Posted by azdrugrehabctr on March 21, 2017 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News | 
Blocking the effects of drugs is not a new concept. In fact, those struggling with heroin addictions or addictions to any other opioid can use Suboxone or methadone to help with overcoming withdrawal symptoms. These drugs work by blocking the dopamine receptors in the brain so the person cannot feel the euphoric high of the opioids, thus allowing them to get off the drug without fear of relapsing. However, a medication that blocks the effects of cocaine has yet to be developed, but that may soon change. A research group at the University of Cincinnati may have come up with the first blocking medication suitable for cocaine addicts.
The drug works by introducing a specialized antibody (a protein that fights against specific antigens) into the blood stream. That antibody then attaches to the cocaine molecules inside the person’s body. When the antibody attaches to the cocaine it prevents the drug from reaching the brain, which is the part of the body that triggers the high. So, if someone is struggling with a cocaine addiction they can receive this medication and any time they use cocaine during those thirty days the antibodies will attack the drug before the user can ever feel it’s effects. In order to achieve maximum benefit, the user would have to get a dose of the antibody every 30 days.
But, the medication can only be effective if the user maintains their monthly doses of the antibody. This is a point that researchers are anxious for people to understand. Just like any other medical intervention for drug addiction, the medication only works if the person is serious about getting off the drugs.
“It will help keel people that are motivated to stay off cocaine do so by making sure any relapse event does not lead to a sustained relapse event. If people are not highly motivated to quit cocaine, there is no reason that this will be helpful,” explained Andrew Norman, lead author of the study.
While the antibodies are not on the market yet, the research team is hoping to get FDA approval for human trials soon. As of now they have only tested their medication on lab animals.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on September 13, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News |
A new study shows that the most common time for cocaine addicts to be discharged from treatment is also the most probable time period for them to relapse. According to researchers, cocaine addicts are most likely to relapse between one and six months after abstinence. This is especially interesting because most treatment programs discharge patients one and three months after admittance.
“Results of this study are alarming in that they suggest that many people struggling with drug addiction are being released from treatment programs at the time they need the most support. Our results could help guide the implementation of alternative, individually tailored and optimally timed intervention, prevention, and treatment strategies,” explained Rita Goldstein, researcher at Icahn School of Medicine in Mt. Sinai in New York.
Researchers investigated 76 adults who were addicted to cocaine. These adults had all been abstinent for varying amounts of time. Some were cocaine-free for only two days. Some participants were sober from cocaine for one week, others one month, or six months and a few were sober for a year. Using EEG images, taken while the subjects were viewing pictures, some of which had to do with cocaine, researchers were able to better understand how the brains were working during these time intervals. Prior to, and after, the EEG, participants were required to fill out questionnaires and complete a monitoring test to determine levels of craving. The results showed that major cocaine cravings started to increase after 2 days to one week of abstinence. The cravings peaked between one to six months of cocaine sobriety.
Researchers are hopeful that this information will be used to educate families and shape treatment program curriculum. One reason for the popularity of a one to three-month program is that this has become the norm in treatment. Addicts are notorious for being difficult to agree to treatment, and it is especially difficult to get them to commit to longer time periods of treatment. Oftentimes families and loved ones make compromises on the length of the program to ensure that their loved one will check in. However, it is likely that most families are unaware that evidence is pointing to longer programs being more effective.
Posted by azdrugrehabctr on April 13, 2016 under Addiction Trends, Opiate Abuse |
Cocaine addiction is very common among heroin users in the United States. Often times the same people who sell heroin also sell powdered and crack cocaine. The euphoric low of heroin and the euphoric high of cocaine are sometimes mixed and used alternately with addicts. Both addictions are common problems that rehabilitation facilities treat, however, sometimes there is difficulty in the treatment.
Currently there are medications on the market that are designed to block heroin cravings and help the addict get through the painful withdrawal symptoms, but there isn’t anything specifically designed like that for treating cocaine addiction. Scientists in the Europe recently tested the use of another stimulant to treat people dealing with addictions to both drugs. The study, which appears in the Lancet medical journal, included trials with sustained-release dexamfetamine (dextroamphetamine).
The idea is that the drug, which is otherwise commonly used as a treatment for ADHD, works in the brain to help with cocaine cravings. A trial was recently conducted with 111 heroin and cocaine addicted patients in the Netherlands. Some patients received the dexamfetamine while undergoing talk therapy and other patients were administered a placebo while they were taking their prescribed doses of methadone. Those that received the dexamfetamine were able to abstain from cocaine for longer than those that only received the placebo. On average, addicts who received the trial drug were able to stay clean from cocaine for 60 days, while those that did not receive the medication stayed clean from cocaine for 45 days.
“We found SR dexamfetamine to be superior to placebo on all cocaine use – related outcomes, with effect sizes that were at least comparable to those found in studies on other chronic disorders, including alcohol dependence and many other psychiatric and general medical conditions,” explained Mascha Nuijten, a doctoral candidate at the Parnassia Addiction Research Center.
Understanding that addicts who are reliant on both heroin and cocaine need specialized help is vital in improving treatment. Because cocaine and heroin use often go hand in hand, these types of trials are extremely important. The major difficulty with these forms of treatment, however, is that they are still leaving the addicts dependent on drugs that are similar to the ones they were already taking, such as a stimulant for a stimulant or an opiate for an opiate. Although any form of improvement is welcomed in most treatment arenas, caution should be applied to see if there are other non-drug methods that can work first.
