8 Factors To Consider When Choosing a Drug Rehab Program

March 9th, 2010 Oxy No comments

Facing the fact that someone you love is not only suffering from drug addiction, but now must receive help to overcome the addiction, is difficult for anyone. Where should you start? Who do you turn to? What questions do you need to ask about drug treatment programs? Perhaps, you may have been at this point before, and you now feel a sense of hopelessness in finding a residential treatment center that will work this time around. Maybe, though, this is the first time you’ve had to take these steps to help someone you love. The process can feel overwhelming.

Ultimately, you want your loved one back. You want that person you love free from drugs. You want that person to live a healthy and productive life. By asking the right question on each of the following areas when choosing a residential drug treatment center, your chances of making this happen for your loved one will increase.

1.Success Rate –
What is the success rate of the residential drug treatment center? Obviously, the higher the success rate, the more likely your loved one will succeed. Ask to speak with graduates of the drug rehab facility or their families. Get real opinions from real people.
2.Methods –
What method does the drug treatment center use? Ask yourself if they are addressing all aspects of your loved one’s addiction, including what led them to drugs in the first place. Methods that only deal with one aspect of addiction are more likely to fail. Remember addiction results from a combination of many factors, including a lessening of morality and integrity and an increasing burden of guilt and shame. The life of an addict includes bad habits, poor health and difficulty facing problems. After speaking with the facility, ask yourself if they are handling not just the psychological aspects, but also the physical and mental aspects of addiction as well. Are they providing practical skills that will help your loved one succeed once the drug rehabilitation program is completed?
3.Services –
What services does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is not only for your loved one, but for you as well. Will they help with legal issues? Will they assist in an intervention? In other words, to what length will they go to make certain your loved one gets the drug treatment they need?
4.Staff –
Who are the staff members at the residential drug treatment center? The best trained staff will have had experience with drug addiction. They will not have learned about it in a book. Are they qualified for their positions? What real-life knowledge do they have with drug addiction? What is their reason for working in this field?
5.Follow-up Program –
What type of follow-up program does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is important. Sending a newly rehabilitated drug addict back into the world without any follow-up can be disastrous. Make sure that there is a program of this type in place. Good programs keep in touch over the phone regularly after one leaves the program.
6.Location –
Where is the residential drug treatment center located? A residential drug treatment center should be protected. Ask how easy it would be for your loved one to leave. Many addicts when first coming off drugs want to leave. Ensuring that this is difficult, while not seeming like a prison, increases the chances that the person will stay to finish.
7.Length –
How long does the residential drug treatment center take? Although the standard program is 28 days, if the residential drug treatment center offers a longer program, it is more likely your loved one will succeed. However, if the residential drug treatment center allows your loved one to work at his or her own pace, without imposing time constraints, your loved one has an even greater chance of overcoming drug addiction. An example of a program that is not based on time but on completion can be seen at http://www.drugrehab.net
8.Price
How much does the residential drug treatment center cost? Before eliminating any program because of its price, ask yourself this: What are they offering? Look back at the points above and determine what the drug rehab is truly giving to the one you love. Yes, the more it offers, the more likely the price will be higher. However, your loved one will have a greater chance at becoming a healthy productive member of society. How much is that person worth to you?
Choosing a residential drug treatment center can be difficult. Dealing with a loved one suffering from drug addiction is devastating. By breaking the process down into what is important and finding out the answers to the questions above, you will be able to make an informed choice as to which residential drug treatment program can best help you and your loved one. Drug addiction can be dealt with and overcome.
By John Frank

Watch Video from Channel 5 news on Pain Medicine Addiction Crisis in Florida

March 9th, 2010 Oxy No comments

Channel 5 news reports live about Florida’s Pain Medicine Addiction and Detox from http://www.sunrisedetox.com

F.D.A. to Place New Limits on Prescriptions of Narcotics

March 3rd, 2010 Oxy No comments

WASHINGTON — Many doctors may lose their ability to prescribe 24 popular narcotics as part of a new effort to reduce the deaths and injuries that result from these medicines’ inappropriate use, federal drug officials announced Monday.

A new control program will result in further restrictions on the prescribing, dispensing and distribution of extended-release opioids like OxyContin, fentanyl patches, methadone tablets and some morphine tablets.

These products are classified as Schedule II narcotics and already are restricted according to rules jointly administered by the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency. But the current restrictions have failed to “fully meet the goals we want to achieve,” said Dr. John K. Jenkins, director of the F.D.A.’s new drug center.

“What we’re talking about is putting in place a program to try to ensure that physicians prescribing these products are properly trained in their safe use, and that only those physicians are prescribing those products,” Dr. Jenkins said in a news conference on Monday. “This is going to be a massive program.”

Hundreds of patients die and thousands are injured every year in the United States because they were inappropriately prescribed drugs like OxyContin or Duragesic or they took the medicines when they should not have or in ways that made the drugs dangerous. The agency has issued increasingly urgent warnings about the risks, but the toll has only worsened in recent years.

The blame for this is shared among doctors who prescribe poorly, patients who pay little attention to instructions or get access to the medicines inappropriately, and companies that have marketed their products illegally.

The F.D.A. this year will hold meetings with manufacturers, patient and consumer advocates, and the public to ask for advice on how to carry out the new control program, officials announced. The first meeting will be on March 3, and no immediate changes in access to the drugs is planned.

The 24 medicines under review had 21 million prescriptions written for them in 2007, to 3.7 million patients, Dr. Jenkins said. They are extremely effective in reducing pain, which many medical studies suggest is widely undertreated in patients suffering serious illness. (A complete list of the drugs is at www.fda.gov/cder.)

But many doctors prescribe the drugs far too cavalierly, Dr. Jenkins said. The F.D.A. has received reports of patients’ being prescribed such medicines to treat something as simple as a sprained ankle, he said. In such patients, the medicines can be dangerous.

Part of the problem is marketing. Several reports, for instance, have suggested that Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, helped fuel widespread abuse of the drug by aggressively promoting it to general practitioners not skilled in either pain treatment or in recognizing drug abuse.

The company has denied such a connection, but a holding company connected with Purdue and three top Purdue executives pleaded guilty last year to criminal charges that the company had misled doctors and patients by claiming for five years that OxyContin was less prone to abuse because it was a long-acting narcotic.

Doctors are also to blame. A common reason for disciplinary actions at state medical boards is the use of narcotics in patients who show clear signs of addiction or for whom the drugs are obviously inappropriate.

The F.D.A. generally avoids interfering with the practice of medicine because doctor behavior is governed by state medical boards. Instead, the agency usually tries to provide doctors with the best and most current information, and then allows them to decide how to use it.

Most of the drugs withdrawn over the last 20 years, however, were taken off the market because doctors continued to use the medicines in ways that the F.D.A. warned against.

For decades, the agency’s armory in these battles held only a popgun and a cannon — the popgun being the issuance of widely ignored warnings; the cannon being its ability to force a medicine’s withdrawal. But a law passed in 2007 gave the agency a new, intermediate weapon — Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies. Known as REMS, these programs allow the agency to place strong restrictions on the distribution of certain drugs.

Oxycontin Abuse and Withdrawal

February 28th, 2010 Oxy No comments

Since the introduction of OxyContin in 1995, there has been a dramatic increase in abuse of this narcotic. Unlike hydrocodone and its derivatives, whose potential for abuse is limited by the presence of aspirin/paracetamol, OxyContin contains only oxycodone. The drug is easily abused by simply crushing the tablets and either ingestion, injection, inhalation or placed rectally. The drug can have serious side effects when injected as it has a prolonged extended action.

Oxycontin is frequently made more available by “doctor shopping,” where individuals, who do not have a legitimate illness, repeatedly visit many doctors to acquire large amounts of controlled substances. Other methods of obtaining oxycontin include pharmacy diversion, robbery, fake/stolen prescription, the internet and improper prescribing practices by physicians.

Recent reports indicate that non medical use of Oxycontin is relatively high among teenagers. The increased misuse of the drug has led to a numerous emergency admissions and even deaths. Many States have introduced legislation to decrease the illegal use of Oxycontin. Numerous States have also introduced prescription monitoring and banned the sale of the drug over the internet. Despite all the increased efforts by the FDA, DEA, and state/local authorities, the illicit use of Oxycontin is at an all time high. Over the last decade the increased illicit use of oxycontin has led to the manufacture of “fake” oxycontin pills all over north America.

Sudden stoppage of oxycontin can result in serious withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal syndrome may be characterized by restlessness, lacrimation, restlessness, anxiety, rhinorrhea, yawning, perspiration, chills, myalgia, and mydriasis. Other symptoms also may develop, include irritability, vague pain, weakness, abdominal cramps, insomnia, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, or increased blood pressure, respiratory rate, or heart rate.

Both physicians and pharmacies now maintain careful record-keeping of prescribing information, including quantity, frequency, and renewal requests. Adequate evaluation of the patient, proper prescribing practices, frequent assessment of pain, proper dispensing and storage are recommended steps that may help limit the abuse of OxyContin.

Side effects

Respiratory depression is a major severe complication of oxycontin. Respiratory depression is a cause of concern in elderly or debilitated patients, and usually follows after the use of large initial doses in non tolerant patients, or when other opioids are given concurrently. In the community, the majority of OxyContin-related deaths have occurred in individuals who were ingesting large quantities of oxycontin in combination with either alcholol or benzodiazepines.

Oxycontin should be used with extreme caution in patients with significant lung disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or pre-existing respiratory depression. In such patients, even usual therapeutic dose of oxycontin may suppress the respiratory drive to the point of arrest.

OxyContin may cause severe hypotension. There is an added risk to individuals whose ability to maintain blood pressure has been compromised by a depleted blood volume, or after concurrent administration with drugs such as phenothiazines or other agents which compromise vasomotor tone. Oxycontin, should be administered with caution to patients in circulatory shock, since vasodilatation produced by the drug may further reduce cardiac output and blood pressure.

Like other opioid narcotics, oxycontin can be fatal at high doses or when combined with other brain depressants such as alcohol.
Precautions

Oxycontin, like all opioid analgesics, has a narrow therapeutic index in certain patient populations, especially in those taking other CNS depressant drugs. Its use should be reserved for cases where the benefits of opioid analgesia outweigh the known risks of respiratory depression, altered mental state, and postural hypotension. The administration of oxycontin may obscure the diagnosis or clinical course in patients with acute abdominal conditions. Oxycontin may aggravate convulsions in patients with seizure disorders.

Do Genetics Cause Addiction?

February 21st, 2010 Oxy No comments

The role of genetics in addiction has been debated for decades. Scientists and other health experts have successfully identified various risk factors for the development of addiction, but concise and objective predictors of addiction have eluded discovery. This past year, however, science has made significant strides in discerning how genetics may affect addiction.

A landmark scientific paper published in the April 2009 issue of Nature Reviews Genetics presented some groundbreaking new insights into the role of genetics in addiction by honing in on specific genes that are tied to all types of addictions. The study, conducted by addiction experts at the University of Virginia Health System and the University of Michigan, even found that some genes that are associated with alcohol dependence are also linked to various other addictions. The gene was found to be a common factor in addictions to nicotine, cocaine, opioids and other substances.

Study co-author Ming Li, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the UVA School of Medicine, commented on the study and its potential impact:

“Addiction researchers have found that several genes are linked with multiple addictions. … So, we’re narrowing the scope to specific genetic targets. Once researchers can pinpoint exact genetic variants and molecular mechanisms, then we can create much more effective, even personalized, treatments for individuals addicted to a variety of substances.”

Li also believes that further research is needed to understand the full impact of genetic variations on addiction. “The exact nature of the gene variants and how they function are still unknown, so functional studies as well as studies using additional ethnic population samples may be quite revealing,” Dr. Li said.

Another recent study, conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado in Denver, pinpointed genetic pathways and genes associated with alcohol consumption. The researchers were able to identify genetic factors that predisposed both rats and humans to drink more; however, they were unable to discover a similar link between the genes and actual alcohol addiction. Nonetheless, according to Boris Tabakoff, a lead researcher, the study’s results may help scientists to eventually connect the dots between genetic makeup and addiction.

Tabakoff said, “We know that high levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of becoming alcohol dependent in those who have a genetic makeup that predisposes to dependence. This is a case of interaction between genes and environment. Indeed, in our study we found that, higher alcohol consumption in humans was positively correlated with alcohol dependence. However, because different sets of genes seem to influence the level of alcohol consumption, as opposed to propensity for alcohol dependence, we are confronted with great variation in humans. Individuals with a set of genes that predisposes them to drink moderate amounts of alcohol may still have the genetic predisposition to lose control over their drinking behavior, and perhaps become alcohol dependent. Conversely, individuals with a genetic predisposition to drink high amounts of alcohol may not have the genes that predispose them to become dependent.”

A study just completed at Brown University (the results will be published in the January 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research) succeeded in identifying a link between a gene variation and teen alcohol misuse. For the study, researchers examined the genetic makeup of 187 adolescents (98 boys and 89 girls) around the age of 15 years. They were able to correlate a polymorphism (variation in the shape) of the OPRM1 opioid receptor gene called A118G with heightened risk for alcohol-related problems and likelihood to meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Robert Miranda, Jr., assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and corresponding author for the study, commented on the implications of the study’s findings:

“Our current knowledge about the genetics of alcohol misuse during adolescence comes almost exclusively from family and twin studies. … But the relative importance of environmental and genetic factors appears to shift considerably over the course of adolescence … with genetics playing an important role once teenagers begin to drink. … Our findings provide the first evidence to suggest that teenagers who carry a certain variant of the OPRM1 gene experience more alcohol-related problems.”

Notably, the Brown University team discovered that teens with this variant were more likely to report drinking alcohol because of the pleasurable effects than for other reasons. The fact that the genetic variation enhances the pleasure experienced by youth when consuming alcohol helps to explain why teens with this variation might be more likely to develop problem drinking behaviors.

Miranda, Jr., explains, “The G allele, or variant, of the OPRMI gene is associated with the function of the body’s own natural opiate system. Research suggests that the G allele is associated with experiencing more pleasure and greater intoxication after drinking.”

 By Emily Battaglia

Hydrocodone & Oxycotton Addiction Signs

December 30th, 2009 Oxy No comments

Signs of oxycottonaddiction are no different than most other painkiller addictions, or any addiction for that matter. Here is just a short list of some of the things I have experienced in my own life. If any of these things sound familiar whether it’s in your life or the life of someone close to you, it could be the beginning of a oxycotton addiction.

Not taking the drug as prescribed by your doctor. There are a specific ways to take oxycotton for it to be effective to treat pain, taking it for any other reason could be a sign of addiction. Taking oxycotton for sleep, to get high, to relax, to calm the nerves, mixing it with alcohol or other drugs, and taking them more frequently than your doctor recommends. If you are running out of pills long before your next prescription, than you may want to tell your doctor so he can monitor your use better. Doctor shopping is a definite no no when it comes to having pain medication prescribed. Not only is it a sign of drug abuse, it is also against the law.  If you are caught doctor shopping then you may never be able to get pain medication prescribed again. This can be a big problem if you are taking them for legitimate pain.

If you feel ill a lot for long periods of time then you may be going through oxycotton addiction withdrawal. This can make someone very irritable and lash out to the ones close to them. Withdrawal can make you sick for days on end and if you must come off the pain medication, then it is best to do so under the care of a doctor and enter a detox center. Oxycotton addiction is a serious issue. If you feel you may be addicted please consult a doctor. A doctor can best advise proper oxycotton addiction detox treatment. Then later after the drug is removed from the system, then you can think about drug addiction recovery. There are many great treatment centers available that can be visited around your schedule. A 28 in patient treatment may be the best route, but outpatient treatment is also available. 12 step recovery is also a great way to deal with addiction once released from treatment. This way you can have a form of personal treatment when released into the real world.

Oxycotton Detox 101

December 28th, 2009 Oxy No comments

Detoxing from oxycotton is something that should be done with medical advice and care, and should be backed up with counseling in order to help the drug addict get past the psychological dependence as well as the physical dependence on oxycotton. The goal in a drug detox program will be to help the person get through the symptoms they will experience from withdrawal, including any psychiatric problems they may experience. This is usually the first step in a total detox program and can be very effective if done under the right circumstances.

Everyone goes through detox differently and what any one individual may go through will depend largely on a person’s age, frequency and amount of use, as well as any underlying medical issues they may have. For the most part, one can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms such a nausea, vomiting, tremors, sweats and anxiety. In extreme cases some people also may have convulsions or seizures. These are just a few of the reasons why it’s important to have proper medical support in order to help with an oxycotton detox program. Many of these effects can be lessened with medications and with proper supervision. There is no way to tell how any one person will react. Supervised detox is always the best approach. It helps knowing that you have support there if you need it.

Once you have gone through the detox part of the program it’s important to realize that this is just the first step. You’ve managed to eliminate  drugs from your body but there are still steps that need to be done to ensure that you don’t return to using again. In order to have a complete recovery it’s important to understand that you now will need to make lifestyle changes in order to increase your odds for a sustained recovery. Learning to live without drugs as a crutch can be very difficult, but the longer-term benefits of a new and happier life are well worth it.

During the first 30-90 days of a detox program is the time when people are most vulnerable. This is why it’s important to effect changes in your lifestyle as well as getting psychological support. Lifestyle changes can mean staying away from friends who may not understand what you have gone through and what you are now trying to accomplish. Your family will be able to understand the need for you to not be around other people who are using drugs. The more you work with a counselor, the more you will understand that it also takes emotional changes in order to remain clean and sober.

Emotional support from friends and family is also crucial when you are going through oxycotton detox. Rehab treatment centers that help people detox also provide support for them through counseling or through a 12-step program such as NA. It is important for the addict to take actions to help in their recovery, and going to counseling regularly is a part of that. If you are on medications you need to take them as directed and never stop it without consulting a doctor. It’s also important to include the family of anyone going through drug detox, and allow him or her to offer support and help and be a part of the recovery process. In the end though it is up to the addict to do the necessary work to effect a complete recovery, and then take the needed steps to remain in recovery.

Oxycodone Abuse & Addiction & Side Effects & Testing

November 25th, 2009 Oxy No comments

Oxycodone is a prescription drug that acts as a depressant of the central nervous system. It is a narcotic, much like Vicodin and morphine and is used to treat moderate to severe pain like that caused by fractures, arthritis, childbirth and serious diseases like Cancer

Going by such brand names as Percocet, OxyContin, Tylox and Percodan, oxycodone is an opiate that is highly addictive and is being abused by many. When taken repeatedly, one can become tolerant to the drug, therefore requiring higher doses to experience the same effects. Oxycodone is often mistakenly referred to as oxycotton. While OxyContin is a brand name of the drug, oxycotton is just a misspelling of the name. This drug is also referred to as oxy and hillbilly heroin on the street.

Oxycodone Side Effects

Oxycodone is very addictive and is often abused by individuals who begin taking the drug as a part of a prescription but spiral out of control into actually abusing it. As their tolerance increases, they require a higher and higher oxycodone dosage to achieve the same effects, such as euphoria, pain relief and the prevention of withdrawal symptoms.

When taken as prescribed, oxycodone can cause several side effects including constipation, headache, nausea, excessive sweating and dry mouth. An oxycodone overdose can cause severe symptoms including seizures, coma, dizziness, clammy skin and slowed breathing.

Oxycodone Abuse

Abusers of oxycodone may either take it in its original pill form or crush it into a powder to be snorted. The drug can also be melted in water and injected. Because the drug is meant to act as a time-released pain reliever, when crushed or injected oxycodone causes an intense high that involves feelings of euphoria. This is how abusers experience an oxycodone overdose, due to the large amount of the substance being released into their system at once, rather than slowly released over time in the oxycodone pill form.

Signs of Oxycodone Addiction

If a person’s use of oxycodone is radically different from their prescription or doctor’s recommendations, or is taken without a prescription, they may be addicted to the drug. Oxycodone abuse can be seen in those who have developed a dependence on the drug and will continue to take it despite negative consequences. Their bodies go through withdrawal when the intake of the drug is ceased. Withdrawal symptoms are quite obvious and include anxiety, diarrhea, nausea, muscle cramping, especially in the legs, and restlessness.

How To Test For Oxycodone Abuse

There are many different types of drug tests available that detect oxycodone. When searching for one, look for those that test for opiate abuse. Also look for drug tests that test for another opiate, hydrocodone. This substance can be found in drugs such as Vicodin and produces much of the same affects as oxycodone. Drug testing kits come in several types including oxycodone urine tests, saliva tests and hair tests.

Employers, in particular, are often concerned with drug testing and how to go about administering it, yet don’t know where to turn. Liability rests on the shoulders of the employer, making drug abuse of utmost concern. While abusing oxycodone can decrease a person’s ability to make sound judgments and decisions, the abuse of any drug in the workplace can potentially lead to disastrous results. This is why employers often opt to start an employee drug testing program.

Parents, too are worried about drug use in their homes. Teenage drug abuse of substances such as oxycodone is a serious matter. Even the slightest suspicion of teen drug use, and a drug test should be administered.

By Serhat Pala

If you need help or want to seek help call 1.888.443.3869 or visit this link for help.

Oxycotton “OxyContin” Trend in Florida

November 23rd, 2009 Oxy No comments

The official name is OxyContin, but on the street it’s known as “oxycotton.”  Oxycotton has become quite the popular drug in South Florida these days.  Thanks to the easy access Florida Pain Clinics, oxycotton has reached the hands of many and has created a legal drug addicted society in Florida.

When taken in pill form, OxyCotton is a slow-release narcotic prescribed for pain caused by cancer, severe arthritis, sickle cell disease, and nerve damage. The active ingredient in the drug is a morphine derivative, the same as that also found in Percodan.

Oxycotton has become big on the street when resold by the drug dealers.  Drug addicts are crushing and snorting it and smoking it to get a powerful and fast high that many users say is better than heroin.

Oxycotton has even grabbed a hold of many people that have never been addicted to a drug.  It is tricky and sneaky.  People start out taking oxycotton for pain relief and before they know it they are taking 50 pills per day.

Oxycotton has created an entire slew of new drug addicts and has given the average recovered heroin addict an easy way to slide back into addiction.  If this is you then we only hope that you find a way to detox off this drug as soon as possible.

You might try going to some Narcotics Anonymous meetings.  If you have insurance or a way to pay for detox seek out detox treatment as soon as possible.  If you do not have insurance or a way to pay then their are plenty of state detox and treatment facilities that will service you if you are willing.  Above all remember there is a way out and you do not have to stay addicted to oxycotton.

Finding Out I Was Addicted To Drugs!

November 21st, 2009 Oxy No comments

How can you tell if someone is an addict?  This is a question that I have been asked by parents, friends and many other concerned loved ones in my life and there is no real way to answer except through first hand accounts of my own experiences with drugs and addiction. I can still remember the first time that I realized I was physically addicted to a drug; it was twelve years ago and a night I will never forget. I had been using pain medication, Vicodin to be exact, for my first three-month stretch but I thought that I had things under control. So when the night came that I ran out of pills I thought nothing of it, the idea of withdrawal never entered my mind. As the dusk turned into darkness I began to feel this awkward tension running through my body, my muscles would not sit still. I felt a cold drip of sweat roll down my back and then another, what was going on? Then this strange confusion began to set in as to whether I was falling ill or perhaps, could it be that I had developed a habit. Well as the minutes passed and my agitation grew stronger and stronger the truth became clear, that I was sick and in need of some more pain medication quick or else I would continue to become sicker and sicker.  At this moment I realized that I was indeed addicted, but to be called an addict that was still not something that I was comfortable with and a story for another day.