Answer Addiction

Tag: stimulants

  • Ready to stop doing crack? Ways to quit crack safely

    Ready to stop doing crack? Ways to quit crack safely

    Have you made up your mind to stop using crack and wonder how can you quit safely, you’ve come to the right place. Deciding to quit crack and seek help may be the hardest part of addiction recovery, but it is also the best call you can make for yourself. But how can you prepare for withdrawal and detox from crack?

    After using any form of cocaine daily or almost daily, you should be prepared for withdrawal symptoms to occur when you quit or lower your dose. In this text we will explain what you can expect when you stop using crack and how you do so safely. In the end, we invite your questions and comments, and we try to respond to all legitimate inquiries personally and promptly.

    Can you stop taking crack suddenly?

    It may be difficult to just stop taking cocaine in cases of daily or few times weekly dosing. Frequent use usually results in physical dependence to cocaine, which means that your body has adapted to the drug and the normal production of neurotransmitters in the brain has been thrown out of balance. If you are dependent on cocaine and just stop taking it cold turkey, the abrupt chemical change manifests a number of physical and mental symptoms which can be very uncomfortable.

    If you aren’t sure whether your body has developed dependence on the drug, reflect on dosage. Have you increased the amount or the frequency of crack use in order to feel the effects cocaine once used to produce? If YES, then you may have developed tolerance to the drug. In these cases, the best way is to stop may be to gradually decrease dose amount or frequency. By tapering crack cocaine, you will give your body a chance to adapt to the absence of the drug slowly, over a period of time. Thus, the withdrawal symptoms you experience will be far milder and more bearable. Still, some professionals recommend cold turkey withdrawal to avoid relapse.

    What happens when you stop smoking crack?

    Once regular crack use is stopped or decreased, you can expect to go through a period of withdrawal as your central nervous system (CNS) reacts to the absence of crack. Chronic or habitual cocaine use influences the production of neurotransmitters and increases the release of the happy hormone – dopamine, hence its pleasurable effects. So, stopping crack after using it for a while will cause an emergence of withdrawal symptoms which can last for days, weeks, or months. What’s more, people have a hard time to feel pleasure again as a result of the decreased dopamine level.

    Side effects when you stop taking crack

    Quitting crack goes hand in hand with a number of withdrawal effects. Here is a list of what can someone who stops taking crack can expect during the withdrawal period:

    • aggression and violent incidents
    • agitation
    • anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure)
    • anxiety
    • crack cravings
    • depression
    • fatigue
    • flu-like symptoms
    • irritability
    • lack of motivation
    • mood swings
    • musculoskeletal pains
    • paranoid feelings
    • psychosis, hallucinations and other mental disturbances
    • restlessness
    • sleep disturbances and vivid nightmares
    • suicidal feelings

    The severity and duration of these symptoms is proportional with the level of crack dependence. If you have been using cocaine for a while now, instead of attempting to go through detox on your own, you can reach out to medical professionals. Staying under medical surveillance during the beginning, acute stages of detox, can be the difference between a relapse and successful recovery.

    Can you quit crack on your own?

    You might. But, it’s not recommended.

    Sudden cessation of crack can trigger intense withdrawal symptoms and a strong urge to use cocaine again. Crack has highly addictive properties, so your body and mind experience a strong desire for cocaine once it starts to leave the system. As you are starting to crave the drug, withdrawal symptoms occur and make it even harder for you not to use again. This is why emotional and psychological support is crucial during this time. Detox clinics will often refer you to counseling or support groups to help you through the first days of withdrawal.

    Quitting crack cold turkey

    Quitting crack cold turkey described the abrupt cessation of crack and the unpleasant experience that results from doing so. Cold turkey withdrawal from crack is the opposite of gradually easing the process through slower reduction over a period of time, with the help of replacement medication.

    There are people who have successfully stopped crack cold turkey, but it can be both psychologically and physically difficult. Moreover, sudden withdrawal can be dangerous, and this is why it’s recommended to seek help from medical professionals before you attempt to do this on your own.

    How to quit crack cocaine?

    Start by consulting a medical or mental health professional, or an addiction professional for advice on community and medical resources. You can seek help from professionals such as a:

    1. licensed clinical social worker
    2. medical doctor who specializes in addiction
    3. certified psychologist
    4. psychiatrist

    These professionals can help you find the right kind of treatment program that fits your needs and that can provide medical help, psychotherapy, and emotional support. The first stage of addressing possible addiction to crack is to “clean” your body from the toxins that have accumulated. This stage of the recovery is also known as detox and it’s the most critical one since symptoms of withdrawal are most intense during this period. While the duration of time it takes for crack withdrawal to end varies by user, it’s highly recommended that you seek medical assistance. This way, you may have the symptoms monitored and have best chances for recovery.

    Stop taking crack safely

    The safest way to stop taking crack is by following professional guidelines under medical surveillance. Medical detox is considered the safest way to stop taking crack safely, as physical and psychological symptoms can be addresses as they appear. Together, this treatment can decrease the chances of relapse. Do consult a medical professional before beginning any detox plan and follow their instructions.

    How to stop taking crack questions

    Did we answer what you wanted to know about the ways you can stop crack use? We invite your questions if you want to know more. We try to respond personally and promptly to all legitimate comments and inquiries.

    Reference Sources:

    NCBI: Outpatient treatment of ‘crack’ cocaine smoking with flupenthixol decanoate. A preliminary report.
    NCBI: Cocaine and Psychiatric Symptoms
    NCBI: Among long-term crack smokers, who avoids and who succumbs to cocaine addiction?
    Clinical Trials: Contingency Management Treatment for Crack Addiction
    U.S. Government Accountability Office: The Crack Cocaine Epidemic: Health Consequences and Treatment

    View the original article at addictionblog.org

  • Is It Possible To Overdose On Caffeine?

    Is It Possible To Overdose On Caffeine?

    A new article delved into the potential risks of ingesting too much caffeine.

    Though caffeine is technically a “drug,” its effects are relatively benign.

    The naturally-occurring stimulant can be found in certain plants, nuts, seeds, and food products like sodas, teas, and chocolates.

    The normal daily serving of caffeine—per the U.S. government’s dietary guidelines—is up to 400 mg of caffeine, or 3-5 8-ounce cups of coffee. The effects range from alertness and a faster heart rate, to anxiousness, dehydration, and headache.

    Caffeine will begin to affect the body at a concentration of 15 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in the blood. Most of the time the effects are benign and do not cause lasting harm.

    However, while a fatal or even life-threatening overdose of caffeine is quite rare, consuming large amounts of caffeine can be harmful.

    According to Medical News Today, a concentration of 80 to 100 mg/L of caffeine in the body can be fatal.

    A death resulting from too much caffeine is typically caused by ventricular fibrillation—a rapid, inadequate heartbeat that prohibits the heart from pumping blood and leads to cardiac arrest. 

    Symptoms of a caffeine overdose include a fast/irregular heartbeat, shakiness, nausea or vomiting, confusion, and a panic attack. Treating a caffeine overdose may include receiving intravenous fluids, supplements, or activated charcoal.

    According to a 2018 review of scientific journal articles dating back to when online databases began, there have been 92 total reported deaths from caffeine overdose—researchers believe that about one-third of these deaths were “likely to be suicide,” according to Medical News Today.

    Coffee and tea typically do not pose a risk of caffeine overdose, but the risk is higher with dietary supplements and caffeine tablets, which contain higher concentrations of caffeine.

    Purified caffeine powder poses the highest risk of an overdose. According to Medical News Today, it is “highly dangerous and much more likely to cause an overdose.”

    One teaspoon of caffeine powder can be equivalent to 28 cups of coffee, according to the Food and Drug Administration; each teaspoon can contain 3,200-6,400 mg of caffeine.

    Mixing caffeine with alcohol can carry its own set of risks. Having caffeine with alcohol, a depressant, can “mask the effect” of alcohol by making a person feel more alert and believe they can drink more than they normally would.

    Recently the long-held belief that coffee can sober you up from a night of drinking was debunked.

    “We know from wider research that coffee isn’t an antidote to alcohol,” said Professor Tony Moss of London South Bank University. “Taking coffee as a stimulant that will reverse that feeling of being slightly tired as your blood alcohol is coming down.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Biggest Loser" Weight-Loss Drug Allegations Investigated By NBC

    "Biggest Loser" Weight-Loss Drug Allegations Investigated By NBC

    “People were passing out in Dr. H’s office at the finale weigh-in. On my season, five people had to be rushed to the hospital,” one contestant claimed.

    Contestants on the NBC’s weight-loss reality show, The Biggest Loser, allege that they were given drugs and medications intended to help with weight loss by health experts on the show’s staff.

    In the show, a cast of overweight contestants are challenged to lose as much weight as possible over the length of the show’s season. The person who loses the highest percentage of weight wins money.

    However, several of the shows’ contestants revealed that they were told to abstain from eating and take pills to lose weight—and keep how they lost the weight a secret.

    “‘Take this drug, it’ll really help you,’” Joelle Gwynn said, repeating to The New York Post what one of the show’s assistants allegedly said to her.

    Gwynn claims the assistant, as well as her boss, trainer Bob Harper, were handing out Adderall and “yellow jackets,” a weight loss drug containing ephedra that does not have FDA approval.

    Gwynn reported it to “the sports medicine guy,” but alleges she was encouraged to take them by the show’s doctors.

    “Dr. H gave us some lame explanation of why they got added to our regimen and that it was up to us to take them,” she said.

    Another contestant, Suzanne Mendonca, said the doctor encouraged contestants to fight dehydration by using teaspoons of baking soda.

    The doctor in question, Dr. Robert Huizenga, sued The New York Post for defamation in 2016. He says the claims are untrue and are hurting his reputation.

    “Contestants are told at the start of the show that there is zero tolerance for any weight-loss drugs,” Dr. Huizenga said.

    However, the show has not continued since these accusations were leveled in 2016. Lawyers at The New York Post are looking into the connection between these accusations and whether they were the reason the show came to an end.

    “It is simply not plausible that NBC canceled a television show that ran for 17 seasons and that was, at one point, one of NBC’s highest-rated programs—all without a single individual sending a single email,” wrote New York Post attorney Steven Mintz to the New York federal judge.

    The contestants have an idea of why the show ended.

    “People were passing out in Dr. H’s office at the finale weigh-in,” Season 2’s Suzanne Mendonca said to the Post in 2016. “On my season, five people had to be rushed to the hospital. He knew exactly what we were doing and never tried to stop it.”

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, “NBCUniversal is the recipient of a subpoena exploring what it knows about Biggest Loser drug use, medical concerns, compensation and cancellation. Over the past two months, the two sides have been fighting over what documents must be produced.”

    An NBC spokesman says the network is unable to comment on ongoing legal matters. 

    View the original article at thefix.com