Opiate Overdose Research Paper
Methadone Treatment for Opioid Addiction
By: Vicki Wilson
Physiological and Medical Aspects of Substance Abuse
November 7, 2012
Vicki Wilson
Physiological and Medical Aspects of Substance Abuse
November 7, 2012
When people hear the term opiate abusers or the more frequently used street term drug addict (a horrible stereotype) that people think of first. A homeless, system milking, degenerate that is hooked on Heroin and sticks dirty needles in their arms, doing anything for money to get more drugs. Although many times that is where drug addiction can eventually lead a person, it doesn’t start that way. It starts in high school at a party or the soccer mom that hurts her back and got addicted to the Percocet’s she was prescribed …show more content…
Opiate overdose has many cumulating factors that intertwine causing an actual overdose. Many believe that the rise of opiate overdoses is due to an increase in opiate addicts primarily heroin addicts. However, research shows that the reason for overdose rate increases is due to the following factors; fear of reporting an overdose, tolerance, and polysubstance use. Usually when a person overdoses the majority of the time it is due to injecting heroin. Most of the time it is a fellow heroin addict with them that fails to seek medical attention for that person while they still can, due to the fear that they will get in trouble and face legal consequences. Therefore, they just leave the person where ever they are and take off in fear. The second risk factor increasing the chances of an opiate overdose is tolerance. This is when a person builds, over time the need to use more of the substance at one time to gain the same effect. Or the addict increases use of other drugs to compensate for the decreased effectiveness of the opiate they have such a high tolerance for. Another risk factor is polysubstance abuse; this is when a person uses more than one drug in combination with other drugs, usually at the same time. Many addicts will mix alcohol and benzodiazepines together along with the opiate which in combined acts …show more content…
The three methods of detoxification and withdrawal medication methods includes; the use of non-opiate medications, opiate agonists, and ultra-rapid opiate withdrawal. Non-opiate medications are usually used in detox facilities with acute withdrawal or for the management of withdrawal side effects. Some of these medications includes; clonidine, Librium, Ativan, NSAIDS, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines. Opiate agonist to treat withdrawal and for maintenance in the recovery phase is methadone, whether received in a detox center or at a methadone clinic. The last method used is for ultra-rapid withdrawal. This is where the patient is put under anesthesia and or sedated while their body goes through withdrawals and is then
By: Vicki Wilson
Physiological and Medical Aspects of Substance Abuse
November 7, 2012
Vicki Wilson
Physiological and Medical Aspects of Substance Abuse
November 7, 2012
When people hear the term opiate abusers or the more frequently used street term drug addict (a horrible stereotype) that people think of first. A homeless, system milking, degenerate that is hooked on Heroin and sticks dirty needles in their arms, doing anything for money to get more drugs. Although many times that is where drug addiction can eventually lead a person, it doesn’t start that way. It starts in high school at a party or the soccer mom that hurts her back and got addicted to the Percocet’s she was prescribed …show more content…
Opiate overdose has many cumulating factors that intertwine causing an actual overdose. Many believe that the rise of opiate overdoses is due to an increase in opiate addicts primarily heroin addicts. However, research shows that the reason for overdose rate increases is due to the following factors; fear of reporting an overdose, tolerance, and polysubstance use. Usually when a person overdoses the majority of the time it is due to injecting heroin. Most of the time it is a fellow heroin addict with them that fails to seek medical attention for that person while they still can, due to the fear that they will get in trouble and face legal consequences. Therefore, they just leave the person where ever they are and take off in fear. The second risk factor increasing the chances of an opiate overdose is tolerance. This is when a person builds, over time the need to use more of the substance at one time to gain the same effect. Or the addict increases use of other drugs to compensate for the decreased effectiveness of the opiate they have such a high tolerance for. Another risk factor is polysubstance abuse; this is when a person uses more than one drug in combination with other drugs, usually at the same time. Many addicts will mix alcohol and benzodiazepines together along with the opiate which in combined acts …show more content…
The three methods of detoxification and withdrawal medication methods includes; the use of non-opiate medications, opiate agonists, and ultra-rapid opiate withdrawal. Non-opiate medications are usually used in detox facilities with acute withdrawal or for the management of withdrawal side effects. Some of these medications includes; clonidine, Librium, Ativan, NSAIDS, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines. Opiate agonist to treat withdrawal and for maintenance in the recovery phase is methadone, whether received in a detox center or at a methadone clinic. The last method used is for ultra-rapid withdrawal. This is where the patient is put under anesthesia and or sedated while their body goes through withdrawals and is then