Drug dependence signs and Symptoms

June 22, 2017

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms is universal and include the prescription drugs too

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Drug addiction commencement

The particular signs and symptoms of drug use and dependence vary depending on the type of drug. You might be able to tell that a family member or a friend is struggling with some of the drug dependence signs and symptoms quite easily based on the physical and behavioral signs associated with the drug. We spoke to Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President, and founder of AWAREmed health center over this and it was very evident that the link is in the type of drug in question, like for instance:

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Marijuana and hashish

It’s possible to develop a psychological addiction to cannabis compounds including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana and hashish. People who have a marijuana addiction generally use the drug on a daily basis. They don’t actually have a chemical dependence on the drug but rather feel the need to regularly use the drug. According to the expert opinion, doctor Akoury reiterates that this is a disaster in waiting and if nothing is done in good time, the patient could pay the ultimate price. But before we get there, it can be very sad if we allow things to get there. The starting point, in this case, would be overcoming any resistance of seeking for treatment like denial and fear of withdrawal symptoms.

Once this is dealt with, only then can we approach treatment meaningfully. And before we get there, it may interest you to note that, professionalism is very key in addressing matters relating to substance abuse. And for your situation, we are privileged to have with us doctor Dalal Akoury who is a veteran addiction professional, besides being an expert in the area of Healthy Aging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine. She (Dr. Akoury) also specializes in advanced bio-identical hormone replacement and nutritional therapies. And currently, she is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and the fellowship program in Anti-Aging, Regenerative, Functional and Metabolic Medicine. With over two decades of experience, your condition will be addressed professionally to the advantage of all your loved ones. As you consider making that very important phone call for an appointment, the following are some of the signs of use and dependence on drugs:

A heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception
Poor memory
Increased blood pressure and heart rate
Red eyes
Decreased coordination
Difficulty concentrating
Increased appetite
Slowed reaction time
Paranoid thinking

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Barbiturates and benzodiazepines

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines are prescription central nervous system depressants. Phenobarbital, amobarbital (Amytal) and secobarbital (Seconal) are examples of barbiturates. Benzodiazepines include tranquilizers, such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). If you’re prescribed these drugs, take them exactly as ordered. If you feel your need for these medications is increasing, talk to your doctor about it including the signs of use and dependence listed below:

Drowsiness
Slurred speech
Lack of coordination
Memory problems
Confusion
Slowed breathing and decreased blood pressure
Dizziness
Depression

Drug dependence Signs and Symptoms: Drug addiction commencement

Effects of Benzodiazepine

October 4, 2014

Sedative and Euphoric Effects of Benzodiazepine

Benzodiazepines are drugs that have been used in hospitals to curb pain, as anti-anxiety and for sedation. However these drugs are can be abused as they are rewarding in higher doses. For this reason many people have used these drugs for all the wrong reasons. What happens when you take these drugs depends on the dosage. When used as prescribed the work as anti-anxiety and for sedation but when abused they result in even more grave side effects.

Benzodiazepines are glycoproteins with an affinity for benzodiazepine receptors which act as specific binding sites for gamma aminobutyric acid shortly known as GABA. The GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS. Many scientists have proposed various action mechanisms but despite all these proposed action mechanisms, the exact sites and mechanisms of actions of these drugs is still a mystery unraveled.

The mechanism of action of these drugs is often based on this belief that these drugs affect CNS by interacting with a macromolecular protein complex in the neuronal membrane which includes GABAa receptors, high-affinity benzodiazepine receptors and chloride channels. The scientists are still working to find more about the mechanisms of action of benzodiazepines in the CNS but until now we can dwell more on their effects in the body and how to safely use them.

Occupation of the benzodiazepine receptor increases the affinity of the GABAa receptor for GABA. GABA potentiates the direct opening of the chloride ion channel, allowing an increased influx of chloride into the neuron. The inward shift of chloride ions hyperpolarizes and stabilizes the membrane, resulting in a net inhibitory effect on neuronal firing. Benzodiazepines alone have little effect on chloride ion channel permeability and depend upon the presence of GABA in the synapse for their actions.

Some of benzodiazepines are very similar in their chemical structures but their potency differs greatly and so is the rate of absorption and other pharmacological parameters. The potency of a benzodiazepine is correlated with its affinity for its binding site, the benzodiazepine receptor. In therapeutic use, the benzodiazepines, while differing in potency, have similar pharmacologic profiles.

It is believed that there are different types of benzodiazepine receptors in different areas of the CNS which produce the various pharmacological actions of the drugs. As the dose of benzodiazepine is increased, anxiolytic effects are first produced, followed by anticonvulsant effects, a reduction in muscle tonus, and finally sedation and hypnosis.

Clinically, benzodiazepines are used in the management of anxiety disorders, insomnia, seizure disorders, skeletal muscle spasticity, alcohol withdrawal, panic disorder and as premedicants prior to surgical or diagnostic procedures. Benzodiazepines have also been used in the management of nausea and vomiting associated with emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.

When taken benzodiazepines get widely spread in the body and accumulate preferentially in lipid rich areas such as the CNS and adipose tissue. The more lipophilic agents have the fastest rates of absorption and onset of clinical effects. Benzodiazepines and their metabolites are highly bound to plasma proteins. Steady state plasma concentrations of benzodiazepines and their metabolites are reached after about 5 elimination half-lives, typically, a few days to 2 weeks after initiation of therapy. The higher the concentrations of benzodiazepines in the plasma the higher their sedative and euphoric effects. For sedative purposes the concentrations of benzodiazepine in the plasma are much lower than the concentrations of benzodiazepine in plasma that would evoke euphoric effects. This shows that that a person may have euphoric feelings after using higher doses of benzodiazepine than the doses needed for sedative purposes. However, the higher the doses of benzodiazepines the danger it beckons for higher doses may result in intoxication or even delirium which is characterized by ataxia, amnesia, stupor, impaired consciousness, nystagmus.

Mortality hazards of the use of Benzodiazepine

The benzodiazepines are clinically useful but that does not mean that they are free from any side effects. The use of benzodiazepines within the prescribed doses foe sedation and sleeping disorders may give relief and a reason to celebrate but as I have written earlier, these drugs are prone to abuse and as commonly abuse of any drug will always give rise to undesired effects. Though it has not been perceived to be as dangerous as other drugs of abuse such as opioids and ‘bath salts’ that can cause death instantly due to overdose, the side effects of benzodiazepine can lead to death in one way or another. These side effects include; dependency, withdrawal, rebound symptoms, daytime sedation, confusion, cognitive deficits, ataxia, dysarthria, diplopia, and vertigo. The use of benzodiazepines have been linked to motor vehicle accidents especially in the elderly. Benzodiazepines are often used in patients undergoing dialysis for their sedation effects. However a study done in japan where these drugs were used widely in dialysis patients showed that benzodiazepine use may be associated with an increased mortality risk.

Benzodiazepine increased rise of falls in Elderly

Benzodiazepine has also been found to increase falls in the elderly leading major fractures. The long term use of these drugs is also associated with nocturnal falls and still the elderly still fall victims. Rise in falls is one of the problems that can be linked to the effects of the drug on the elderly.

Finally, you need more information to stay away from dependence on alcohol and drugs as these have crippled societies and that is why 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.

Sedative and Euphoric Effects of Benzodiazepine

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

October 3, 2014

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and How to Help the Patient

Benzodiazepine The use of any other drug of abuse comes with some of the most undesired side effects. Before we go deep into this topic we should have at least a basic understanding of these terms.

Withdrawal- This term may have different meanings but to many it is associated with getting money from your bank account. That is right but here it means something completely different. Withdrawal in relation to drugs is a term that refers to the feelings of discomfort, distress, and uncontrolled desire for a substance that takes place when a person stops using the substance. For there to be withdrawal, a person must have used a certain substance for quite a good time that his entire body had become adapted to the substance. When a person has used a certain substance for a long time his body may become dependent on the substance to accomplish some critical functions of the body. When a body is metabolically adapted to the use of a certain drug, when a person stops using that drug he will suffer some defects. He will have physical symptoms of withdrawal and these may differ in severity. Some may be mild and flu like while some symptoms of withdrawal might be so severe and life threatening.

What is Benzodiazepine?

Benzodiazepine’s parent compound of several psychoactive drugs (e.g. nitrazepam, temazepam and diazepam) used as anxiolytics,sedatives and hypnotics; they do not specifically contraindicate local anaesthetics, but as they can cause drowsiness, ataxia, dysarthria andimpaired consciousness, their concomitant use could mask early signs of toxic effects of local anesthetics.

This drug was used in clinics mostly as a tranquilizer. However this drug has potential to be abused. These medicines should be used in a hospital setting or better yet with directions from a physician. However other people are using these drugs for their sedative and intoxicating purposes. Benzodiazepine are addictive drugs and when a person uses them for so long he may reach dependence, it is attempts to stop using these drugs after dependence that results in withdrawal. Just like with any other drug of abuse physical symptoms of withdrawal will appear when you stop using Benzodiazepine after using it for quite along time. There are myriads of symptoms that occur while you stop using these drugs but for this article we will handle just a few.

Some of the Withdrawal symptoms when one stops using Benzodiazepine

Seizure

Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. However a people who have epilepsy are often considered having a seizure disorder this will require medication. Other factors that may cause seizures are low blood sugar level which is common in diabetic patients. Patients suffering from meningitis often suffer seizures as well. However using some drugs may lead to some dependence of brain cells on the drugs so much that when a person stops using the drugs then it may beckon abnormal electrical activity in the brain thereby causing seizures.

The outward effect of seizures can vary from uncontrolled jerking movement (tonic-clonic seizure) to as subtle as a momentary loss of awareness (absence seizure) in this state the patient may lay flat without even moving an inch.

Rebound Anxiety

When a person suffers anxiety disorders and walks into the hospital, the most likely drug that he will be prescribed will be the benzodiazepine. These drugs are known to work well in addressing anxiety disorders however these drugs have a share of the darker world too. They have other side effects that are quite serious. One of these serious side effects includes the rebound effect. When these drugs were used to cure anxiety disorders and then stopped the patient will become even more anxious which may in itself lead to even more problems. The disadvantage of using these drugs for anxiety is that you will become dependent on them so much as to cause rebound anxiety.

Insomnia

Typically insomnia is the lack of sleep. Insomnia is a symptom of a disease and not a disease in itself. Insomnia is often defined as inability to either initiate or maintain sleep or both. For anybody to have a sound sleep there are hormones that work. These hormones are subject to drug activities and this explains why Benzodiazepine may cause insomnia.

Intravenous Amino Acid Therapy for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

What happens during addiction is that Neurotransmitters are damaged. There is need to restore the neurotransmitters if the normal functions of the body are to be reached. One fact however is that these neurotransmitters are made from amino acids and these amino acids control nearly every aspect of the neurotransmitters. Dependence or addiction on benzodiazepine destroys these neurotransmitters hence to help person overcome cravings for more of benzodiazepine among other withdrawal symptoms there is need to restore the neurotransmitters. Amino acid can be given intravenously to the patient, this is effective as IV delivery bypasses the digestive system hence effective in restoring the neurotransmitters. IV delivery of the amino acids helps even patients whose digestive systems have been affected by addiction to drugs, alcohol and other substances.

NAD and Intravenous Amino Acid Therapy for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Benzodiazepine Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a coenzyme derivative of vitamin B3 – otherwise known as niacin. This coenzyme is found in all living cells. It is a key metabolism agent as well as many other basic cellular processes. Addicts are often low in energy and because NAD is essential in energy production its supplementation can be of benefit to the addicts. When used in mega doses it helps in making detoxification more rapid. It is given in IV form to reduce the cravings for addictive substances in addicts without exploring replacement therapies. This method of treatment has been used for quite a good time and has been very successful especially on those addicted to prescription drugs like opiates, benzodiazepines and even on cocaine, alcohol and other drugs.

Drug Addiction is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. It does not matter what kind of addiction you are wrestling with right now, just call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and How to Help the Patient

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