Sometimes people involved in methadone maintenance therapy decide they no longer want to attend their program. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you are done with that program forever, and that you are doomed to a life of opiate addiction. Being in any kind of substance abuse treatment brings out a lot of emotions. Drug use feels good, whether people admit it or not, because drugs stimulate ...
The Battle Against Drug Dependency: A Fresh Approach
It’s an uphill battle, fighting opiate drug dependency and helping someone step from the shadows into the light. Addiction is a terrible disease, capturing its victims and holding them ensnared to the rituals of habit and the losses that come with drug dependency. There are stories of harm and failure, yes—but there are also joyful stories of success. In March 2015, the government’s Health and ...
Heroin Overdose in California: A Rising Statistic
Just like the rest of the country, California is caught in an epidemic. Heroin overdose in California is like a runaway freight train. It’s hurtling ahead faster and ever more recklessly, which it will do without check until it wrecks. Oh, wait a minute—the worst is happening right now. The train has already devastated thousands of lives. KCRA television broadcasting out of Davis not long ago ...
Are We Misusing Narcan for Heroin Overdose?
Can you imagine lying in an emergency room barely conscious, not even aware whether you will live or die after a heroin overdose? For some time now we’ve been hearing frightening statistics about opiate overdose victims. People who start out with a simple pain pill addiction turn to heroin because they can no longer access or afford expensive pills. Does that sound like you? Opiate addiction ...
Why Do Some Opiate Treatment Centers Recommend Suboxone?
Suboxone, or buprenorphine, is offered by some but not all opiate treatment centers. It’s a partial opiate agonist, and many doctors believe that methadone works well on some patients while Suboxone is a better choice for others. Buprenorphine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment in October 2002. It is marketed in two formulations, as Suboxone but also Subutex. People ...
Opioid Dependence: An Equal Opportunity Killer
This is the second part in a story about naloxone, the drug that can bring you back from the brink of death if you overdose because of your heroin or opioid dependence. NBC reported recently on the heroin epidemic and the FDA’s recent approval of naloxone, also known as Narcan. Reporter Kate Snow interviewed a Vermont married couple, both doctors working at a medication-assisted treatment ...
