Treatment of Cocaine Addiction Rehab and Recovery

June 6, 2015

Treatment of Cocaine Addiction Rehab and Recovery: Get timely Treatment for Cocaine Addiction

Treatment of Cocaine Addiction Rehab and Recovery is offering solutions to many cocaine addicts across the globe

Whenever we fail to prevent any harmful substance from entering into our health systems, we are often faced with the next course of action which is seeking for treatment. This is the longest way of getting lasting solutions and it comes with its own set of complications demands and challenges. One of the reasons why Dr. Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center experts is advocating for prevention, is because of the cost element that comes with treatment process. It is important to note that treatment of cocaine addiction rehab and recovery is not cheap and can drain all your life savings. This is because many users of cocaine and other addictive substances are never willing to admit their addiction problem and by the time this is brought to the surface for treatment, a lot of damage has taken place thereby raising the cost of treatment both in terms of time and finances. We the experts at this facility understand the magnitude involved in the administration of treatment to drug addicts. It is not anybody cup of tea. Nonetheless, we have taken the lead role in this challenge to do our very best to offer lasting solution to you and your loved ones. With that we want to encourage you that even as we get into this discussion, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for the commencement of your addiction recovery in the most professional way.

Now to the discussion, cocaine is a highly addictive drug with the ability of producing euphoria, increased energy, strength and sociability, and a sense of control. These are some of the reasons which lure people into its misuse. This substance comes or originates from the Coca plant and has been baptized with several street names including names like coke, gold dust, flake, snow, toot and blow. And since the high of cocaine typically last for an hour or so, many users of this substance often go on cocaine “binges” taking multiple doses in a short period of time. It is no wonder it is common for many cocaine addicts to mix the drug with other substances like heroin, Valium, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. And just like any other drugs, cocaine triggers the reward centers of the brain thereby changing the brain chemistry so that the user struggles to feel good or even normal without the drug. This feelings may even become unbearable with the introduction of other accompaniment drugs which may users prefer like we have seen in the earlier statement says doctor Akoury.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, new research shows that chronic cocaine abuse is clearly related to dysfunction in those parts of the brain involved in higher thought and decision-making. Scientists who performed the study suggest that the resulting cognitive deficits may help explain why those addicted persist in using the drug or return to it after a period of abstinence. From the information we are gathering from such studies, it is becoming very clear that treatment of cocaine addiction rehab and recovery is very important if this problem is to be eliminated completely out of our lives.

Treatment of Cocaine Addiction Rehab and Recovery: Cocaine and Crack Cocaine

There is no doubt that cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant and it continued usage is not healthy to human life. This substance comes in two chemical forms:

Hydrochloride salt cocaine: This is a form of chemical cocaine that comes in powder form and can easily be dissolved in water. This form of cocaine can be taken intravenously by the veins or intranasal in the nose.

Freebase cocaine: Freebase cocaine has not been neutralized to make the hydrochloride salt and this form of cocaine is administered through smoking.

Crack is the street name given to a freebase form of cocaine that has been processed from the powdered cocaine hydrochloride form to a smoke able substance. The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked. Crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water, and heated to remove the hydrochloride.

Before it reaches the street, crack is typically “cut” with sugars, local anesthetics or other illicit drugs to reduce its purity. For this reason, it is difficult to know what to expect when using crack cocaine. However it is important to note that cocaine is typically dissolved and it is administered into the body by way of injection or snorted as powder, whereas crack cocaine is most commonly administered through smoking says doctor Akoury. Users report that crack cocaine produces a shorter but more intense high and is cheaper than cocaine.

Treatment of Cocaine Addiction Rehab and Recovery: Symptoms of Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine abuse can produce powerful drug cravings. In animal studies, rats work harder to get cocaine than any other drug. Probably we have mentioned this in our previous articles but for better and good treatment, the knowledge of the signs and symptoms of cocaine addiction is very important. These signs and symptoms do vary depending on the method of use and some of which may include the following:

Rapid heartbeat
High blood pressure
Persistent runny nose (cocaine drip)
Weight loss
Paranoia
Hallucinations
Vomiting
Irritability and restlessness
Teeth grinding
Cold sweats
Tremors and muscle jerks
Nasal and sinus problems (coke nose)
Bronchitis and chest pain
Feeling that bugs are crawling under the skin

Doctor Akoury says that in more serious cases, cocaine addiction can progress to cocaine psychosis (similar to paranoid schizophrenia), seizures, stroke, heart attack, coma and death. People addicted to cocaine often experience job loss, divorce, financial hardship, incarceration and other problems before realizing that they need cocaine rehab. It is also important to note that addiction of this substance normally come due to the repeated and regular use of crack which eventually leads to negative effects on the users health. Some of these negative effects can include:

Cardiovascular effects, such as irregular heart rhythm and heart attacks
Respiratory effects such as chest pain and respiratory failure
Neurological effects, such as strokes, seizures, and headaches
Gastrointestinal complications, such as abdominal pain and nausea

These effects and medical consequences of cocaine can be life threatening, and because of the dangers presented by cocaine use, it is important to find treatment for yourself or a loved one who is battling cocaine addiction and doctor Akoury will be very helpful for you in that journey of treatment.

Treatment of Cocaine Addiction Rehab and Recovery: Get timely Treatment for Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats

May 6, 2015

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats: The Dangers it brings on your Health

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats. It can be administered to the body either through injection, snorting or smoking.

The history of cocaine is well known and how it affects the good health of our societies. Cocaine is a very powerful addictive stimulant drug that when allowed to settle in anyone’s life, then devastations and frustrations will follow as the immediate consequences. Whichever way you look at it, cocaine is not good. No single advantage can be attached to this drug. As a matter of fact cocaine and crack abuse are great threats of life. The powdered hydrochloride salt form of cocaine can be snorted or injected as a solution of water. And when we talk of crack cocaine, it means that, this cocaine base has not been neutralized by an acid to transform it into a hydrochloride salt. When that is done, this form of cocaine comes in a rock crystal which can be heated to produce vapors, a product which can be smoked. The term “crack” therefore refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is heated.

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats: How is Cocaine Abused?

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, cocaine abuse is in most cases considered in relation to the mode of its administration. There are three main routes that are commonly used and they may include the following:

Snorting – this is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nose, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues.
Injection – in this case cocaine in mixed with water and the solution is then injected into the body using the needle to release the drug directly into the blood streams.
Smoking – this involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection.

Irrespective of which method you choose, the dangers remain the same and in all the methods of administration can lead to addiction and other chronic and severe health problems, including increasing the risk of contracting HIV and infectious diseases says doctor Akoury MD and also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

The intensity and duration of cocaine’s effects, which include increased energy, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness, depend on the route of drug administration.
The faster cocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the brain, the more intense the high.
Injecting or smoking cocaine produces a quicker, stronger high than snorting.
On the other hand, faster absorption usually means shorter duration of action.
The high from snorting cocaine may last 15 to 30 minutes, but the high from smoking may last only 5 to 10 minutes.

In order to sustain the high, a cocaine abuser has to administer the drug again. For this reason, cocaine is sometimes abused in binges taken repeatedly within a relatively short period of time, at increasingly high doses.

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats: Effects of Cocaine to the Brain

Without missing the words, cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that raises the levels of dopamine. This is a brain chemical which is associated with pleasure and movement, in the brain’s reward circuit. And because dopamine facilitates communication in some brain cell commonly known as neurons, therefore dopamine is released by neurons to respond to signals like the smell or taste of good food and then it is recycled back into the cell that releases it which in return will shut off the signal between neurons.

Cocaine acts by preventing the dopamine from being recycled, causing excessive amounts of dopamine to build up, amplifying the message, and ultimately disrupting normal communication. It is this excess of dopamine that is responsible for cocaine’s euphoric effects. With repeated use, cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward system and in other brain systems as well, which may eventually lead to addiction. Further to this with repeated use, tolerance to the cocaine high also often develops. This has been confirmed from various reports that many cocaine addicts often seek to get high by consuming more but they fail to achieve as much pleasure as they use to from their first exposure. This means that some users choose to increase their dose in an attempt to intensify and prolong the euphoria, but this can also increase the risk of adverse psychological or physiological effects.

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats: The Adverse Effects of Cocaine on Health

There is no doubt that cocaine abuse impact on health negatively, like for instance:

Cocaine compresses blood vessels
Dilates eye pupils
Increases body temperature
Heart rate
Blood pressure

It can also cause headaches and gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. And because cocaine tends to decrease appetite, chronic users can become malnourished as well.

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats: Effects based on the mode of administration

Like I had indicated before that, cocaine is administered in to the body primarily in there different ways. These methods of taking cocaine can produce different adverse effects. like for instance:

Regularly snorting cocaine, for example, can lead to loss of the sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with swallowing, hoarseness, and a chronically runny nose.
Ingesting cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene as a result of reduced blood flow.
Injecting cocaine can bring about severe allergic reactions and increased risk for contracting HIV and other blood-borne diseases.
Binge patterns of use may lead to irritability, restlessness, anxiety, and paranoia.
Cocaine abusers can suffer a temporary state of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which they lose touch with reality and experience auditory hallucinations.

Doctor Akoury emphases that it doesn’t matter how it is administered or how frequently cocaine is used, in all these users can experience acute cardiovascular or cere-brovascular emergencies, such as a heart attack or stroke, which may cause sudden death. Remember that most cocaine-related deaths are often as result of cardiac arrest or seizure followed by respiratory arrest. All these can be brought to manageable levels if we all pool together and begin doing the right things. You may not know conclusively what to do and that is why doctor Akoury founder this health facility to help you stay healthy. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury and together with her team of experts they will professionally offer lasting solution to your individual conditions.

Cocaine and Crack Abuse are great Threats: The Dangers it brings on your Health

The best treatment solutions for cocaine abusers

May 5, 2015

The best treatment solutions for cocaine abusers: Taking Cocaine head on

The best treatment solutions for cocaine abusers may include group therapy and counseling

Of the societal challenges we are faced with drug addiction is becoming one of the most disturbing one. When one member of the family is struggling with substance abuse, the whole family is concern and a lot of emotional and even physical frustrations are felt. What is worrying is the rate at which the population abusing drugs is increasing. There are several factors that can explain this but the sing denominator is that the increase is getting out of hand if something is not done to correct this. Looking at the impact of substance abuse in our neighborhoods doctor Dalal Akoury made a decision to form a health center whose objective would be to offer solutions to people abusing drugs. At this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) doctor Akoury together with her team of experts are offering the best treatment solutions for cocaine abusers among other drug related cases. Therefore if you are struggling with drugs of whichever kind, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today for treatment. In the meantime, let us consider some of the treatment options we have.

Information available indicates that just a few years ago in 2007, cocaine alone accounted for about 13 percent of all admissions to drug abuse treatment programs. The report also revealed that majority of these people sought treatment were mainly cocaine addicts and were also struggling with other drugs other than cocaine meaning that they were poly drug abusers. Doctor explains that the prevalence of cocaine has necessitated renewed efforts to develop treatment programs for cocaine across the globe. And just like with other drugs, cocaine is one of the complex diseases that involve biological changes in the brain as well as myriad social, familial, and other environmental problems. Therefore, a good treatment of cocaine addiction must be comprehensive, and strategies need to assess the neurobiological, social, and medical aspects of the patient’s drug abuse. Moreover, patients who have a variety of addictions often have other co-occurring mental disorders that require additional behavioral or pharmacological interventions.

The best treatment solutions for cocaine abusers: Cocaine Detoxification

For us to have better modes of treatment of cocaine addiction, we must first appreciate and acknowledge that we have a problem that needs to be fixed. No treatment can be successful if the patient is still in denial. It is a fact that patients addicted to cocaine or even other drugs will have a lot of toxic deposit in their systems. These toxics are the biggest problem that detoxification will be addressing in this article. Therefore medical detoxification is a process that systematically and safely withdraws people from addictive drugs. This is usually done under the care of trained physician. Drinking alcohol or using drugs can cause physical dependence over time and stopping them can result in withdrawal symptoms in people with this dependence. The detoxification process is designed to treat the immediate bodily effects of stopping drug use and to remove toxins left in the body as a result of the chemicals found in drugs or alcohol.

Even though as things stand now there is no proven pharmacologic therapy for cocaine addiction, so many kinds of medications have been used in the past in the detoxification of cocaine. It is however worth noting that withdrawal from chronic cocaine use may also result in anxiety, depression and intense cravings for the drugs you are trying to eliminate from your systems. Several types of medications address these issues in different ways. Like for instance:

Antidepressant drugs such as desipramine or a combination of phentermine and fenfluramine have been used to reduce cocaine withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
Benzodiazepines, tranquilizers such as Diazepam, have been used to reverse anxiety induced by cocaine withdrawal.
Amantadine, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease, may be an effective treatment for cocaine-dependent patients with severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms and may reduce cocaine craving.
Bromocriptine, a drug that works on the brain’s dopamine system, has been used to decrease the craving for cocaine during detoxification and to reduce mood disturbance.
Propanolol, a beta-blocker drug used to treat high blood pressure, may be useful for severe cocaine withdrawal symptoms, as it slows down the effects of adrenaline, thereby calming the body’s “fight or flight” response to stressful situations.
This type of drug has been used to treat general anxiety and anxiety associated with alcohol withdrawal.
Propranolol’s lessening of symptoms such as palpitations and sweating has helped reduce cocaine craving. Its use, however, is not risk free in patients who have taken cocaine and can be associated with decreased blood flow to the heart and other changes that predispose patients to arrhythmia and a severe increase in blood pressure that can lead to a stroke.
Delayed toxic effects are possible. Any use of beta-blockers in this setting requires careful monitoring and caution.

The best treatment solutions for cocaine abusers: Behavioral Interventions

Many behavioral treatments for cocaine addiction have proven to be effective in both residential and outpatient settings. Indeed, behavioral therapies are often the only available and effective treatments for many drug problems, including stimulant addictions. However, the integration of behavioral and pharmacological treatments may ultimately prove to be the most effective approach. Presently, there are no proven medications to treat cocaine addiction. Nonetheless a lot of efforts are being made by NIDA to identify and test new medications.

One form of behavioral therapy that is showing positive results in cocaine-addicted populations is contingency management, or motivational incentives (MI). MI may be particularly useful for helping patients achieve initial abstinence from cocaine and for helping patients stay in treatment. Programs use a voucher or prize-based system that rewards patients who abstain from cocaine and other drug use. On the basis of drug-free urine tests, the patients earn points, or chips, which can be exchanged for items that encourage healthy living, such as a gym membership, movie tickets, or dinner at a local restaurant. This approach has recently been shown to be practical and effective in community treatment programs.

Finally it is important that patients receive only services that match all of their treatment needs. For example, if a patient is unemployed, it may be helpful to provide vocational rehabilitation or career counseling along with addiction treatment. If a patient has marital problems, it may be important to offer couples counseling. These and more are some of the services we offer at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. When you schedule for that appointment with doctor Akoury, up on carrying out an evaluation on you, she will put you on a tailored treatment program that will directly meet your addiction needs.

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