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Medication-Assisted Treatment

August 10, 2019 by c_ferry 3 Comments

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), involves the use of certain FDA-approved medications to treat people with substance use disorders. The meds generally aren’t used on their own, but in conjunction with counseling and other traditional forms of addiction treatment.

Studies indicate that medication-assisted treatment is a safe and effective treatment for drug addiction and alcoholism, and may increase the chance of long-term recovery. 

How Medications Help with Addiction

Thanks to scores of research studies conducted over the last few decades, we know that addiction is a chronic disease that makes very real changes in the brain. Like any chronic disease, addiction is treatable.

Similarly, we no longer believe that addicted people deserve a difficult withdrawal from drugs and alcohol, or that the miserable symptoms such as chills, sweating, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and anxiety are a necessary part of recovery. In fact, withdrawal makes getting clean more difficult.

SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), explains that medication-assisted therapy helps “normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve cravings, and normalize bodily functions without the negative effects of the abused drug.”

In simple terms, medications replace dangerous drugs with safer alternatives. By stopping cravings, MAT buys time for addicted people to concentrate on therapy and other treatments. Once drugs or alcohol clears the body, people can think more clearly and benefit from treatment.

People benefit from medication-assisted therapy in several ways. Most importantly, they are less likely to die from a fatal overdose, to be injured by violence or accidents, or to be involved in criminal activities. There is also evidence that MAT may decrease the risk of developing HIV and Hepatitis C.

In short, the overall quality of life is improved. People who stay in treatment longer have a better chance of long-term recovery and a reduced risk of relapse.

Commonly Used Medications

Several different medications are used to treat alcoholism and addiction to heroin and other opioid drugs. So far, no medications have been developed to treat addiction to cocaine, meth or marijuana, although medications may be prescribed to ease the symptoms of withdrawal.

The most commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment of addiction include the following:

Alcoholism

  • Disulfiram (Antabuse) is prescribed for people who have completed detox and have been free of alcohol for at least 12 hours. It is taken in pill form once every day. Disulfiram shouldn’t be used if a person is intoxicated, as even a very small amount of alcohol combined with disulfiram may result in headache, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and chest pains. 
  • Naltrexone (Vivitrol, Revia), approved by the FDA for treatment of alcoholism in 2006, helps by reducing the urge to drink. A person who drinks alcohol while taking naltrexone won’t become sick, but they won’t experience the usual “high” or feeling of relaxation generally provided by alcohol. 
  • Acamprosate (Campral), approved in 2004, is generally prescribed after five days of total abstinence. The medication is usually taken in pill form three times per day. It doesn’t prevent most withdrawal symptoms, and it doesn’t help people who continue to drink. It is useful for people who have managed to stop drinking but continue to struggle with cravings.

Opioids

  • Methadone is a well-known drug used as a treatment of opioid addiction for decades. It works by blocking the “high” produced by heroin and other opioid drugs, and also minimizes painful withdrawal symptoms. If used properly, it reduces cravings and helps people return to more normal lives. Methadone is tightly regulated and administered by specialized clinics.
  • Buprenorphine, approved for opioid addiction in 2002, is a weak type of opioid drug. It is intended to help people gradually get off drugs such as heroin and oxycodone by minimizing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It is available in various forms, often in combination with Naloxone, and marketed by brand names such as Suboxone, Subutex, Butrans, and several others. Buprenorphine can be prescribed in a doctor’s office.
  • Naltrexone (Vivitrol) doesn’t decrease withdrawal symptoms but works by blocking the “high” produced by heroin and other opioid drugs. Naltrexone is prescribed after a person has stopped using opioid drugs for at least a week to ten days. Severe withdrawal symptoms may result if naltrexone is used while opioids are still in the system.

The Controversy: Replacing one Addiction with Another?

Although medication-assisted therapy is supported by the medical community, some people argue that medication only swaps one substance for another. Many claim that total abstinence is the only way to full recovery.

It’s true that the medications are powerful, and some, such as methadone and buprenorphine, are in the same drug family as heroin and morphine. It’s also true that some may present a risk of addiction. Some people continue to use the medication for months or even years. 

On the other hand, proponents view medication-assisted treatment as a type of harm reduction. Abstinence is always the ultimate goal, but some people may never be completely drug-free.

When appropriately used, medication allows these people to reach the highest possible level of functioning, and to lead relatively normal lives with a reduced risk of dangerous results, including fatal overdose. 

Is Medication-Assisted Treatment Right for You?

If you’re struggling with addiction to alcohol or opioid drugs,  consider checking into a drug and alcohol treatment or rehab that specializes in medication-assisted treatment.

You can also talk to your doctor about MAT. If she isn’t willing to consider the idea, you may need to speak to another medical provider. Each of the medications mentioned above presents both benefits and risks. It’s critical that your medical provider understands how each drug works and how it can benefit you.

Medication-assisted treatment isn’t a magic cure or a quick fix. Getting off drugs and alcohol is a slow process that requires commitment and a lot of hard work. However, when used with standard treatment, MAT may significantly improve your quality of life and increase your chances of long-term success.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: addiction, buprenorphine, MAT, medication-assisted treatment, methadone, naltrexone, substance abuse, vivitrol

Overcoming Drug Addiction Through Exercise

July 16, 2019 by c_ferry 11 Comments

Drug addiction is defined as a chronic condition affecting the brain. Currently, drug addiction is affecting the lives on approximately 22.7 million Americans but sadly, only 1% of this population receive the help they need to leave addiction behind and enjoy a healthy life. Understanding how addiction takes hold is an extremely important part in overcoming addiction. It will most likely be very difficult to overcome this condition on your own and you will need to seek the help of professionals and attend rehab. I will share some of the things that were extremely helpful to me when overcoming addiction. However, before we can get to overcoming addiction, it is important to understand how addiction starts and how it occurs in the brain. Even though addiction is unique to the individual and defers from one person to another due to a number of factors, the underlying process of how addiction takes hold in the brain is essentially the same.

With research conducted for a period of more than 30 years, the National Institute of Drug Abuse defines addiction as a complex brain disease. It is a condition in which the seeking and using drugs follow compulsive cravings. This condition most likely starts during childhood or adolescence when someone begins to experiment with drugs and if not treated properly, can last a lifetime. Because of this reason, drug addiction also falls under the category of developmental diseases. Addiction will take place in the brain and since the brain is a vital organ when it comes to most of the bodily functions and cognitive functions such as emotion, thoughts, and drives, it can have very dire consequences. When we engage in activities that provide us with some form of pleasure such as eating and procreation, the brain has a rewarding mechanism, which ensures our survival. Drugs exploit this rewarding mechanism. Activities such as eating and procreation are necessary for life, unlike drugs. Even though drugs are not a necessity for survival, addiction replaces the major necessities in life with the urge to seek and use drugs. Dopamine is a neurochemical that is responsible for the rewarding sensation that we get when engaging in pleasurable activities. This neurochemical can motivate behavior. When you abuse drugs, the dopamine released will increase exponentially and it can drown out your desires for the day-to-day activities that are essential for your existence such as eating. This increased surge of dopamine is also known as a dopamine rush. When drugs are abused repeatedly, the rewards from essential activities will be so dulled down that normal priorities will be replaced with the urge to seek and use drugs.

Dopamine is also released following a workout. This dopamine is what is responsible for the sense of happiness you feel after your workout. When I was recovering, I made it a habit to exercise as a way of taking my mind off drugs and help me cope with the situation. This was my main motivation and what I believe was key to my recovery. I relied on workouts to get me through the hardest of times. Looking back at my addiction with the knowledge I now have on how addiction affects the brain, I believe that the dopamine released after workouts helped counter the need for elevated dopamine rushes as I was progressing through recovery. I am now successfully recovered and enjoying a happier and healthier life. What I consider an added benefit is that I now have a good habit of exercising which is very beneficial to me. If you are also someone struggling with addiction and on the process of recovering, try implementing a workout plan into your day to help you get through the tough times, you will also end up with an amazing body.

References

Diana, M. (2011). The Dopamine Hypothesis of Drug Addiction and Its Potential Therapeutic Value. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2, 64. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt. 2011.00064

• Volkow, N. D., Wang, G.-J., Fowler, J. S., Tomasi, D., Telang, F., & Baler, R. (2010). Addiction: Decreased reward sensitivity and increased expectation sensitivity conspire to overwhelm the brain’s control circuit. BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, 32(9), 748–755. http://doi.org/10.1002/bies. 201000042

• Volkow ND, Fowler JS, Wang G, Swanson JM, Telang F. Dopamine in Drug Abuse and AddictionResults of Imaging Studies and Treatment Implications. Arch Neurol. 2007;64(11):1575–1579. doi:10.1001/archneur.64.11.1575

Filed Under: News Tagged With: addiction, drug abuse, drug addiction, exercise, overcoming addiction

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