CLINICAL REFLECTIONS The opioid epidemic has grown increasingly deadly, yet it is possible that an important component has been overlooked. It has been estimated that concurrent use of benzodiazepine and opioids may occur in as many as 50% of opioid overdose deaths.1 Yet, more and more patients leave their doctors’ offices with prescriptions for benzodiazepine […]
Benzodiazepines: It’s Time to Prescribe Caution Read More »
Diagnosing Alcohol Withdrawal If your doctor thinks you might be going through alcohol withdrawal, they’ll ask you questions about your drinking history and how recently you stopped. They’ll want to know if you’ve ever gone through withdrawal before. They’ll also discuss your symptoms. During an exam, they’ll look for other medical conditions to see if
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This photo provided by Nancy Sack shows Carter Lange, Kim Gustavson, Jason Lange, Matthew Gustavson, and Travis Gustavson. Sack’s grandson, Travis Gustavson, died at age 21 in Mankato, Minn., after overdosing on what he thought was heroin but was actually laced with fentanyl. Katie Tettam/Nancy Sack via AP An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug
U.S. overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say Read More »
Naltrexone is a drug used primarily in the continued management of alcohol dependence and opioid addiction. How it helps in each case differs. For alcoholism, the treatment can help quell one’s desire to drink. In contrast, the drug works to actually thwart the actual effects of opiates on the brain. Naltrexone is sold under the
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Cravings for alcohol or drugs are common among people who have been addicted, or even after a period of intense use. They are both physical and psychological in nature and are most intense during the acute withdrawal period, the day or two after you stop using the drug or alcohol. They can, however, also occur
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Substance-use disorders are complex conditions that often require treatment. Getting help might seem like the obvious first step to take, but managing drug-withdrawal symptoms is no easy feat. That’s because using drugs (including alcohol) long-term can cause your body to become dependent on the substance. And, if you’ve become dependent and then suddenly stop taking
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If you aren’t a danger to yourself or others, and you can stay sober when you go home, other types of rehab may be a better fit for you. Partial hospitalization or day treatment is where you live at home, but you go for treatment at a hospital or clinic at least 5 days a
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Benzodiazepine, or benzo, withdrawal happens when a person suddenly stops taking benzodiazepine drugs, which doctors do not recommend. The withdrawal symptoms, which vary in severity, typically begin within 24 hours and may last from a few days to a few months. Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs called nervous system depressants. People may take them
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is sponsoring the 23rd National Recovery Month (Recovery Month). This long-standing, national observance promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for substance use and mental disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of
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Whitney, whose name we changed to protect her privacy, sometimes has panic attacks. Her hands shake and her chest tightens. By the end of one, she’s drenched in sweat. To alleviate her worry about having another attack, she carries a prescription bottle of clonazepam, a benzodiazepine, with her everywhere she goes. The medication works fast,