Category Archives: Addiction Courses

Hallucinogens? What Are They?

September 23, 2014

Widely Used Hallucinogens

There some drugs that when used may cause hallucinations.  The drugs that cause hallucinations are called hallucinogens. These drugs when taken make a person to see things that are not even in existence. The drugs take a person to a trip. He ceases to see what is in the real world but instead sees things that nobody else sees. Hallucinogens may also have other destructive effects to those who take then in fact most drugs that cause hallucinations are often linked to such grave symptoms as memory loss among others. Hallucinogens are interesting drugs, they work differently for each individual person. A person may take a hallucinogen in huge quantity but still will not see many crazy visual hallucinations as compared to others who will even see dogs talk to him in his hallucinations even after taking the least quantities available.

hallucinogens

I’ve never actually taken LSD before but i know and have talked with many people who have. Color enhancement, visual distortions, and “melting” are typical effects produced by LSD in medium quantities. One of the drugs that cause a person to hallucinate is the LSD.  The way LSD affects people varies greatly, however when taken it can take you to a ‘trip’ that may go for as long as 12 hours but there is a peak halfway through the middle. During these trips a person may also experience bodily changes which include dilated pupils, increased blood pressure and a high body temperature. People on LSD may also feel dizzy, sweat, have blurred vision and feel tingling in their hands and feet. They may feel drowsy but not sleepy.

LSD also induces a feeling of euphoria and a person becomes extremely happy laughs a lot and everything in his world becomes magically beautifully. A person who has taken LSD will feel like he has broken the barriers of his brain and hence become very contemplative. They feel like they have learnt new ways that were hidden and they get new understanding of how things are in the world. They trip to religious and spiritual a journey which is dreamlike revealing very strange phenomena to them. The colors in their surrounding become stronger than they really are and so are the lights that become brighter than normal. Taking LSD also causes synesthesia — a confusion of sensations between different types of stimuli. Some people have described this as seeing colors when they hear specific sounds.
LSD also causes poor judgment and so LSD users prefer taking the drug in groups and in calm environments like homes where they may not interact with other people who may take advantage in the twist of their judgment. They may spend a better part of their trip trying to understand something that seems rather unimportant.

Sometimes a person may have to be taken to hospitals in case he has got ‘a bad trip’ which means he might be hallucinating to a point not good for his mental health. The trip may take too long and in most instances the person may lose control. When taken to hospital he may be injected with anti-anxiety medication or a mild tranquilizer to ease the patient’s panic.

Mescaline

hallucinogensMescaline is a naturally occurring psychedelic found in several cactus species, most notably, Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi). Several other members of the trichocereus family also contain mescaline.
Mescaline belongs to a family of compounds known as phenethylamines, making it quite distinct from the other major psychedelics which belong to the indole family. LSD, psilocybin, harmaline, and DMT are all indoles. Many synthetic “designer” psychedelics, such as ecstasy (MDMA) and 2C-B, are phenethylamines, and are related to the chemistry of mescaline.

Mescaline has been used for a long time in religious functions in san Pedro and today the use of mescaline in religious functions is still upheld by the Peru. The major reason why this plant extract is being used in for religious purposes is because of the hallucinatory effects it possesses. It helps a person to see more than he could in normal setting.

Due to its hallucinatory effects it has become abused in that instead being used for religious purposes people now use it as a recreational drug. When taken a person will experience visual hallucinations and radically altered states of consciousness, often experienced as pleasurable and illuminating. It takes a person to a mental trip where every boundary of the mind seems overcome. However with the good feelings of happiness and euphoria a person may get feelings of anxiety and revulsion after using mescaline. Visualizations euphoria and laughter are the better part of taking mescaline. However there are other side effects associated with it.

Side effects of mescaline

Being a product highly valued as it is used for religious purposes most researches that have been done on it have not shown its side effects. However these are the side effects that have been reported; dizziness, anxiety, increased heart beat diarrhea and even headache. However vomiting is considered an advantage by the Shaman ceremonies as it is considered cleansing.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor who has been in the frontline fighting drug addiction. He runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more.

Widely Used Hallucinogens

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Bath Salts, Dangerous side effects

September 23, 2014

Dangerous Drugs Disguised As ‘Bath Salts’

Bath salts is a tittle that is given to a family of drugs that contain one or more than one synthetic chemicals related to cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant found naturally in the Khat plant. The name ‘bath salts’ was given to these drugs because of the ways they were disguised in the market. These drugs are often in the form of white powder, or crystals which often resemble legal bathing products like Epsom salts, but are different in chemical composition from actual bath salts. Those trading in these drugs were very cunning or do we say they were clever they even wrote on the packaging of these drugs as ‘not for human consumption’ just to evade all the problems from the authorities. Hence these drugs were traded for a long time without fear of prohibition.

It is therefore necessary for me to state this here, these drugs that were marked as bathing salts simply to evade problems that the traders would go through incase the authorities detected they were dealing in drugs should never be mistaken for the genuine bathing salts such as Epsom salts that are sold with intentions of improving bathing experience. Epsom and other genuine salts do not contain the drug properties that are in designed drugs disguised as bathing salts.

These drugs have since become a public health and safety issue. There has been a growing concern to tame the use of these drugs after several scientific studies have shown that they do affect the people who use them adversely. The users of these ‘bathing salts’ are always lured by the opinion that these drugs would give a person a feeling of euphoria, increased sociability and even increases a person’s sex drive. Those who are using these drugs for these reasons are misled because they do not always check for the side effects that may come along with the ‘benefits’ that they seek to find in these bathing salts.  Some of the side effects that are associated with the use of these ‘bathing salts’ are paranoia, agitation, and hallucinatory delirium; some even display psychotic and violent behavior, and in extreme cases, deaths. With proof that these drugs can cause death it therefore calls for caution in handling these drugs and strict laws should be adopted to deal with those found in possession of these ‘bathing soaps’ just as it has always been done with other hard drugs.

bath salts

The use of these drugs has really spread as fast as they are now being sold online under such names as plant food, jewelry cleaner and even phone screen cleaner. There are also other online drug stores that also sell these drugs under such brand names as Ivory Wave, Bloom, Cloud Nine, Lunar Wave, Vanilla Sky, White Lightning and Scarface.

Common synthetic cathinones found in bath salts include 3, 4 methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), mephedrone commonly known as Drone, Meph, or Meow Meow and methylone, but there are others that are not mentioned here. Much is still unknown about how these substances affect the human brain, and each one may have somewhat different properties. Chemically, they are similar to amphetamines such as methamphetamine as well as to MDMA also known as ecstasy.

The energizing and often agitating effects reported in people who have taken bath salts are consistent with other drugs like amphetamines and cocaine that raise the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine in brain circuits regulating reward and movement. A surge in dopamine in these circuits causes feelings of euphoria and increased activity. A similar surge of the transmitter norepinephrine can raise heart rate and blood pressure. Bath salts have been marketed as cheap and until recently, legal substitutes for those stimulants. A recent study found that MDPV—the most common synthetic cathinone found in the blood and urine of patients admitted to emergency departments after bath salts ingestion—raises brain dopamine in the same manner as cocaine but is at least 10 times more potent. This shows how dangerous these drugs are.

Those who use these bathing salts have been reported to inhibit hallucinatory effects that are similar to those experienced by those who are using such drugs as MDMA or LSD that are known to increase the levels of serotonin which is another known neurotransmitter. Researchers have done experiments on rats through which it was found that mephedrone and methylone increased the levels of serotonin as it happens with the use of MDMA.

Here are some other side effects of Bath salts

Bath salts Today hospitals are receiving victims of these bath salts. Most of the reactions that they inhibit include but not limited to high blood pressure, and chest pains, psychiatric symptoms like paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks. There is also a symptom commonly referred to as ‘excited delirium’ from taking bath salts also may have dehydration, breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, and kidney failure.

These drugs are also very addictive and since may prove a real hell to break free from. The more a person uses these drugs the more he craves for more of this drug and this with time may prove fatal. When used for a long time it may beckon dependence.

There are very many side effects associated with ‘bath salts’ but the greatest fear is that these drugs are designed and so most of the contents are unknown which seem very dangerous.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced Medical Educator who has been in the frontline fighting drug addiction. She runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more. Dr. Akoury offers great Natural addiction education to Physicians, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners , and Councilors.

 Dangerous Drugs Disguised As ‘Bath Salts’

 

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Phencyclidine (PCP) and Excitatory Actions

September 22, 2014

Phencyclidine (PCP) selectively reduces excitatory actions

PhencyclidineTo begin with, it is important to point out to those who have not heard of club drugs yet. These are also known as rave drugs and are often associated with night parties in discotheques. The term club drugs refers to a wide range of substances that are commonly abused by young adults and teens at all-night party clubs and parties. The drugs reported in these scenes are extremely diverse and vary among locales. Overall, they include drugs that have long been abused, such as marijuana and cocaine, and drugs whose abuse is a more recent development. All these drugs are taken with different purposes but most importantly most youths are lured to abuse this drugs by there need to belong. When the party lovers   meet and spend time together they will obviously want to do everything together as that will give them a sense of belonging and a ‘family’. Most youths indulge in the use of club drugs not because they really need to but because those they came to club with are using; talk of peer pressure. Some of these drugs are stimulants, some depressants, and some hallucinogens. Most of these club drugs however exhibit multiple pharmacological properties hence cannot be easily categorized. The club drugs are often grouped as;

Designer Drugs

Designer drug is the term used for a drug created by changing the molecular structure of one or more existing drugs to create a new substance. These drugs have no place in the medical field as they have no accepted medical purpose so they can only be used for other purposes other than medical purposes and hence are always abused. As a result, they are synthesized in illicit laboratories. MDMA which is mostly associated with ecstasy is the most sought after and the most commonly abused of the designer drugs. The other designer drugs are considered by users to be inferior substitutes for MDMA and are typically only ingested unknowingly, when present in tablets sold as ecstasy. Examples of other designer drugs are: MDA, MDE, MBDB, DOB, DOM, 2C-B. MDMA and MDA are the most known club drugs and are hence highly used by youths in discotheques.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelics, refer to a wide range of substances derived from both natural and synthetic sources. In general, hallucinogens distort the user’s sensory perceptions and may also create feelings of euphoria. These effects vary depending on the drug in question. The stronger hallucinogens can exert a powerful effect on a drug user’s thinking and can produce sensory illusions that make it difficult to distinguish between fact and fantasy. In general, hallucinogens do not create a physical dependence, but they can create a psychological dependence. Their consumption also creates a tolerance that is built rapidly within the body. Many drugs that exhibit mild hallucinogenic properties are commonly classified as hallucinogens, including marijuana and MDMA. Drugs that exhibit potent hallucinogenic properties are discussed below, including, LSD, ketamine, peyote/mescaline, and mushrooms.

Depressants

Depressants are also known as sedatives. These drugs commonly abused in the club environment include GHB and Rohypnol. These sedatives are highly potent. As a result, they have earned the title “date rape drugs“.  As the name suggests they are very dangerous but unfortunately teens and young men are rocking them like their names depends on them.

 

Phencyclidine (PCP) selectively reduces excitatory actions

Phencyclidine often shortened as PCP is a major drug of abuse that has anesthetic actions and produces effects that resemble schizophrenia. The mechanism of action of PCP-like drugs has not been established, although specific binding sites in brain have been identified that appear to be pharmacologically relevant. PCP-like drugs selectively antagonize excitation of spinal neurons by N-methyl aspartate commonly abbreviated as NMA. Therefore, the behavioral effects of PCP-like drugs might result from reduced neurotransmission at excitatory synapses utilizing NMA receptors in higher centers of the central nervous system. Until now, this proposed explanation of the behavioral effects of PCP-like drugs is based exclusively on electrophysiological findings.

Phencyclidine

Given that PCP-like drugs produce behavioral effects primarily through antagonism at excitatory synapses utilizing NMA receptors, drugs that are known to antagonize electrophysiological effects of NMA should produce PCP-like behavioral effects. DL-2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate (AP5) is a potent and highly selective NMA antagonist 8. A procedure for the measurement of catalepsy in pigeons, suitable for studying PCP-like activity of compounds, has been described.

Phencyclidine (PCP) has effects on the NMDA receptor. In an experiment that was done using mice in a laboratory, it was found that Stable N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor-mediated currents in cultured mouse hippocampal neurons were evoked by 20 ms pressure pulse applications of L-aspartate, repeatedly applied at 30 or 40 s intervals, to the cell body region of the neuron. In the study a simple model of the blockade, based on the ‘guarded receptor hypothesis’ was used to interpret our data. The model assumes that receptors are maximally activated at the peak of the response with an open probability (Po) approaching 1, that there is no desensitization and that the blocking drug only associates with, or dissociates from, receptor channels which have been activated by agonist.

The model used allowed the scientists to estimate forward and reverse rate constants for binding of the blockers to open channels from measurements of the steady-state level of blockade and the rate of change of the current amplitude per pulse during onset and offset of blockade. As predicted by the model, the estimated reverse rate was independent of blocker concentration while the forward rate increased with concentration.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor who has been in the frontline fighting drug addiction. He runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more.

Phencyclidine (PCP) selectively reduces excitatory actions

 

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The Prefrontal Cortex and It’s Executive Control In Addiction

September 20, 2014

Role of the prefrontal cortex and executive control in addiction

prefrontal cortexThe prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that is the cerebral cortex, which covers the front part frontal lobe. PFC’s most typical psychological term for its functions is executive function. The prefrontal cortex has been associated with a person’s personality by more than one scientist. It is associated with decision making, planning complex cognitive behavior, expressing ones personality as well as controlling and moderating social behaviors. Decision making is a process that is carried out in the brain through the interaction of the prefrontal cortex and the subcortical regions involved in reward and motivation. As a result, it is common that failure in self-regulatory behavior, common in addicted subjects, could be dependent upon the alteration of the interactions between the prefrontal cortex and the subcortical regions.

The PFC has plays a great role in regulating and governing behavior. This function is achieved through a complex interaction of different areas within the prefrontal cortex together with the subcortical areas integrating cognitive and executive functions to produce the “optimal choice”. The result of this interaction can also result in dangerous decisions some of which are observed in drug addicts. The PFC functional abnormalities are very much attributed to the continued use of drugs or traumatic experiences. PFC plays a role in the onset and in the progression of psychiatric disorders associated with very poor decision making such as schizophrenia, attention deficit or the hyperactivity disorder, and depression all of which are very likely to be suffered by drug addicts after a prolonged period of drug and substance abuse.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brains reward and pleasure areas as well as regulating movement and emotional responses. Dopamine enables us to not only see the reward but to also take actions to move towards them. Addictive drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and nicotine cause an excess of dopamine in the brain. According to scientific theories, dopamine is released in the brain when something very important happens, whether that is an expected reward or an accident. Since it is involved in learning, memory and motivation, the chemical dopamine helps us to store the important information we need to survive as well as to remember it in the future. Drugs however hijack that process sending five to ten times more dopamine surging through the nucleus accumbens and forcing the brains motivational and attention mechanisms to focus purely on the drug. The drug therefore becomes the most important thing in the world which leads to addiction.

Improved performance  in cognitive tasks requiring working memory and inhibition have been observed in people that carry variations in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene which degrade the catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. As a result, when the role of COMT is altered, there could be increased likelihood of making the drug addiction even stronger. Addiction is therefore as a result of a number of factors and the PFC circuitry contributes to the expression of several behaviors that are associated with it. A large number of addicted people do not seek treatment, mostly because they do not even recognize their condition as a disease that requires a medical attention. This condition is probably brought about by viewing the abused substance as an essential ingredient of their life regardless of the consequences of its use.

Imbalance between two separate but interacting neural systems can lead to addiction. These neural systems could be an immediate one that generates decision making, based on the impulsivity-related amygdala system for transmitting pain or pleasure of the immediate prospects and a reflective one, whose basis are for the signaling pain or pleasure of future prospects. The level of controlling behavior is challenged by the ability of cues associated with strengthening activities such as drug abuse, food or sex. Self-control efforts however involve increased activity in the regions of the PFC regulating emotions and cognition and reduced activity in the regions that are associated with reward processing and craving. PFC could be associated with long term outcomes whereas sub-cortical activity is associated with more immediate outcomes.

The PFC is also responsible for the decision to quit taking a certain drug after a period of addiction. Abstinence is a multiple component condition in which the lack of drug effects is highly associated with the inner struggle between the desire of the reward brought about by intake of the drug and the assessment of the consequences of that behavior in terms of money, social life and environmental involvement for example smoking marijuana. This will very fast lead to appearance of withdrawal syndrome that is characterized by depressed mood, irritability, mild cognitive deficits accompanied by other peripheral psychological symptoms as the PFC tries to adjust. Some addicts who struggle to go through the abstinence of a certain drug at times relapse to their old habits. This relapse can be categorized into three major types which are; drug induced relapse, reinstatement of self-administration behavior upon exposition to drug related cues and stress induced relapse. This is a major setback in the recovery of the addicts.

prefrontal cortex/

Research has shown that addicts of strong drugs such as marijuana or cocaine have more problems in their daily lives both physically as well as emotionally. Their health is also very much at risk as this drugs alter the working mechanism of the brain and especially the prefrontal cortex. They report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental and physical health, more relationship problems, and they also have less academic and career success compared to those who do not abuse drugs. Decision making becomes a problem for them and they tend to choose the easy way out which to them is the choice to keep using the drugs. Eventually, they could lose their mind all together as the brain function mechanism gets more and more accustomed to the drug effects.

Role of the prefrontal cortex and executive control in addiction

 

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Effects of Alcohol on Human Body Systems

September 20, 2014

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body

Alcohol is a commonly used depressant drug. When ingested, it affects the entire body system in various ways. We shall examine how the reproductive and cardiovascular systems are affected amongst others.

Cardiovascular System and Alcohol

  • Increased HDL

The presence of alcohol in the bloodstream results in higher levels of high density lipo-proteins. These valuable molecules are responsible for moping up fats and low density lipo-proteins from the bloodstream. Critical function is aided as alcohol actually increases the transport rates of apolipoproteins A-1 and A-11. This results in more efficiency in the manufacture of HDL and results in its abundance.

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy

Abusing alcohol over a long time can weaken the heart muscle. Cardiac muscle activity is inhibited by alcohol. Continued abuse causes free radical damage and prevents protein synthesis. The effect of this behaviour is a weakening the heart walls and thereby causing dilated cardiomyopathy. Symptoms include waking up to urinate at night, having heart palpitations and feeling uncharacteristically weak among others.  It is very dangerous and can lead to complete heart failure and affect other major organs.

Effects of Alcohol

Overconsumption of alcohol can put the body under stress. The body goes into fight or flight mode, releasing hormone cortisol. This causes non-critical body functions to slow or shut-down. It also causes arteries to constrict and increasing the pressure within the blood vessels.

  • Arrhythmia

As mentioned before, ethanol weakens the heart muscle. This can result in the heart beating too fast or with an irregular beat. Neither is good. If left to continue, they weaken the heart and increase the possibility of chronic cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.

Reproductive System

  • Erectile Dysfunction

An erection starts with receiving and reacting to sexual stimuli. Alcohol interferes with many of the processes necessary to creating and sustaining an erection. A psychoactive drug, it may interfere with a person’s perception of what is desirable. It also interferes and slows with the nervous communication with the gametes. Constricted arteries and blood vessels prevent the rush of blood required to create and sustain an erection.

  • Hypogonadism

Alcohol is toxic to the gonads. It damages the endocrine system. Endocrine organs become less effeicient the longer alcohol is consumed and with excessive abuse, these organs shrink and atrophy.  In men the testes become less active.  Production of the main male sex hormone, testerstorone is impaired while in women, similar effects are experienced with oestrogen and the ovary.  This depressant drug also impairs the other sex organs that regulate sex hormone production. Hormone balance is disrupted in both men and women making it hard to maintain fertility.

  • Amennorehea/Infertility

Chonic and sustained alcohol use is related to infertility. The body, unable to maintain the delicate mix of hormonal balance, becomes unable to produce gametes. Ovarian function in a depressed state cannot maintain a regular monthly menstrual cycle where eggs mature and are released for fertilisation. Testes on the other hand do not produce the numbers and quality of sperm required for successful impregnation. Apermatozoa damaged by alcoholic overuse tend to be mis-shapen, have low motility or simply not many enough. All of the above are classic signs of male and female infertility that can be  by alcoholism.

  • Spontaneous Abortion

Alcoholic pregnant women may go through a spontaneous abortion. A body under alcohol-induced stress is unlikely to successfully bear a pregnancy to term. Most of the symptoms do indeed get worse – high blood pressure, impaired endocrine function etc. may all work to create an uninhabitable environment in a woman’s body. The growing and unmet, nutritional and organ support needs result in a spontaneous abortion.

Other Effects

Over prolonged abuse of the alcohol has been known to reduce the blood supply to skeletal tissue. As living bones are malnourished and unable to replenish the old worn out edges, they die and become brittle. Of course this effect can compounded by the loss of bone density as one grows significantly. The result is weak, fragile bones that are prone to breakage. The thigh bone is particularly prone to such damage often resulting in a condition known as avascular necrosis of femoral head.

  • Alcoholic myopathy

Muscle fibres of all kinds have their functions impaired by alcohol presence in the bloodstream. Fast twitching fibres are the first to be affected. Users may report a feeling of weakness and tiredness perfroming simple tasks. Over long periods, the slow – twitch fibres get affected and result in a general feeling of fatigue. The muscles perform at a fraction of their normal capacity for strength, flexibility etc.

Liver-Diseases

  • Fetal Alcoholic Syndrome

Babies who have ingested alcohol through the uterus may be born weighing a fraction of their normal counterparts. They are also low in meeting their developmental milestones for their age group. Activities such as talking, motor functions, holding their heads upright and saying their first words are more likely to be delayed in people born with this syndrome.

  • Avascular necrosis of femoral heads

Alcohol’s effect on the cardiovascular system: arythmia, high blood pressure and raising levels of good fats create a mixed picture. Perhaps the trick in balancing the risk/reward for heart health scale lies in moderation and never exceeding the recommended daily limits. In the endocrine system however, there are fewer redeeming effects of alcohol with fertility and related functions being the most affected.

Effects of Alcohol on Human Body

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