My Doctor the Addict

Health care professionals see the results of drug abuse every day. Some of them see the overdoses, car wrecks, shootings, and beatings – and they still use illicit drugs themselves. And they are impaired while they are taking care of our families.

Doctors and nurses have easy access to prescription drugs and can divert medications from patients or declare medications as “waste”. Many professionals are never reported to authorities and, indeed, are protected by other staff members.

SurgeonIllustration courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

It is bad enough when a salesperson or office worker is under the influence, but something else when a surgeon is addicted. How does someone justify operating on a patient while taking drugs? Most believe they can handle the drugs and still perform normally.

Their co-workers enable some drug-abusing professionals. They are given lighter work schedules or absences are excused. Co-workers can fear retribution, particularly from powerful professionals, or they may fear they will ruin a co-worker’s life by reporting drug abuse.

Some states have responded to health care professional addiction by making reporting suspect behavior mandatory. Authorities then intervene and require the addicted person to enter treatment. Failure to report an addicted person is subject to discipline. The addicted physician is required to follow a specific treatment plan and report to the state licensing board. If the addicted person refuses to follow the plan, he or she can lose their medical license.

There are several residential rehab centers specializing in the treatment of health care professionals. All the programs focus on returning the addicted person to his or her professional life free from the temptation of relapse.

Filed Under: Drugs, General Tagged With: , ,

Doctor Shopping

Picture a drug abuser and you may think of a bum in ragged clothes. There is a new kind of abuser in town. Middle to upper class women and men addicted to prescription painkillers.

Colorful pillsImage sourced from http://bing.com

These abusers do not purchase their drugs from pushers in an alley– they doctor shop. They go from one doctor to another, describing their symptoms, asking for prescriptions for oxycodone, hydrocodone, viocodin, and percocet.

These individuals my not know that law enforcement does not consider doctor shopping harmless or a victimless crime. It is a felony and can lead to five years in prison.

Abuse of prescription drugs can start with a real need. Patients can become dependent on painkillers prescribed after surgery or serious injury. Their own physicians can keep prescribing the medications by accident or inattention. When that doctor finally refuses to continue the medication, the patient shifts to another — or several other – doctors, asking for pain relief medication.

Several states have instituted PDMPs (Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs). These programs allow pharmacies and physicians to cross check patients and prescriptions and identify – called red flagging – individuals who are filling multiple prescriptions for the same medications. Red-flagged individuals are monitored carefully and allowed to use only one pharmacy and one doctor.

Hospital emergency departments are also involved in doctor shopping because patients go in, apparently in acute pain, demanding relief. The emergency physician has no relationship or history with the patient and is very likely to prescribe at least a small amount of painkillers.

As more medical records are computerized, doctor shopping should become increasingly difficult.

 

Filed Under: General, Health Tips Tagged With: , ,

Embalming Fluid and Your Children

The young girl stood in front of her parents and their friends and started to read the list of all the drugs she and her friends had been able to buy in their small community. The long list included heroin, marijuana, cocaine, oxycontin, and finally, embalming fluid. Embalming fluid? What on earth do you do with embalming fluid?

Teenage girl accepting a marijuana cigarette Photo compliments of http://www.drugfreehomes.org

Smoking marijuana cigarettes or tobacco cigars and cigarettes laced with embalming fluid and PCP was popular in large cities several years ago. It is now becoming popular with young addicts in small towns.

Sometimes called fry, fry stick, or wet, these cigarettes produce hallucinations or paranoia and aggression. Users often think they posses super human powers and exhibit erratic behavior. The typical hangover includes crushing headaches and loss of memory.

The long-term effects of substance abuse of embalming fluid and PCP range from brain damage to death and can include kidney damage, lung damage, muscle damage, and spinal cord destruction. Most young drug users are unaware of the damage fry sticks can cause.

Early studies have concluded fry is highly addictive and can be addictive with the first use. It can also have important medical consequences of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and mental health issues. Because embalming fluid is legal and available online, even young dealers can process their own fry sticks.

Law enforcement and hospital emergency departments are training employees to recognize fry stick users so they can receive proper treatment. Parents and health care professionals now have to educate themselves to stay ahead of their children in order to recognize this and related addictions.

Filed Under: General, Health Tips Tagged With: , ,

When are too many alcoholic drinks too much?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Alcohol offe... 

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

There really is no set answer to this question, because people metabolize alcohol at a different weight. Someone with a slender build may not be able to drink but one drink before she starts feeling the effects of the alcohol, while someone with a larger frame can consume several drinks before any effects are even noticeable.

It has been said that women can’t “hold their liquor” as well as men. The same characteristics—height, build, and overall physical condition—enter into the picture where alcohol metabolism is concerned, no matter if the drinker is male or female.

About the only way to determine if a person has had too much to drink is by observing physical signs of drunkenness. These can include slurred speech, loss of coordination, red eyes, and in some instances, skin flushing. This last may be more apparent in very fair-skinned people than in those with darker skin.

Changes in temperament—a normally quiet person becomes noisy and raucous, a relatively even-tempered person becomes angry at the slightest provocation—can also be indicators of excessive alcohol consumption.

Marked drowsiness or even losing consciousness completely are definite signs of too much alcohol. If these are present, the person should be watched closely, as he not only may be intoxicated, but may also be suffering from alcohol poisoning.

If you even suspect that a person has had too much to drink, do not let that person drive away. Take the keys, disable the car in some way, or do whatever it takes to keep him from getting behind the wheel and possibly killing himself or someone else.

Filed Under: Addiction, General Tagged With: , ,

Curb the Possibility of Addiction

If you come from a family where addiction is common, you know your children have a high probability of developing a problem of their own. Even if this isn’t the case, you may have already noticed that your child appears to have an addictive personality. In either situation, it’s important to take early steps to prevent addiction before it happens. One of the best ways to do this is to stress the importance of a good education. Let’s take a closer look at education for your child.

Education as Prevention

Not only does working hard at school exercise your brain and expand your mind, it also gives your child a wonderful goal to work towards. Having a target in mind is a great way to help them resist peer pressure and stay on the right track. Exercising your brain also helps maintain or improve your mental health. Because mental illness is a leading predictor of future drug abuse, this benefit shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Statistics Will Be on Their Side

Because college graduates are statistically less likely to suffer from a life-changing addiction, a degree is just one more weapon in your child’s arsenal of preventative measures. It means they will earn more money, have less stress in their lives, and be less likely to come across tempting situations. Although it’s not an absolute guarantee, it definitely helps! If you’re worried that you can’t afford to send your child to college, there are affordable options. Take a look at earnmydegree.com to find a good online university that fits your budget! In addition to the low tuition rates, an online education will mean your child can avoid many of the college parties and other situations where someone might try to tempt them with drugs or alcohol.

An education can help protect your child’s bright future!

Filed Under: Addiction, General Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Staging an Intervention

When you have an addict living with you, you may not know what to do. Youmay be at your wit’s end, and nothing seems to be helping you or the family member or friend who is addicted.

If the addict is a teen, perhaps you have tried simple things like making sure she gets exercise outside every day, or even redoing his room. You thought finally getting rid of that twin bed and switching it out for the double bed with that comforter she has been nagging you for forever might do the trick.

But you can tell she is still doing drugs, and it is breaking your heart. Don’t panic or give up yet. Try planning what is called an intervention. This is a technique that gets your daughter or son — the addict — to admit that they need help. It takes some planning and thought, but the results can be well worth it.

First, educate yourself about the substance abuse and the methods that work to stop addictive behavior, and then carefully make a plan. Is counseling the best way? Will your budget allow a rehab center? What about a group like Alcoholics Anonymous?

Gather together a group of family and friends to help you conduct a practice intervention session with your teen. Participants will want to carefully think about their feelings toward the addict and what addiction is doing to the family before expressing them to the addict. You need to determine what the consequences will be if the addict does not get help — and be ready to follow through on those consequences.

If this sounds intimidating, don’t worry. There are plenty of resources to help you through the process. Do some research online. Talk with counselors. Attend a meeting. In no time, you will have the information and support you need to help your teenager beat addiction.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , ,

How to Quit Smoking

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: Sharon Widermann smo...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

You can quit smoking, although it won’t be easy. The first word of advice is to get help because those who try on their own usually relapse within a week.

Many forms of treatment are available, including behavioral and medical. The first form of treatment, behavioral, teaches smokers coping mechanisms other than tobacco use. These programs advice smokers on their behavior patterns and show them how to change their behaviors, how to substitute healthier behaviors for smoking.

Counselors are usually available, either over the phone or in person, to help. Some programs suggest using simple medications that can be purchased over-the-counter. These include the much-touted nicotine patch, as well as gum and even lozenges. Research maintains that these substances minimize the withdrawal symptoms of quitting nicotine by replacing the toxic ingredient.

These medicines are safe to use because they have low nicotine levels that are not addictive because they do not induce the pleasure of the drug. They also do not have the other toxins present in cigarettes and the like, such as tar, which can cause lung cancer and other fatal diseases.

You can also ask for a prescription, including varenicline tartrate (Chantix). Research shows that the most effective way to quit smoking is to use both medications and behavioral treatment programs. Using both behavioral treatment and prescription medications is the most effective way to quit.

An individual’s health improves immediately, even as soon as 24 hours without a cigarette or pipe, when smoking is stopped. Health benefits include decreased blood pressure, as well as increased lung capacity.

In the long term, quitting reduces the chance a person will contract various cancers, heart disease, stroke and lung conditions, such as emphysema. So what are you waiting for — set an example and get started today to see immediate health improvements. You’ll live longer!

Filed Under: General, Medication Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Drug Abuse Prevention

As research continues into how to prevent and treat drug addiction, new terms are surfacing so that the wheat can be separated from the chaff.

One term being increasingly used is science=validated. If a recovery or prevention program is labeled as scientifically valid then it means it is a cutting-edge program based on the science of addiction.

Using the latest research into addiction, these types of programs have been tested as any scientific hypothesis or new drug would be tested and have proven results. Researchers have designed programs that help prevent drug abuse by reducing the number of young people who try smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or taking an illegal drug.

Usually, these programs, designed by the federal government, deliver a two-pronged approach by decreasing the factors that put youth at risk of using drugs and amping up those that protect teens from trying drugs. Different programs address different age groups. Some address groups, while others are designed to work for individuals, either at home or at school.

Programs such as Red Ribbon Week in California teach elementary school kids about the consequences of using drugs, such as getting sick, damaging the lungs, and isolation from friends and families. Local high schools get in on the act by performing skits illustrating how alcohol and drugs can make you act. The cheerleaders who pretend to have drunk alcohol are unable to perform their cheers and can’t even dress themselves right. Kids are also given red plastic bracelets to wear.

Other programs are geared toward kids and teens who are at risk of using drugs, and still others are for those young people who are unfortunately on their way to addiction.

Studies have shown that if kids understand that drugs are dangerous, the use of drugs goes down.

Filed Under: General, Medication Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Substance Abuse Withdrawal

Before a drug rehab program will work, it is necessary for a person to go through a withdrawal period from the alcohol or drug that has been abused. This is usually a very unpleasant time for the person, both physically and mentally, but it must be done before anything else can happen.

The withdrawal phase can start in as little as thirty minutes after the last drink of alcohol or last episode of drug use. As soon as the levels of the alcohol or drug in the blood and other body fluids, such as urine, start to drop, the brain receptors that have been affected by the addiction will start sending signals that another drink or another “fix” is needed.

As time progresses without a drug or alcohol being taken, the signals become stronger.  These cause the urges or cravings to increase. In addition, physical changes start occurring. The first physical signs of withdrawal can be extreme nervousness/anxiety and excessive sweating. As the withdrawal phase continues, muscle cramps can occur, especially in the abdominal muscles. This can cause vomiting and loss of bladder and bowel control.

As more and more time passes, and the person continues to abstain from drinking or drug use, muscle tremors in the form of uncontrollable shaking or twitching start. Further, as the brain receptors continue to repeatedly send signals, as well as start their own reaction to the withdrawal, hallucinations can occur and extreme paranoia can set in.

Withdrawal can be physically dangerous; therefore, it is often best if a person is in a medical facility or at least in a position where medical help can be quickly obtained if necessary. If breathing difficulties, uncontrollable vomiting or other loss of body fluids, or other physical symptoms worsen, time is of the essence to avoid possible irreversible damage or even loss of life.

Filed Under: General, Health Tips Tagged With: , ,

Tobacco Use in Teens

Tobacco plants growing in a field in Intercour...
Image via Wikipedia

While the good news is that smoking continues to decline in America, there are still upwards of 3 million teens from 12 to 17 who are trying tobacco. Statistics report that approximately 60 percent of new tobacco users were teens when they first lit up — they tried their first tobacco when they were younger than 18 years of age.

In a sobering statistic, research indicates that approximately 6 million smokers who are under the age of 18 will die early from smoking. And diseases caused by smoking are particularly horrible, as those ads to prevent smoking testify.

Teens start to smoke for a variety of reasons. Most parents are award that there may be peer pressure to smoke, but may not be aware that scientists have discovered that biological sources are also at play. Research on animals indicated that teens are more vulnerable than adults to the nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products, increasing their likelihood of becoming addicted even if the teen smokes only occasionally. Young rats proved to ingest more nicotine than adult rats, and were more vulnerable to nicotine’s pleasurable effects on the brain.

In addition, researchers found that the acetaldehyde in cigarettes increased the addictive power of nicotine when smoked by teens. This chemical does not act the same way in adults, probably because the teen brain is still developing.

Studies are under way that propose a genetic component to teen addiction to smoking. The studies report that individuals with certain genes may be at a higher risk of becoming addicted if they start smoking as teens.

Specific prevention and treatment programs are being studies that are specifically geared to teens. The best treatment, of course, is prevention. One of the best ways to prevent smoking by teens is by hammering home the danger of the substance.

Filed Under: General, Medication Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts