Drug Addictions Treatment

Archive for the ‘Heroin’ Category

There are various forms of heroin use. Mainly this drug is used intravenously, nasally or through the respiratory tract. Injecting heroin is the most direct way to reach the brain. Anyway, either aspirated or inhaling the smoke of the substance, it comes quickly into the bloodstream and brain.

The primary effects of heroin produced in their consumers are a boost immediate euphoria and a sensation of pleasure. Derived from opium, heroin reaches the brain adheres to the same receptors as morphine, another opioid, both drugs related to the elimination of pain. In turn, the first state to generate ka heroin is the body weight, mental confusion, and dry mouth.

After the wave of euphoria, the consumer enters a state of intense pleasure, usually associated with the term “float.” Here, the heroin user inserted the waking and sleeping, can spend several hours in this phase. The addictive nature of drugs, makes regular use and abuse of heroin goes down the level of effects, ranging down and creating a need for more drugs with each dose. Read the rest of this entry »

In general, the drugs have very negative effects on our body. Recently, in our health blog, I had counted the effects of synthetic drugs. Well, on this occasion, we have focused on the effects of heroin in the body.

Heroin is a drug that is obtained through the morphine, which is derived, in turn, opium, so we can consider it as an opiate drug. Heroin usually appears as white powder. This drug can be smoked, injected or inhaled through the nose. The first symptoms are unpleasant, but over time the heroin causes discomfort, it gets worse.

If we focus on the effects of heroin produced in our bodies, these are directed to the brain. At no time consuming, reaches the brain, where it is converted to morphine and causes a series of pleasurable sensations and pleasant, quiet or euphoria. These feelings depend on the amount of heroin consumed, that is, if you take a lot of heroin, the intensity of these feelings will be higher. Read the rest of this entry »

Heroin is a drug that is increasingly consumed less, so fewer people who go to treatment centers to get rid of this drug, but there are others such as cocaine boom that has doubled the numbers of addicts requiring hospitalization in a rehabilitation center.
While cocaine heroin low rises, the same problem with a different substance. Are also growing cannabis detoxification, some people need professional help to quit cannabis.
The heroin consumed mostly marginalized, poor … cocaine is consumed by all sorts of people, a young university wealthy family may need to be admitted to a detoxification center, addiction is now entering all families.
Other topics: Detoxification cocaine.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, USA, have developed a vaccine that helps block the sensation generated by cocaine use by 38 per cent of people who took it, as published in its latest issue the magazine ‘ Archives of General Psychiatry, thereby opening a new hope in the treatment of addiction to this drug.

As explained by the author of this research, Dr. Thomas Kosten, the aim is to curb the rewarding effects of cocaine and reduce relapses in their consumption, and so far it seems that “the concept works,” he said.

Cocaine molecules are too small to attract the attention of the immune system so that, for the body recognizes them, the researchers designed a vaccine that uses a harmless version of cholera toxin were added to small samples of cocaine molecular .

When the immune system reacts to the toxin, produces antibodies to cholera and cocaine, Kosten explained, and “these antibodies involve cocaine, preventing it from leaving the bloodstream. An enzyme called cholinesterase cocaine and breaks out of the body.

For the study, Kosten and his team have 94 volunteers, most crack users, a solid, smokable form of cocaine, which were in methadone treatment. In total, received five doses of vaccine or placebo for three months and those who had higher immune response were more likely to stay free from cocaine.

Thus, although the vaccine does not preclude the desire for cocaine, if he has shown to help prevent relapse in some addicts, Kosten said. The problem is that it creates antibodies in all people. “Twenty-five percent of people who are vaccinated have little antibody response,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

It is difficult to escape the clutches of drugs, but not impossible. Thanks to improved treatments, the numbers of former drug users have increased. Two thirds of those addicted to heroin and crack (smoked form of cocaine) who undergo therapy or consumption drop significantly reduced, according to a study on the effectiveness of cessation programs in England.

The work, published in The Lancet, shows the evolution of more than 14,000 patients treated for at least six months. The numbers of abstinence during the 28 days before the last clinical review were high: 42% of heroin addicts and 57% of crack users.

A not insignificant percentage of those who failed to leave the substances were able, at least, reduce their consumption: 29% of those who were ‘hooked’ on heroin and 8% of those who smoked cocaine.

However, success rates were lower among those who were addicted to both drugs. The authors speculate that, if it is difficult to leave a still more complex change of habits in front of two highly addictive substances.

The choice of heroin and crack to evaluate the efficacy of detoxification programs is no accident. “They are different drugs that produce more damage at the biological, psychological and social,” says Alberto Sancho, MD of the Addictive Behaviors Unit of Xativa (Valencia). Read the rest of this entry »