Yes, heroin was developed as a less addictive alternative to morphine. Ironic and unfortunate. In jail they give Librium to the alcoholics. The rise in addictions has sparked the emergence of the rehab industry, for better or worse. Some people have benefited from them but for others it is just a revolving door and the private rehab centers can be real cash-cows for the owners/founders.
[quote]heavythrower wrote:
[quote]strengthstudent wrote:
I don’t know enough about withdrawal to agree or disagree that it could kill you, but I’ve been in withdrawal from opiates multiple times and will say that it is hell on earth, and not for a few days either, more like two weeks. I’ve also had friends who had trouble coming off various opiates, and watching their agony while being helpless to intervene was hell on earth every bit as intense as when I experienced this myself.
I take full responsibility for the mistakes that got me addicted in the first place and understand that I didn’t deserve help more than other sick or hurting people, but thank God I was treated by caring individuals who genuinely wanted to help me rather than people like you who would have preferred to watch me suffer while saying “toughen up, it won’t kill you.” [/quote]
do you know how many people i see in there late teens, early 20’s, who already have a polypharm problem? they are on ritlin, aderal, vicodin, norco, paxil, prozac, and, of course, “medical” marijuana, hahaha!
I’m sorry, this generation needs some tough love. Opiates have a very small window of actual therapeutic effect. take them longer than a few weeks, and it will severely alter your brain chemistry where your brain will perceive the absence of the euphoria the drugs produce as pain.
these kids need to get in there 40’s, and THEN tell me how much they hurt each day, and how they can’t manage the stress of life. boo-fucking-hoo.
so yes, i think a little “toughen up, it wont kill you and maybe it will teach you not to go down that road again” is in order.
that sounds harsh to the soft easily offended politically correct ears of this society i realize, but like i said, some tough love is in order.
the medical community cannot continue this course as it is not sustainable.
since we have made patients pain level the “5th vital sign” (that is, the patients pain is whatever he/she says it is, and we HAVE to treat it with whatever the patient perceives as effective" deaths due to opiate overdoses from PRESCRIPTION drugs has increased over 500%!!!
dont challenge me on this son. I have been to seminars all over the country about this subject, been on the quality action committee at my hospital trying to find some solutions to this problem, I can counter anything you come back at me with with science and real life experience. this is a growing problem in this country and this new breed of “addicts” are clogging up the emergency medical system and interfering with delivering care to the people who we(EMS) were originally designed to help.
[/quote]
To add to the personal experience of the “polypharm” problem:
And why are so many little children that I know perscribed amphetamines?
And why are there so many teens on prescription drugs for “mood disorders”?? Including me when I was teen?!!!
And why are so many of my healthy 20somthing friends prescribed uppers and downers and everything inbetweeners all at the same time by their shrinks?
BLAME THE FUCKING BIG GREEDY PHARMA INDUSTRY!!! This makes me so angry!!!
[quote]jre67t wrote:
Great thread, but Im kinda of surprised that Alcohol withdrawal is more deadly than the others? Im curious why is that. I would figure that it would be hard core drugs. [/quote]
It has to do with the neurotransmitter GABA:
http://www.neurogenesis.com/Neuroscience/alcohol-addictions.php
At a basic level, GABA is a limiter on the brain activity. It desensitizes neurons and makes them fire less frequently. By some mechanism, alcohol enhances the effect of GABA, hence alcohol’s sedative properties.
When chronically exposed to alcohol, the brain responds by producing less GABA or by pruning away GABA receptors, so that the person’s brain activity remains more “normal” when exposed to alcohol. In essence, the brain becomes dependent upon alcohol to enhance the effect of GABA and alcohol is required for the brain to function normally.
When alcohol is suddenly cut off, there isn’t enough GABA or receptors to go around, and the neurons in the brain start to fire too frequently and easily. This frequently culminates in seizure(s) and can result in death if left untreated.
Drugs that do not effect GABA in this way do not have death as an effect of withdrawal. Benzos (Xanax being the most infamous and prevalent in the states) also target GABA so they can cause death too if use is suddenly stopped.
[quote]theuofh wrote:
[quote]lou21 wrote:
[quote]Amiright wrote:
[quote]heavythrower wrote:
i will read up on that.
i am wary of drugs that supposedly help with withdrawal/addiction by binding to the same receptors.
for example, methadone was used to help with heroine addiction/withdrawal, but methadone and the “oxys” are the biggest problem with people O.D.ing and also coming in needing a fix because they have overused there scripts or supply and are now withdrawing.
I think, think, that heroin was originally developed and used to help people with morphine addiction, no?[/quote]
On an svu they talked about a drug that basically cures heroin addiction in a day… and I read up on it but forgot its name. I know its illegal in the US… any ideas what its called… I think if I see it i’ll remember it.
[/quote]
It’s South American and a potent hallucinagen- I forget the name but it’s not San Pedro. It’s great fun and if you’re ever in the jungle and get the chance I would try it out. However it does not break addiction.[/quote]
I mentioned it in an earlier post and it is Ibogaine derived from the inner rootbark of the Iboga tree.
You are confusing it with Ayahuasca which is a South American combination of a couple ingredients. There is a place called Takiwasi in Peru I believe where they are using Ayahuasca in combination with therapy and whatever else for substance abuse disorders as well.
http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v06n3/06324aya.html[/quote]
Fair play I can’t speak for Ibogaine. I wouldn’t really trust Ayahuasca to help with addiction. Of course I only have ancedotal evidence to support my distrust.
Still it’s a really really fun drug to try out once. The regular users I saw looked pretty much as messed up as the average crack/heroin addict though.
challer1 good mention for suboxone, it does derserve a fair shake for it can help to get off narcs and the process can take anywhere from weeks to 3 yrs seems relevant. the drug works by blocking the high like methadone for heroin with a lot less side effects when taking suboxone. the drug has been used for dependacy
for 8-10yrs and tightly regulated and requires special liscence for prescribing docs. my understanding it’s
getting a good rep from the reading i’ve done.