Sedatives and Chronic Pain Treatment

July 28, 2014

Sedatives and Chronic Pain Treatment

What are sedatives?

Sedatives refers to the drugs which when administered to a patient, they reduce tension and anxiety and cause sedation. They are drugs which cause calmness when taken by the patient. In chronic pain treatment, these drugs are administered with a purpose to kill the pain that the patient is experiencing. This is not a common medication though and it will only be made available to the public if the clinical trials have shown that the benefits of using the drug seemingly outweigh its adverse risks.

How are sedatives administered?

Sedatives are administered to patients in many ways. The mode in which the sedation is given will though be determined by the area on which the pain is being experienced. The modes through which sedation can be administered include:-

ü Through inhalation- through nose

ü Through mouth (oral)

ü Under the tongue

ü Or sometimes administered intravenously i.e. through the veins.

Is sedation helpful in pain relief?

Yes. Sedation is a medication that has been specifically developed to help people who are experiencing pain. This medication works by calming the nervous system and hence making the patient not to feel any pain. Sometime when you are experiencing chronic pain, it may be difficult for you to concentrate on anything or even have sleep. Sedation in this case can prove helpful to you.

Does sedation cure chronic pain?

There has been confusion in many people who use sedation and think they are treating pain. Sedation is not a curative medication for pain, but it is only meant to help the patient by providing temporary relief from pain.

Under what circumstances will sedation be important?

As earlier mentioned, these medicines should only be used when prescribed by a doctor, because they are known to be habit forming. This will make them less effective the next time you will need to use them.

This medication is normally in most cases prescribed to the patients who are experiencing difficulties in sleep. This is because it is very difficult for a person experiencing severe pain to get any sleep. In this case, the doctor will prescribe sedative medication which will help the patient in killing the pain and consequently the patient gets sleep.

Are there thing I should avoid when under sedation treatment?

Yes. Sedation if not well taken care of can be hazardous. Depending with the level of sedation, (e.g. Deep sedation) taking of other drugs like alcohol as this may cause extreme drowsiness and this can reduce breathing and if intense, death may occur.

When you will also want to stop taking sedation medication E.g. for sleep aid, do not stop abruptly. Instead discuss it with your doctor to be advised on how to gradually withdraw. The abrupt stoppage may subject you to withdrawal symptoms.

Which are the types of sedation?

The type of sedation medication to be administered to the patient will be determined by the doctor when the patient visits the doctor. This choice will though be based of the intended effect of the sedative in terms of intensity. The following are the common types of sedative medication:-

Minimal sedation – when this sedation is administered, the patients respond normally to verbal communications since this is a light sedative medication. Sometimes this method may though impair cognitive function and coordination, breathing in unaffected.
Moderate sedation – this is also referred to as cognitive sedation and the patient remains conscious and an respond purposefully to verbal commands either alone or by light simulation.
Deep sedation – if this type of sedation is administered to a patient, the patient cannot be easily aroused but responds to painful simulation. The patient may require assistance to breath.
General Anesthesia – this is normally a very serious sedation treatment and its intensity is high. The patient cannot be aroused even by inducing pain on him/her. Breathing ability may completely be impaired.

Does sedation have any side effects?

Sedatives Almost all drugs, prescribed or over the counter will have some side effects. In this case, sedation is no exception. Some of the powerful sedation medicines have very high chances of causing addiction to the patient, especially if they are abused. Apart from the risk of addition, these drugs may also sometimes produce unpleasant reaction to the patient. It is important to note that the reaction that results from different patients when they take a given drug is quite different and hence it is vital after you see a negative reaction to the drug you see your doctor as soon as possible.

Is sedation same as opioids treatment?

Not really. As mentioned earlier, sedation refers to the medication which is normally given to the pain experiencing patient in order to bring about calmness. On the other hand, opioids are curative mediations which are given to pain experiencing patient with aim of not just giving them a temporal relief from the pain but to get them a permanent solution to the pain. Therefore, in simple terms the difference between the two is that opioids are medications that cure pain while sedatives are medications meant to calm or cool down the pain. Both medications should be administered by a qualified physician though, to avoid risks of addiction.

Sedatives and Chronic Pain Treatment

IT’S BITTER SWEET: THE TRUTH BEHIND SUGAR ADDICTION

July 28, 2014

It’s Bitter Sweet: The Truth Behind Sugar Addiction

sugar addiction Almost every day in our diets we include sugary foods. Sugar is a source of sweetness that everyone will always want to get. Under normal circumstances, we take sugar in the form of food additive though some people will sometimes take it directly due to its natural sweetness. It is almost a common knowledge that sugar has been attributed to obesity and diabetes when taken in excess. This has neither made people all over the globe to reduce the intake of sugar.

Why bitter sweet?

Obviously sugar is very sweet. Its sweetness remains unquestionable, but the facts about the effects that the sugar has in our bodies makes it bitter. How? One of the negative facts about sugar is that it has been in the frontline contributor of obesity and diabetes. Due to its natural sweetness makes it a very rewarding food substance and hence leading many people to overeating and consequently obese.

Apart from these bitter facts about sugar, research has now shown that sugar is a “new tobacco”, worse than many addictive drugs we know and a secrete killer! You will not believe it, According to the research done by Dr. Mark Hyman et al, shows that sugar is over eight times more addictive than cocaine.

What makes sugar a very common source of addiction?

Unlike many other addictive drugs, which are illegal in many countries, sugar is a legal food substance all over the world. This makes sugar readily available and it is also cheap to acquire. The nature of its sweetness cannot also be underestimated as this is what actually makes a sugar a highly rewarding substance in the human brain.

How does sugar addiction occur?

Among the known foodstuffs which have capability to stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain, sugar is one of them. This center of pleasure which sugar stimulates is known as dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s pleasure and reward centers. Research has shown that sugar acts on human brain in the same way as cocaine.

When sugar is taken, just like any other dopamine producing substance it enters the brain system and activates the neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure. High amounts of dopamine are released to the system and hence the rewarding effects occur. This rewarding occurs in a form of pleasure that the person taking the sugar feels. With time, the number of dopamines which are released when the sugar is taken reduces and this results to the condition known as resistance. This eventually means in order to produce the pleasurable feeling, you have to consume more that you used to consume before. This launches a viscous cycle of increased consumption of sugar leading to further desensitization and end up with an insatiable appetite for sugar.

Another qualifier factor of sugar as a silent killer substance is that apart from the increase in consumption of sugar, the dopamine receptor decrease and there is a marked decrease also in their activity. This makes the part of human brain which is responsible for execution of functions such as planning, organizing and rational decision making paralyzed.

sugar addiction

What danger does this pose? This is a double cutting sword for the sugar addict. Apart from the fact that the addict will be required to consume more and more sugar to achieve the required pleasure effect, the addiction also makes it more difficult for the addict’s brain to plan ahead and makes wise decisions on foods to take. This makes the addict to keep on dangerously eating sugary foods. This poses more danger to the addict.

What does sugar have to do with obesity?

The understanding of the relationship between sugar and obesity may look hidden unlike its direct relationship with diabetes. The main reason behind obesity is overeating. So, does it mean sugar addicts eat more than normal people? Let’s find out by asking another related question, “How do we know that we have eaten enough food and hence stop eating?”

The reason why we will always know when we have had enough of food is that our brains have a hormone known as Leptin. This hormone sends a signal when one has had enough of a food and hence the person stops eating. This hormone is naturally produces in the fat cells and it functions well under normal healthy dieting. However, this hormone is easily interrupted by things such as ingesting too much artificial sweeteners, high levels of insulin and not forgetting excess sugar. When a sugar addict consumes excess sugar, this disrupts the hormone and hence it fails to function.

When Leptin hormones fail, the hunger homes begin to run rampantly and unopposed. This makes the addict feel hungry and hence want to eat every now and then. Every time such a person eats, there will be obviously overeating since there are no regulatory signals in the brain and this is why sugar addiction is highly associated with obesity.

Can sugar addiction be treated?

Sugar addiction is curable. The main problem is that sugar has high craving levels and when you will be recovering from sugar addiction you will need to be very much determined lest you will have relapse. If you have a sugar addiction, all you need to do is to visit a specialist, a doctor of psychologist and a recovery method that best suits you will be devised based on mediation or therapy.

IT’S BITTER SWEET: THE TRUTH BEHIND SUGAR ADDICTION

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS RESULTING FROM DRUGS USE

July 28, 2014

What does sexual dysfunction mean?

It refers to the difficulty which may be experienced by and individual or even a couple during the normal sexual activity. It includes physical pleasure, desire for sex, arousal etc. In simpler terms, this is a condition resulting from problems getting and maintaining an erection, decreased libido level, delayed ejaculation and the lack of orgasm. The condition results to one or both of the people involved in sexual intercourse not being satisfied. It is a condition which can have many causes, ranging from physical, emotional and psychological causes. In this article though, we will dwell on the sexual dysfunction which results from drug abuse and prescription drugs.

Do drug substances cause sexual dysfunction?

Drug substances use has been among the leading causes of sexual dysfunction (Erectile dysfunction. This is because some of these drugs are interconnected with stress. As people execute their daily activities, stress becomes a common factor. Some of the drugs that people abuse are also capable of inducing stress in the person. What stress does is to cause the body release adrenaline which is known to fight with the erectile function.

There are unhealthy habits that lead to impaired circulation erode a man’s quantity and quality of erection include the excessive use of alcohol, illegal drugs abuse, and certain prescription medications or over the counter medication.

Recreational drugs that causes sexual dysfunction

There are drugs that are used by people for recreation purposes, but they are known to have influence on the sexual dysfunction. Some of these drugs include: –

o Alcohol – alcohol is normally taken by many people for relaxation among many other reasons. Although taking of little amount of alcohol has been proven to have little or no effect on sexual drive, the excessive consumption of alcohol may impair the person’s sexual abilities.

o Cocaine – this is an illegal drug in many countries but people still consume it. It has negative effects to the sexual drive.

o Marijuana – this is also another illegal drug in many countries. Its usage has immense effect to the brain and causes depression in some cases. This leads to stress which triggers decline in libido and general performance in sexual activity.

o Heroine

o Nicotine

o Barbiturates

o Amphetamines

Opiates that cause sexual dysfunction

These are drugs that are commonly used for pain killing purposes and in most cases they are over the counter unlike prescription medication. When they are appropriately used, many of the opiates have negligible side effects but upon abuse, many of them have severe side effects. Among these side effects, is their effect on the person’s sexual dysfunction!

The following are the common opiates that are known to have effect on the sexual dysfunction:-

o Codeine

o Methadone

o Morphine

o Fentanyl (innovar)

o Hydromorphone

o Meperidine

o Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percodan)

Which are the Prescription drugs that cause sexual dysfunction?

sexual dysfuction Some drugs that are prescribed to the patients by doctors may have negative effect on the sexual functioning. This effect though comes as a side effect and the intended use of the medicine is therefore considered advantageous over the side effect. Thus the benefit that the drug gives makes it possible for us to overlook its effects on the sex drive.

The list of the prescription drugs that cause sexual dysfunction is too long and to list them will be impossible. This doesn’t though mean the prescription drug that you may be currently taking is part of these drugs which cause sexual dysfunction. The intensity of sexual dysfunction that is caused by different drugs varies also, and therefore some of the drug’s effects on sexual dysfunction are considered negligible.

The following are the common prescription drugs that have adverse effect on sexual dysfunction:-

Statins and fibrates

These are medications prescribed to treat high cholesterol in the body. Researchers have argued that while limiting the cholesterol in the body, which is the building block of hormones, these prescription drugs are likely to affect the production of testosterone, estrogen and other sex hormones. Statins can also cause rhabdomyolysis (a break in muscles) leading to joint pain and fatigue why leads low sex drive.

Blood pressure medications

One principle that the medication that is prescribed for high blood pressure treatment works based on is lowering of pressure in the blood. It lowers the pressure inside the blood to ensure that the heart doesn’t have to do a hard task in pumping the blood round the body.

Blood pressure itself can cause sexual dysfunction as well as its medication. In men this decrease in the blood pressure can lead to low or no desire for sex and also interfere with erection and ejaculation. On the other hand, In ladies, it can cause vaginal dryness, decrease in desire for sex or even difficulties in orgasm achievement.

The high blood pressure medication which has beta and alpha blockers has been found to have a big effect on the sexual activity. These medications work through sedation and making a person feel depressed hence through this interference with nerve impulses associated with arousal and reduction of testosterone level makes one’s sexual desire go down.

What do I do if I suspect my prescription medicine is causing sexual dysfunction?

As we have seen, not all prescription medication causes sexual dysfunction. But in case you suspect that the medication that the doctor has subjected you to is causing sexual dysfunction, you should consult your doctor who will examine whether the drugs are the cause for sexual dysfunction and advice your accordingly.

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS RESULTING FROM DRUGS USE

The Neurobiology Of Abuse, Addiction And Chemical Dependency

July 27, 2014

What is neurobiology?

Neurobiology is the study of nervous system cells and their organization into the functional circuits that process information and mediate behavior. Neurobiology is different from neuroscience, since neuroscience is much broader and looks at the study of the nervous system generally. Neurobiology focuses on the study of neurons, which are cells that are specialized to receive, propagate and transmit electrochemical impulses. Scientist have identified that in the human brain alone, there are over hundred billion neurons.

Is there any relationship between Abuse, Addiction and Dependency?

There can actually be argued that all these are related in one way or the other. In this case, the main condition which can be triggered by all the others is addiction. For instance, when a person develops a chemical dependency, it becomes impossible for the person to survive without taking the drug. This makes the person to make the drug part of his/her life. The prolonged usage of this drug will eventually result into addiction of the person by the drug.

On the other hand, looking at what abuse is, it is the usage of drug for a purpose other than the intended use of the substance. It can also be defined as the improper usage of a drug, whereby if it was a prescription drug, the patient uses it the wrong way and not the way the doctor recommended. This may result to drug resistance and thus the person will be required to use higher amount of the same drug if in future it is to produce the equivalent effects as before. This with time results to addiction to the drug and consequently the person will not be able to live without the drug.

How do drugs work in the human brain?

Most addictive drugs work by altering the way the brain works. The effect of the drugs that addicts look for (especially stimulants) occurs by alterations in the brain to trigger pleasure. One drugs get into the brain, they tap into the brain’s communication system. Once they are inside the brain’s communication system, they disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive and process information. The following are the ways through which the drugs work in the brain;

Imitation of the natural transmitters – natural transmitters are the chemical messengers in the brain. Due to the similarity in the chemical structure between drugs and these neurotransmitters, the drugs are able to false fully activate the nerve systems and hence make them send abnormal messages through their network.
Overstimulation of the reward system – this occurs by flooding the circuit with dopamine., which is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation and general feelings of pleasure in the body. Almost all the drugs abused are able to activate this system, especially the stimulants. This is why the users of such drugs frequently want to use them due to the pleasure they get from the drugs’ use.

How does the process of addiction entail?

Drug addiction is not something that happens overnight. It is a process that relatively takes a long period before a person becomes an addict. This period will though vary from person to the other. The common changes that will occur in the human brain before addiction occurs are discussed below.

Brain adaptation – with time, the brain adjusts to the surges in dopamine by decreasing the number of dopamine receptors available. This will reduce the functioning of the reward system circuit. This results to the drug user having now to take higher amounts of the drug substance in order to attain the effect they could easily attain before after just taking a little of the drug substance. This effect is the one termed a tolerance, and the drug user at this stage is said to be tolerant to the drug.
Other than the dopamine, there will be other changes in the brain – the prolonged abuse of drug substances lead to damage in the brain chemical system, including glutamate and the neurotransmitter that influences the reward system circuits and also the ability to learn. Impairment in the brain can occur sometimes, especially when the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by the drug abuse.
Trigger of conscious memory systems- the abuse of drugs can trigger the conscious memory systems. From psychology, conditioning is a way of learning. In this case, the environmental cues such as certain people and places may become associated with the drug and hence trigger uncontrollable cravings if the individual is exposed to these cues, even when the drug itself is not available.
Addiction – this is actually the step in which almost all the other alterations in the brain leads to. The brain imaging studies of drug addicted persons have indicated that changes in the areas of brain that are critical to judgment, decision making , learning and memory and also behavior control. This seeks to explain why addiction occurs, since these changes are likely what drive the drug abusers to seek out and take drugs compulsively, even when they have negative effects on their bodies.

Finally, I wish to remind you that addiction is curable and you just need to seek the qualified professional to help you out in the recovery process.

Is there any relationship between Abuse, Addiction and Dependency?

NAD and Addiction Pain Treatment

July 27, 2014

Is NAD The Best Treatment For Pain?

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide In every treatment, the aim is always to provide healing to the patient within the shortest time possible and at the same time ensuring the medication remain friendly to the patient and doesn’t have harmful side effects. Contrary to this expectation, some of the medications used to solve the patient’s health problems seem to pose some danger to the patient. This danger could be in the form of side effects or addiction.

The problem of side effects has arguably been addressed in many cases and the cases are minimal and if any, they are those unavoidable and can be explained by the opportunity cost laws. To address these medication related problems, ways of proper choice of medication have been sought. One of the problems whose solutions have been sought over time is the medication free from addiction to the patient.

How can pain be cured without addiction?

Pain is normally a complex condition to treat and therefore there are many treatment options to choose from. The bad news though is that some of these (medication) methods have been proven addictive to the patient and at some point if addicted, the patient will not be able to stay without taking these medications.

The best way to safely manage pain is by choosing a method of treatment that will not result to be addictive in the long run. Is there such a method? Yes, there are methods which scientists have proven addiction free. One and of course the most effective in treatment of addiction is the NAD treatment.

What is NAD?

NAD is an abbreviation which stands for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide. It is a metabolic co-enzyme which occurs in our bodies in two compounds; NAD and NADH. These enzymes are the ones responsible for all the activities in our bodies. NADH is used for improvement in mental clarity, being alert, concentration and memory as well as in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease from a person. This molecule is normally formed from vitamin B3 (niacin).

What is NAD energy deficiency?

Every human body requires energy for survival. This energy doesn’t exist naturally, and thus it must be made available in our bodies by the biochemical processes within our bodies. NAD is a co-enzyme which acts as the power plant in our body and if it is low in our bodies, there will be obviously a metabolic energy deficiency. This metabolic energy deficiency is normally referred to as NAD Energy Deficiency (NED). This deficiency in NAD can result to many diseases related tot it such as: – Chronic fatigue, Depression, stress anxiety and variety of other illnesses. This means that one of the best way of treating pain or chronic fatigue is by raising the number of NAD compounds in the body to ensure that there is no deficiency. This will consequently ensure that there is sufficient supply of metabolic energy required to cure the pain.

Why does NAD treatment not cause addiction?

NAD Among the known medications which cause addiction to the patient in the long run, are the medications which use drugs. NAD treatment enjoys the fact that it doesn’t use drugs in its treatment. This is actually what makes the NAD treatment preferred by many people over many other treatments which makes use of prescription drugs or over the counter drugs to treat pain. Unlike these other treatment methods, NAD is a natural treatment method which uses the principle of body’s ability to heal itself if the necessary conditions are maintained. The condition in this case is by ensuring there is no deficiency in NAD and thus the ensuring all body’s activities are correctly taking place. This is due to enough generation of energy (Metabolic energy) by the NAD co-enzymes.

How safe is NAD treatment?

Many researches have been done on NAD therapy to determine its effectiveness and effect in the treatment. Scientists have found sufficient grounds through these researches to conclude that NAD therapy is very safe for treatment of any human being. An advantage of NAD treatment is that it is a natural energy supplement which also generates cellular energy. This energy may also help you in the following:-

It may act as a potent antioxidant and a free radical scavenger since phagocytes normally use NADPH as a source of their energy to destroy pathogens in the body. In this case, it will protect your body from free radicals and to prevent sicknesses and damage. Another important task that NAD plays in your body is that it protects your cells from DNA damage by genotoxic particles.
NAD plays a role in enhancing your moods and emotional balances since these co-enzymes are found in the brain. They perform this task through synthesis of the neurotransmitters which are important for maintaining a positive state of the mind.
Another benefit that you will get from NAD therapy is that it increases the mental clarity and alertness. Research has shown that brain uses 10times more NAD energy than any other body organ.

Looking at all these benefits and there is no addiction when one uses the NAD TREATMENT FOR PAIN, there is every reason to now conclude that this is the best treatment method for pain.

Is NAD The Best Treatment For Pain?

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