IV Niacin Is a Safe Treatment for Addiction

March 16, 2015

IV Niacin Is a Safe Treatment for Addiction

Niacin also known as vitamin B3 has been used for a long time for treating myriads of diseases. However, the Niacin therapy has been used mostly for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, most of us have never heard of the potential emotional benefits of Niacin. Though the reason for secrecy surrounding vitamin therapy has a complicated and deep-rooted past, a simple explanation is that natural remedies are not supported by the U.S medical field and so this is a reason why the niacin therapy for treatment of addiction especially the withdrawal symptoms are not welcomed or well known in the United States. To many people living in the United States the only thing they know about niacin is that; having enough niacin or vitamin B3, in the body is important for general good health. As a treatment, higher amounts of niacin can improve cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular risks. They only relate niacin to improvement of cholesterol levels hence mitigating on the effects of lower cholesterol levels. That is the bit that is known by many people around the world but the truth is there is more to niacin or vitamin B3 than just improvement of the cholesterol levels in the body. Researchers have found out that intravenous niacin can be used for treatment of addiction related complications such as depression and anxiety that are common withdrawal symptoms of many drugs.

History of Niacin use in fighting depression and anxiety

IV Niacin Depression and anxiety are some of the most severe symptoms that most addicts have to grapple with. It is because of depression that most addicts find it hard to quit using their drugs of abuse. Whenever an addict tries to stop using the drugs they will face depression and this will make them sink in to drug use to find escapade. History has proved that niacin is effective in fighting depression. The founder of AA, Bill Wilson who had been struggling with chronic depression found relief when he become a part of a study which involved use of niacin as a cure for depression. The study was led by psychiatrists Humphrey Osmond and Abram Hoffer. It was done in the late fifties and that success marked a good publicity for the use of niacin in treatment of depression. After his success, Bill gave niacin use unwavering support and published many articles detailing his experiences with depression and how he got cure in niacin. These can be found in his book titled “Pass it on”.

Despite this success in the fifties there has been few prescription of niacin to patients, this owing to the myth that niacin use is dangerous catapulted by patients had taken the Niacin to clear their system of Cocaine in order to pass drug tests but instead experienced serious reactions with higher doses of the niacin. In spite of all this, a handful of enlightened doctors have been using niacin to treat their patients suffering from chronic depression. It is quite unfortunate that even with proven effectiveness in treatment of chronic depression and other illnesses the use of vitamin therapy places doctors at a risk since in the United Sates prescribing a nutritional therapy or vitamin therapy is against the law.

Treating Drug withdrawal symptoms; Depression and Anxiety Naturally

Niacin not only treats depression, but has also been shown to aid with sleeping problems, addiction, arthritis, schizophrenia, and high cholesterol. When a person has been using the drugs of pleasure for a long time they affect the balance of the brain chemicals. In most cases long term use of drugs causes depletion of niacin and its deficiency is first evident in brain-related symptoms of poor concentration, difficulty focusing, and attention deficit disorders. Niacin contains NAD which is important for energy production, so shortage of niacin leads to energy shortage which if lasts long enough, brain neurons cannot synthesize neurotransmitters. When this occurs, the molecules of consciousness such as serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline are affected. Anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and other mood changes can then arise. These are not good for addicts as they may trigger them to use drugs as escapade. Therefore having an IV niacin therapy will help in supplementing NAD in the body. This will not only increase the production of energy but will also increase the level of NADH which is critical for enzymatic action. The IV Niacin goes straight to receptors in the brain and so is not digested in the stomach. NAD is also metabolic co-enzyme and is charged with the important job of structuring, repairing, and remodeling every cell in the body that are destroyed by the long term drug use.

Depression and anxiety are not the only problems associated with drugs but are some of the most severe effects of long term drug use and so should be taken seriously. Niacin therapy helps with treatment of depression induced by drug addiction however be sure to find help from a qualified medical doctor.

And finally, we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to finding the best treatment for addicts. We have qualified doctors who will see to it that every addict is helped to break the bond of addiction and enjoy life of freedom. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is committed to availing help to every patient. Call on her at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

IV Niacin Is a Safe Treatment for Addiction

Motivational Interview So Important In Addiction Treatment

March 15, 2015

Crucial Stages of Motivational Interview as Part of Addiction Treatment

Addiction is a multifaceted issue that also needs to be given a multifaceted approach in treatment without which treating addiction will be a fallacy. There is required input and cooperation of the patient 100 percent. He has to have the will to quit using the drugs he is using; you can never force an addict to quit using a drug he has become addicted to. It also needs patience of both the doctor and the patient so that the addict will be able to completely recover from all the adverse effects of addiction especially during withdrawal. One of the ways through which an urge to quit using drugs can be imparted into an addict is through motivational interview. Motivational interview is often referred to as motivational therapy and us done by a motivational therapist. The main aim of the motivational therapist is to help the patient see the side effects that he is suffering as a result of the use of the abusive drug and help create a desire to quit using the drug in the addict. He will not try to victimize the addict or to oppose his views but uses the power of empathy to instill the desire to quit the use of the abusive drug into the addict.

Motivational Interview

For any motivational interview to be effective there is need of full cooperation from the addict. There is also need of input of an experienced motivational therapist to place the will to change from the use of drug abuse into the mind of the addict. The addict is the center of focus in motivational interview, he is the one who has to make the decision of whether to quit using the drugs or not. The motivational therapist is just there to help him make this decision by giving him a better option in quitting but he can’t decide for the addict, the addict has to own the decision to quit and that is when he is bound to succeed. In a journalistic point of view it appears that both the addict and the therapists are very crucial parties to this type of treatment because as much as the therapist may be good at his work. He may bear initial fruits in planting the desire to quit using the drugs in the mind of the addict but the addict must make the step of quitting the use of the drug.

Here are some crucial stages that the addict will be taken through by the help of the motivational therapist

Pre-contemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance and relapse

For effectiveness these stages should be followed in sequence, however if an addict may fall beck he should be encouraged to continue from where appropriate.

Pre-contemplation

This is the first stage in which the thought of changing has not even got into the mind of the addict. In most instances the drug users are in denial and they do not consider themselves as the right audience to the advice being offered. Here the will to change is not close even to the addict and it requires an input of an expert motivational therapist to let the drug addict see the need to overcome the addiction. During this stage, addicts do not consider change. They may not believe that their behavior is a problem or that it will negatively affect them or they may be resigned to their unhealthy behavior because of previous failed efforts and no longer believe that they have control over addiction. At this stage the therapist must be careful not be seen as opposing the lifestyle of the addict but as an empathizer who has placed his foot right in the moccasins of the addict. Here the therapist’s main goal is harmer the desire to quit using the drugs of abuse in the patient’s mind.

Contemplation Stage

At contemplation stage, patients are unsure about changing. They are weighing the benefits they get from the use of the drug against the benefits they will receive after quitting its use. At this stage the patients tries to look into the reasons why they can’t stop the use of the drug. Giving up an enjoyed behavior causes them to feel a sense of loss despite the perceived gain. This is the stage where the patient needs the help of the motivational speaker most as he gets in conflict with himself. He is torn between stopping the use of the drug and continuing using it. He must know the advantages and disadvantages of quitting the drug use. The therapist will be of help in letting the addict choose wisely.

Preparation Stage

Motivational Interview During the preparation stage, patients prepare to make a specific change. To test the waters of the new world, the addict may try using the drugs in lower doses and tests his body reaction to the deprivation. The therapist helps the patient to stay true to its course since the outcome of these experiments may make the addict to give up on the goal of quitting the drug use.

Action Stage

The action stage is the stage that needs more of the patient’s contribution to be successful. Many patients may fail once but with the help of the therapist they may get up and continue fighting addiction. Every effort that the patient puts forward must be appreciated by the therapist as this gives the addict the morale to continue.

Maintenance and Relapse Prevention

Every motivational therapist would want his patient to reach this stage. However the addict may go through the initial stages many times before fully landing on this stage. Change is not always easy to deal with and any discouragement from the therapists over the addicts’ occasional slip may thwart his hopes of ever overcoming addiction and hence he may give up.

Finally, the need to quit using drugs of abuse is crucial in motivational interview; the therapist has to instill this in the addict failure to which the interview will bear no success. All the same addiction is a jail that many are chained but the need for liberation is the very reason for our existence. Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to finding the best solutions to addiction and dependence on substances. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is always in the mood of helping any patient to be addiction free. Do not hesitate to call on her for help in managing any sort of chronic pain or any type of addiction as well as other diseases.

Crucial Stages of Motivational Interview as Part of Addiction Treatment

Estrogen Imbalances Impacting on Addiction

March 10, 2015

The Effect of Estrogen Imbalances in the Disease of Addiction

Hormonal fluctuations affect women more adversely than men. The hormone estrogen plays crucial functions in the life of a woman and its supply should not be interrupted. However as a woman is aging the ovaries stop producing this hormone leading to a fall in the level of this hormone. When the level of the estrogen hormone has floored the duties of this hormone will be unattended to leading to myriads of health problems affecting women. Among other problems a woman will experience the following problems when the level of estrogen falls; vaginal dryness, irritability, low sex drive, mood swings, hot flashes and urgency of urination. Pellet implants have been used to treat migraine and menstrual headaches and have been found effective in dealing with menopause symptoms.

According to an article published in the Holy Hormones journal, Female hormones are potent modulators of brain chemicals, neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. the article reports that when a woman receives the bio-identical hormonal replacement therapy it does not only help with its anti-aging effects but also improves the general quality of life in women as it helps in preventing depression, anxiety and insomnia disorders all of which cause subsequent addiction.

Estrogen Imbalance

Hormonal imbalances cause drug craving

An investigation done at Florida Detox & Wellness Institute on all hormonal and brain chemical imbalance that can cause drug and alcohol craving it was proved that many female patients develop addiction issues because of midlife changes in estrogen and progesterone production. The Institute opines that the reason why these findings have gone undetected is because most addiction treatment centers do not routinely examine the hormones involved in the pituitary-adrenal-ovarian axis.

The involvement of estrogen hormone imbalances in addiction calls for a more integrated treatment to addiction. As opposed to treating only the visible symptoms of addiction, there is need for doctors to integrate spiritual counseling and modern brain science so that the imbalances in the brain chemicals can be corrected making the treatment whole. By evaluating the possible imbalance in the brain and correcting the imbalances by bio-identical hormone therapy, the electrical activity in the brain is balanced and this nullifies the chances of a patient attempting self-medication with drugs of pleasure and alcohol. Clinical studies done at Florida Detox & Wellness Institute have indicated that addicted patients will use drugs and alcohol either to stimulate under-active brain regions or to relax over-active brain systems. The unusual electrical activity in the addicted patient’s brain is typically caused by inherited or acquired biochemical and hormonal deficiencies.

The changes on estrogen levels in midlife causes hormonal imbalance in women and therefore for there to be a successful treatment of an addict there has to be an accurate diagnosis which is based on evaluation of neurotransmitter and hormonal and brain scan research. By normalizing the underlying biochemical and electrical imbalance drug and alcohol craving can be stopped. There is also need to identify the specific brain chemical and hormonal deficiencies as this will allow for more effective diagnosis of the root cause of the patient’s craving, thus eliminating alcohol and drug addictions.

Addictions that are common in the middle age population can be eliminated by correcting hormonal imbalances. As women approach menopause the decline in estrogen takes charge however the decline in progesterone hormone normally begins eight years earlier before estrogen begins to decline. It is important to note that the decline in hormones is a gradual process. The drop in levels of progesterone hormone in women will result in such experiences as anxiety and insomnia. Other clinical studies that were done at the Florida Detox & Wellness Institute have shown that the progesterone decline phenomenon is a common etiology of alcohol and drug abuse, which causes over 40 percent of our addicted middle age females.

The biochemical explanation for the increased anxiety experienced by midlife females is that suboptimal progesterone levels occurring in the presence of normal estradiol levels cause an increase in brain electrical activity. Progesterone essentially is a brain relaxing hormone because it converts to another hormone, allopregnanolone. This metabolite of progesterone, allopregnanolone, activates the same relaxing nerve receptor, the GABA-A receptor, as does Valium, Xanax and alcohol.

Estrogen Imbalance There is need for balance between the GABA activity and the estradiol production in the body. When there is a loss in GABA activity as a result of dropping progesterone levels a person will develop excess electrical activity in both, their central and peripheral nervous system. This phenomenon occurs because estradiol enhances the excitatory brain chemicals, dopamine and histamine. Their excitatory effect on brain electricity should be counter balanced with the GABA effect of progesterone. The new onset progesterone deficient middle aged female experiences newfound anxiety and insomnia that frequently precipitates the need for relaxing medication which ultimately causes subsequent addiction issues.

Women who have low levels of progesterone hormone will begin using alcohol and other drugs to relax their brain. When this happens, alcohol, just like Valium will activates the GABA-A receptor. This will make them drink more of alcohol increasing the units they take as time goes by as the wine will cease to be just a drink to her but a medication.

The effect of estrogen progesterone imbalance as well as other brain chemicals in causing addiction has been proved beyond any reasonable doubt and it is therefore very important for every addiction patient to ask for hormonal evaluation and restoration when receiving any addiction treatment.

Finally, if you are battling with addiction and is interested in the long lasting, effective addiction treatment therapy please call 843-213-1480 or contact Dr. Dalal Akoury is an experienced doctor who will be able to help you.

The Effect of Estrogen Imbalances in the Disease of Addiction

Low Testosterone and Anxiety

January 5, 2015

Low Testosterone Causes Anxiety and Depression

Low testosterone Testosterone is a very important hormone in the body. Of all the androgens it is the most dominant and is charged with very many responsibilities. Many people still think that testosterone has only one function which is to ensure a good sexual performance. No testosterone has far more functions that together make your life what it ought to be. So, to the many people who think that deficiency in testosterone hormone can only affect your sexual life, it’s time to think again. The reality is that this hormone has very many roles beyond ensuring a healthy sex life. Apart from production of sperms, the testosterone hormone is also crucial in production of red blood cells. This hormone also helps in distribution of fats in the body parts, increasing muscle mass, improving bone mineral density and even regulation of moods in a person. A major symptom of those suffering flooring testosterone levels is low moods. It is common to find men who are suffering from hypogonadism in bad moods as any decline in this hormone does much to dampen moods of an individual. It is also this hormone that gives men the physique of man- masculinity.

Anxiety and depression linked to Low T

Several studies have also found out that high levels of testosterone in a person reduce their risks of developing anxiety and depression. Many researchers have proved that many men who suffer from anxiety and depression are of low testosterone levels and therefore testosterone replacement therapy may help them to fight anxiety and depression. After testosterone replacement therapy most anxiety and depression patients break free from the bonds of anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are major problems that men deal with today. The number of men held victims by these two conditions increase rapidly with low testosterone levels being a major contributor to these conditions.

Currently, in the United States alone, the numbers of men who have fallen victims to anxiety and depression have doubled the number of women suffering from the same. This can be attributed to the many roles that this hormone plays in men. Scientists have proved that maintaining an optimum level of testosterone hormone is an effective way of fighting anxiety and depression. In a study that was published in 2005 in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, a team of researchers from the US Department of Veterans Affairs examined the connection between low testosterone levels and future depression risks in more than 700 men who were at least 50 years old. The report concluded that men aged below 50 years with low testosterone level were more likely to become depressed than men within the same age but have optimum level of testosterone hormone. The finding from this study is enough to tell prove the link between low testosterone levels to anxiety and depression.

However this is not the only study that has established the connection between testosterone and depression. Another study that was published in 2003 in the American Journal of Psychiatry also examined the connection between these two phenomena. The research done by Harvard University worked with 56 men who had developed major anxiety and depression but had failed to respond to antidepressant treatments. The researchers found that 40 percent of the men had low testosterone levels. It can therefore be concluded that going for testosterone replacement therapy can help an individual fight against anxiety and depression and restore good health in men.

Can Testosterone replacement Therapy really help?

Testosterone replacement therapy is one of the most common solutions to anxiety and depression induced by low testosterone levels. It only makes sense that when a person has low levels of testosterone then he ought to have the levels of testosterone in his body supplemented so that the normal levels can be restored.

What does it involve?

Testosterone replacement therapy involves supplementation of testosterone in the body. This can be done in form of injections, pellets, patches or gel in order to treat conditions in which the testes do not produce enough testosterone. It is also available in IV forms. Just like the estrogen replacement therapy in women, this ought to be done by an expert as the dosage is important for better results and to mitigate on the side effects. This therefore cannot be done without the help of an expert. This therapy has been found to be effective in fighting hypogonadism and all other major symptoms associated with low testosterone levels. It is also good as it improves energy levels, perfect body mass, sex functions and muscle strength among other benefits.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been used for a long time in treatment of men with erectile problems which are also a major cause of anxiety among men. Hypogonadism is a problem that most men go through and seek treatment from every day. however many patients seem to concentrate on getting their sexual energy back but are blind to other conditions that might be suffered as a result of hypogonadism. Men who suffer hypogonadism are not strangers to anxiety and depression and therefore emphasis should be placed more on the debilitating effects of low testosterone levels other than a fall in sexual drive and performance in men as is mostly the case. The use of testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadism is not news, however some people are still not aware of the link between anxiety and depression and low testosterone levels.

Finally

Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center has dedicated her life to helping patients restore their lives by use of integrative medicine. She also holds many conferences in which she offers training on how integrative medicine can be used to fight addiction among other conditions. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Low Testosterone Causes Anxiety and Depression

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