist who unnecessarily pulled teeth from patients to justify giving them opioids.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 May 2019
David Carr’s Daughter Pens Memoir About His Life and Addiction

Erin Carr’s memoir details the pain and joy of life with her father, as well as her own experiences with alcohol dependency.

The loss of New York Times columnist and author David Carr, who died in 2015, was felt keenly throughout the journalistic world, as well as by those in recovery impacted by his powerful 2008 memoir The Night of the Gun, which detailed his lengthy and destructive dependency on drugs and alcohol.

But few felt the loss of Carr from their lives like his daughter, documentarian Erin Lee Carr, whose relationship with her father was marked by both complexity – in the depths of his dependency, he put Erin and her twin sister, Megan, into foster care before seeking sobriety – and deep emotional connection.

Carr has written her own memoir, All That You Leave Behind, which details the pain and joy of her life with Carr, as well as her own experiences with alcohol dependency.

Carr, whose work as a documentary director includes 2017’s Mommy Dead and Dearest and the upcoming I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter, said that writing the book was a way of retaining a connection to her father, despite the emotional turmoil it produced.

“I was with him, in a way,” she told NPR. “I really wanted to educate myself in all things David Carr, not just the father which I experienced. But I found it to be so painful to, like, to get access to him in his words in these emails and yet not have him anymore.”

Delving deep into her father’s life in dependency, and by extension, her own life as a young girl during that period, also had its emotional perils. Carr recalled a similar experience while reading her father’s memoir, which reminded her that he had left her and her sister alone in a car while buying drugs. “I sort of choked on the emotion,” she said. “I thought how close I came to not being there anymore.

“It wouldn’t be the last time he would put my life at risk because of drugs and alcohol. We said something in our family: that drugs explain everything, and excuse nothing. So we had to reconcile that he was still the person that left us alone.”

But just as her father would be at the core of some of her darkest experiences, Carr said that he also served as a beacon for her to emerge from her own struggles with alcohol. After relapsing on the six-month anniversary of his death, Carr recalled telling herself that a life in addiction was not the life her father wanted for her.

“I took it very seriously, because I was trying to work towards him, what he did,” she said. “He was part of my decision to get sober, and I’ve been sober since August 23, 2015. And it is crazy what has happened since then. I could not have written this book if I was drinking. There is no way.”

Carr’s life and career have bloomed in remarkable ways since gaining sobriety – in addition to the book, she also completed At the Heart of Gold, about the sex abuse scandal involving former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, for HBO – but her success has a bittersweet patina.

“Just being able to call him and ask him a question – I mean, he was brilliant,” she said. “When I no longer had that, the only voice I could really listen to at the moment was myself. And so I think that he had to leave and pass away in order for me not to rely so heavily on him.

“But… I would completely rather have him be here and me have no work. I think that is the most profound loss I will ever experience, and nothing that has happened outweighs the pain of him being gone.”

View the original article at thefix.com

3 May 2019
Heroin detox timeline: How long to detox from heroin?
What are detox from heroin symptoms and how long will they last? The intensity, duration, and resolution or heroin withdrawal symptoms are dependent on age, usage amount and length of use. For example, older people who have been using higher doses for a longer period of time will typically experience longer, more difficult withdrawal from heroin.

But how long does heroin detox typically last? And what can you expect? We review here, and invite your questions about heroin detox or signs of addiction to heroin in the comments section at the end.

Heroin detox duration and length

The process of heroin detox can vary in time and intensity. In fact, there are many factors involved in heroin detox duration, such age, length of usage, and heroin dosage amounts. In general, a typical heroin detox usually lasts for up to 7 days. So, when does detox begin? Heroin withdrawal symptoms usually begin 6-12 hours after the last dose, persist for 1-3 days (peaking at 72 hours after last dose), and gradually become less intense over the course of 5-7 days. Acute withdrawal from heroin begins with anxiety and craving, reaches its climax between 36 and 72 hours, and decreases substantially within 5 days. On the other hand, protracted withdrawal symptoms (PAWS) may persist for a few months beyond the period of acute withdrawal.

Heroin detox timeline

Days 1 – 2

The first two days are usually the most difficult to get through, as they present with the most severe symptoms of detox from heroin. Withdrawal symptoms usually start to appear within 12 hours after the last dose was takenand manifest as light symptoms of discomfort. The most noticeable symptoms during this period include muscle aches and pain. Some people may experience severe muscle pain in these first days. Along with the pain, other symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, and insomnia. Anxiety and/or panic attacks are also common.

Days 3 – 5

During this period of detox, the worst of discomfort usually passes, but has not yet completely resolved. Proper eating is important at this time, in order to boost immune system response. Shivers, abdominal cramping, vomiting are common symptoms during this period.

Day 6 and beyond

When someone going through heroin detox reaches day 6 of withdrawal, s/he is on the right track. Trouble eating and sleeping may persist, and some people may still experience nausea and anxiety.

How long to detox from heroin

There is no fixed period of time for heroin detox. An appropriate period depends on the degree of a person’s heroin dependency and individual needs. Medical research has shown that at least 3 months (and up to 6 months) of medical supervision for heroin addicts are optimal for addressing addiction. Why is this period so long?

Heroin use causes neurocircuitry changes to the brain that affect emotions and behavior. These brain changes can still persist after acute detox is finished. This is why changes in the nervous system may persist many weeks after the period of acute withdrawal has passed. The medical term for these symptoms is protracted/post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS). Protracted withdrawal is defined as the presence of symptoms common to opiate withdrawal which persistbeyond the generally expected acute withdrawal timeline explained above.

Some symptoms of PAWS during heroin detox include:
- anxiety
- depression
- dysphoria (feeling down or emotionally blunted)
- fatigue
- insomnia
- irritability
If you’re wondering: “Can I withdraw from heroin at home?” The answer to this question can vary. Treatment for protracted withdrawal symptoms (PAWS) should be addressed according to individual characteristics that present during detox. This is why a person’s age, gender, an culture must be taken into consideration during detox. Additionally, recovery from any drug addiction is a long-term process and frequently requires multiple episodes of treatment.

Heroin detox scheduling questions

Do you still have questions about the duration or length of heroin detox? If you have any questions connected to heroin detox, feel free to ask. Leave your comment into the section below and we will try to answer you personally and promptly.

Reference Sources: Substance Abuse Treatment ADVISORY

NIDA DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction

NIDA Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide

View the original article at addictionblog.org
3 May 2019
How long does Adderall withdrawal last?
Adderall, which is made of amphetamine salts, affects people differently depending on whether you use Adderall to treat ADD or ADHD vs. taking Adderall to get high. However, the general onset of withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking Adderall occurs within a few hours after Adderall effects wear off. And the length of time until withdrawal stops can vary from weeks to months later. More here, with a section for your questions about Adderall withdrawal at the end.

How long until Adderall withdrawal starts?

Once you have decided to stop taking Adderall, withdrawal symptoms can start as early as a few hours after the effect of Adderall has worn off. Overall effects of immediate release Adderall lasts typically 4-8 hours, while residual effects can last up to 12 hours. Overall effects of extended release Adderall typically last for 12 hours, while residual effect can last up to 24 hours. The most common symptoms of withdrawal from Adderall include:
- disorientation
- fatigue
- irritability
- mental depression
Adderall withdrawal timeline

As mentioned earlier, Adderall affects people differently. Symptoms of withdrawing from Adderall will change from person to person. However, it can take days to weeks to completely remove Adderall from the system when you’ve developed physical dependence on Adderall. It is important to note that because Adderall is a stimulant, withdrawal symptoms can be delayed. Therefore, it may take several weeks to months to no longer feel the effects of withdrawal symptoms.

24-72 hours Adderall withdrawal – General onset of symptoms can manifest shortly after the drug has worn off and linger for up to a few months after the medication is totally out of the system. Intense fatigue, uncontrollable sleepiness and catnapping, continuing stimulation, and drug craving are typical symptoms that occur during the first days after coming off Adderall. The worst onset of symptoms (fatigue, depression and disorientation) often occurs directly after withdrawal or coming off of Adderall. Many people report that the most common reaction to acute Adderall withdrawal is that of fatigue and oversleeping.

Week 1 Adderall withdrawal – In the first week after stopping Adderall, symptoms of withdrawal tend to even out with an apparent return to “normalcy”, although drug craving may occur and disturbed sleeping patterns are common. During this phase of withdrawal symptoms can include the inability to feel pleasure (anhedonia), waves of intense craving, depression, exhaustion, extreme fatigue and excessive sleepiness.

Week 2 Adderall withdrawal – After the first couple of weeks of stopping Adderall, characteristic symptoms of stimulant withdrawal may still be present including fatigue or exhaustion, depression, unpleasant and vivid dreams, insomnia or hypersomnia, increased appetite, slowed or quickened psychomotor response, and/or irritability.

Weeks 3-4 Adderall withdrawal – During this phase of withdrawal, apathy, irritability, and depression may still be present. Additionally, long periods or disturbances in sleep are still reported.

How long do Adderall withdrawal symptoms last?

Symptoms of Adderall withdrawal can last anywhere between a few days to several months after you last take the medication. The harsher, acute effects of withdrawal should resolve within after about a month. However, people have reported still feeling fatigue and increased appetite long after the initial 30 days.

Adderall withdrawal: how long?

Adderall affects each person differently depending on the dosage and how long you have been taking Adderall. In other words, each withdrawal period is unique to the person taking Adderall. Various health concerns need to be taken into consideration. In general, however, if you taking Adderall for medical reasons in doses as prescribed, symptoms of withdrawal tend to be less intense than someone abusing the medication or taking higher doses than prescribed.

Post-Acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is a set of symptoms that occur right after you stop taking Adderall and can last several months afterwards. Increased fatigue and having less energy are typical of Adderall use and these symptoms can linger for weeks to months after your last dose of Adderall. Additionally, people who withdraw from Adderall might experience sleeping issues for several months after they stop taking the medication as well as mental depression or emotions that they are not as used to. People suffering from depression are encouraged to seek help.

How long Adderall withdrawal questions

If you have any more questions regarding withdrawal from Adderall please ask. We do our best to respond to your questions personally and promptly.

Reference Sources: PubMed: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy: Misuse of “study drugs:” prevalence, consequences, and implications for policy
NIDA Drug Facts: Stimulant ADHD Medications – Methylphenidate and Amphetamines
DailyMed: Archived Adderall label
NHTSA: Amphetamines and Methamphetamine
SAMHSA: Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory on Protracted Withdrawal
SAMHSA: Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory on Prescription Medications: Misuse, Abuse, Dependence, and Addiction
U.S. Department of Justice: Drugs of Abuse

View the original article at addictionblog.org
3 May 2019
How long does crack withdrawal last?

Crack withdrawal includes physical and psychological symptoms. But you can go through withdrawal, one of a few signs of crack addiction, almost every time you use. While physical symptoms usually resolve within a week, or so, cravings for cocaine can persist for weeks or months after last use. More here on the duration of crack withdrawal, addictive qualities of crack, and what you can do to treat them.

Need help finding the best crack addiction treatment program for yourself or a loved one? Learn more about available rehabilitation options, what does the process look like, and what to do after rehab to maintain sobriety. More in this comprehensive guide on Crack Cocaine Addiction Treatment. Then, we invite your questions about getting off crack at the end.

How long until crack withdrawal starts?

Crack is a form of cocaine that is smoked and is popular among drug users who want to get high immediately. Crack smokers begin to feel euphoric immediately after inhaling crack. But crack is highly addictive and withdrawal can begin shortly after effects wear off. This is often why crack abusers will do anything to get another hit.

Physical withdrawal symptoms from crack addiction may not last more than a week. However, there are many psychological issues that arise due to crack use. Psychological withdrawal symptoms of crack persist for many after you stop taking the drug. Symptoms of crack withdrawal can include paranoia, impulsivity, terror of impending death, hyper sexuality, bronchitis, extreme weight loss, lung cancer, spitting up black phlegm, brain seizures, heart attack and many more dangerous effects.

Crack withdrawal timeline

24 – 72 hours

Within twenty four to seventy two hours you may start to experience paranoia and tactile hallucinations like skin crawling. Many people report hearing sirens or people talking. This will make you extremely alert to the point of being paranoid and suspicious of everyone and everything around you.

Week 1

During the first week after you begin withdrawal from crack, you may attempt to convince yourself that you are cured and that you no longer need treatment. This is the time where most people let their guard down. It is during this period that fatigue has worn off and you start feeling more healthy. However, cravings persist and can lead to relapse. Crack withdrawal symptoms can typically last from 1-3 weeks and may also consist of apathy, irritability, disorientation, hunger, fatigue, and long periods of sleep.

Week 2

After two weeks of crack withdrawal, you may experience acute drug hunger and depression. The brain will have produced enough dopamine for you to want to smoke more crack, but not enough to affect your emotions and restore you to a happier state of mind. Alternating low and high drug craving, low to high anxiety, paranoia, and dysphoria (intense dissatifaction with life), are common during this time.

Weeks 3-4

After three to four weeks you can expect frequent changes in moods and your body will be chemically off balance without you being conscious aware of it. Psychological craving for crack persists and can be accompanied by anxiety and/or depression.

How long do crack withdrawal symptoms last?

Crack withdrawal symptoms can last up to six months or longer if you were a heavy user. Symptoms last longer for heavy users. The amount of crack you used determines the severity and length of the withdrawal period that you will experience. Seeking medical attention for untreated mental health disorders and to get your brain back in balance is recommended. Psychiatrists and addiction specialists can help, as can cocaine rehab centers and/or support groups.

Crack withdrawal: how long?

How long crack withdrawal lasts depends on how heavy of a user you were and how frequently you smoked crack. If you were a heavy user, crack withdrawal can last for months or longer. People who have used crack for long periods of time may also experience PAWS, or post acute withdrawal syndrome. PAWS occurs when the brain has been damaged to the point where it will take an extended amount of time to repair and get back to normal. Many drug abusers relapse during this time because they cannot handle the stress of PAWS. Symptoms of PAWS will appear usually three to six months after cessation of crack.

Crack withdrawal duration questions

If you have more questions about how long crack withdrawal lasts, please ask them in the comments section below. We will try to respond promptly and personally. And if we don’t know the answer to your question, we will refer you to someone who can help.

Reference Sources: NCBI: Cocaine and Psychiatric Symptoms

Veteran’s Affairs: Treatment of Acute Intoxication and Withdrawal from Drugs of Abuse

NHTSA: Cocaine

View the original article at addictionblog.org

3 May 2019