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

Psychoactive substance heroin opioid

June 3, 2016

The psychoactive substance heroin opioid. Every puff of the substance has serious health consequences

Psychoactive substance heroin opioid: What is heroin?

The psychoactive substance known as heroin is a type of opioid drug which wears many faces. This is so because it is partially manmade and partially natural. It traces its origin from the morphine. Morphine is a psychoactive mind altering substance that occurs naturally in the resin of the opium poppy plant. If you were to describe this substance, one will have to depend on how it is made and the content of the ingredients in the mixture. With those noted, it is possible to mention the color and the appearance of heroin which can either be white or brown powder or a black, sticky substance called “black tar heroin.”

As things stand now, the psychoactive substance heroin opioid usage is taking a ne new dimension where it is becoming a preference for people abusing prescription opioid painkillers. Some of the notable painkillers include oxycontin and Vicodin. According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, doctor Dalal Akoury is registering that many people are opting for the use of heroin in place of other opioid painkillers because its accessibility and affordability. They are also motivated with the fact that heroin equally produces similar high experience but at a much cost effective value.

Psychoactive substance heroin opioid: Usage of heroin

Heroin like any other stimulant is administered into the body through smoking, injection or snorting. It is injected with a needle when a solution of heroin powder is formed with water. Besides that it can also be snorted through the nose and smoked in the same way ordinary cigarette is smoked. It is increasingly becoming evident that many young people are using heroin in place of prescription opioids. If something is not done now, then we will be raising a generation of addicts and the future of our nations and communities will be very bleak. Because of this need, doctor Akoury in her establishment, is offering addiction treatment solutions tailored at transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dear friend you can’t go down with heroin with this great opportunity. We want to encourage you to seek for help early so that you can have your life back in a more professionally way with doctor Akoury today.

Psychoactive substance heroin opioid: How does heroin affect the brain?

The brain is be biggest casualty each time heroin is abused. Meaning that, when heroin enters the brain, it react immediately by converting itself into morphine and then binds to molecules on cells known as opioid receptors. The receptors are mainly located in areas of the brain and in particular those areas involved in the perception of pain and pleasure. This therefore means that regular usage of heroin will cause changes in the functioning of the brain thereby resulting in tolerance, dependence and finally addiction.

Psychoactive substance heroin opioid: What is heroin?

Nutritional impact on individual substances of abuse

August 27, 2015

Nutritional impact on individual substances of abuse: The significance of nutrition on substances effects

Nutritional impact on individual substances of abuse has delivered real success in the treatment of drug addiction

It is very important for all of us to appreciate and understand the nutritional impact on individual’s substance of abuse if we are to make any meaningful changes in the fight about this problem. In many instances we are quick in pointing fingers without really having the knowledge of some of the possible solutions at our disposal which we are not exploring. It is because of this reason that we want to engage services of doctor Dalal Akoury a veteran addiction experts of very many decades and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, to help us understand some of the specific nutritional impact on individual substances of abuse in this article. This is a discussion that you don’t want to miss and we welcome you to stay on the link for this very informative discussion of a life time.

Nutritional impact on individual substances of abuse: Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the major causes of nutritional deficiency not just in the United States but it cuts across the globe. Alcohol is very rich in calories but provides little or no nutrition to the body at all. It is no wonder that many alcoholics are malnourished, either due to ingesting a nutritionally inadequate diet or changes in the body’s ability to use the nutrients it receives. Doctor Akoury says that it is important to appreciate that alcoholism is very indiscriminative on the way it at attacks the body and is capable of affecting every area of the body irrespective of age, gender or status. Other effects of alcoholism may include insomnia, anorexia, weight changes, gastrointestinal cramping, decreased digestive enzymes, ulcers, muscle wasting, liver disease, and abnormal glucose levels depending on the amount of alcohol ingested. Besides all these, it is important to appreciate that those who take in more than 30% of their total calories in alcohol generally have a significant decrease in their intake of all macronutrients and deficiencies in vitamin A, vitamin C, and thiamine.

Alcohol’s impact on digestion and the absorption of essential nutrients is important to understand when treating an alcoholic. Alcohol interferes with protein metabolism, leading to important clinical consequences, including low albumin levels, increased fluid in the abdomen, reduced blood clotting, and decreased urea production (resulting in excessive ammonia levels), which may increase the likelihood of altered brain function (e.g., hepatic encephalopathy).

Of all the organs of the body affected by alcohol, the liver is the one that suffer the most and therefore all liver disease resulting from alcoholism alters the its ability to take up beta-carotene or convert it to vitamin A, thereby causing disorders such as night blindness. Doctor Akoury advices that dietitians should be cautious when treating alcoholics with low vitamin A, levels since blood levels may be inconsistent with what’s stored in tissues and because of high doses are toxic. It’s recommended that patients with low vitamin A and night blindness be treated with some 2 mg of vitamin A daily for several weeks, and besides that Zinc treatment also may be useful, as it’s needed for vitamin A metabolism.

The body moves through four stages of liver damage as alcoholism progresses: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and encephalopathy or coma. Protein-calorie malnutrition predicts survival in patients with alcoholic liver disease. Forty-five to seventy percent of alcoholics with liver disease also are glucose intolerant or diabetic.

Treatment goals for patients with alcoholism are to reverse malnutrition, prevent alcoholic liver disease, and establish a healthy lifestyle and coping skills for avoiding alcohol use. If malnourished, alcoholics benefit from a diet high in carbohydrates and moderate in protein. Low-calorie diets and fasting should be avoided because of the nutritional risks and the possibility that a patient has an existing eating disorder or may cross over to a new addiction with food, dieting, or exercise. Such diet should include a mix of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids since the amount and type of fats impact hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. If tube feeding or total parenteral nutrition is required, dietitians should avoid glutamine-enriched formulas, as they increase ammonia levels. The amino acid taurine, in addition to patients’ prescribed diets, has been used to help maintain recovery after detoxification, as it represses the rewarding effect in the brain associated with alcohol.

Nutritional impact on individual substances of abuse: Opioids (Narcotics)

Ordinarily opioids are used for the purpose of pain treatments that are likely to include codeine, oxycodone, heroin, methadone, and morphine. From the experts’ point of view, doctor Akoury and her team of professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are in agreement that these drugs are capable of slowing down the body movements and can also cause sedation, leading to slower digestion and constipation. Amidst all these, it is important to note that withdrawal symptoms can also occur with opioids, even within a very short duration of use. It therefore brings with it a very wide range of symptoms, mainly diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, which can lead to poor oral intake, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances. Nutrient deficits may then be caused by poor nutritional intake or the drug’s impact on digestion and absorption. Remember that opioids are always water soluble, meaning that they will in a record time clear the body faster than would have been done by fat-soluble drugs which in many cases would produce some painful and uncomfortable detox periods.

Heroin use can cause glucose intolerance, but this usually resolves with abstinence. For that reason, patients will require blood sugar monitoring and balanced, frequent meals. Finally says doctor Dalal Akoury, when newly abstaining from opioids, patients typically have very low pain tolerance, increased heart rate, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. These symptoms commonly cause them to relapse to their drug of choice. Pharmacotherapy, counseling, and lifestyle changes help prevent relapse in this population of addicts. However amidst all these worthy options at your disposal, if you are still not seeing any break through, it is not the end of the road for you. We will always be there for you at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury. You can therefore schedule for a one on one meeting with her for a more in-depth professional touch in all your pending concerns and you will not regret it for the rest of your life there-after.

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