Prescription Drugs

Ten Myths of Drug Addiction 2/2

/ Jordyn Redwood / Leave a comment

Today, we’re concluding Dr. Rita Hancock’s guest post on the ten myths of drug addiction. Today, we’re finishing the last five. These posts have been a wealth of information. Thanks, Rita.

Myth #6:
Most addicts have a “favorite” class of drugs to abuse. Crank addicts don’t necessarily like barbiturates b/c crank addicts like uppers. They might like cocaine, though, b/c that’s also an upper.

Myth #7:

If you’re going to use the term “narcotics,” make sure you know what the term means. Not all habit-forming drugs are “narcotics.” Narcotics are only one specific type of drugs, even though the term “narcotics” is mistakenly used to describe all varieties of illicit drugs. E.g. a “narcotics” police officer actually investigates abuse of non-narcotic drugs, as well. Drugs that are potentially addictive but are non-narcotic include, amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, hallucinogens, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, etc.

Myth #8:

Naloxone is a medicine used as a antidote for narcotic overdoses. But it does NOT treat overdoses of ALL (e.g. NON-narcotic) controlled substances. On TV shows, I’ve seen it given for barbiturate overdoses, and that’s utterly wrong. It’s used ONLY to reverse narcotic overdoses (with examples of narcotics being morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, etc.). Moreover, the effects of naloxone don’t last very long. If the overdose is on a long-acting narcotic like methadone, you’re going to have to repeat the naloxone dose after only a short time (like minutes). You might have to give the patient many doses of the naloxone before they’re “safe.”

Myth #9:

Flumazenil is a medicine used as an antidote for benzodiazepine withdrawals (e.g. Valium, Librium, Xanax, etc). In the same way that naloxone is specific for narcotic OD’s, flumazenil is specific for benzodiazepine withdrawals. Again, some benzo’s are longer-acting than others. If your character overdoses on a long-acting benzo, like Librium, he or she may need several doses of Flumazenil in the E.R. 

Myth #10:

There’s a drug called buprenorphine (an orally absorbable narcotic) that’s mixed with naloxone (a narcotic antidote) to form a new type of drug called Subutex (aka Suboxone). It’s novel and interesting b/c it can’t be abused easily and it’s often used to help addicts come off the drugs more safely. It gives the desired therapeutic effect only when you let it dissolve on the tongue. In contrast, if you try to abuse it by swallowing it or by altering it (by crushing, dissolving, etc.), the naloxone takes effect, overriding the narcotic portion, and causes you to go into withdrawals. Doctors have to apply for special licenses to administer Subutex, and they’re limited to having only a small number of patients on it at any given time for the purposes of detox.
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Dr. Rita Hancock, a full-time physician and author of Christian health books, writes about how emotional and spiritual factors contribute to physical disease through the mind-body-Spirit connection. According to Dr. Rita, “Once these underlying barriers fall away in the healing light of God’s truth, patients automatically feel less physical pain, experience fewer stress-induced symptoms, lose weight, and shed addictive behaviors more easily.” Dr. Rita is the author of The Eden Diet (Zondervan, 2008) and an as-yet untitled release with Charisma House, pending January 2013. She resides in Oklahoma City with husband Ed, and two wonderful children, Lindsey and Cory.

Ten Myths About Drug Addiction 1/2

/ Jordyn Redwood / Leave a comment
Dr. Rita Hancock, a specialist in pain management, is stopping by Redwood’s Medical Edge to discuss the Top Ten Myths about drug addiction. Today, we’re covering the first five. On Friday, we’ll finish off with the last five.

Welcome, Rita!

Myth #1:

If you claim a character in your story is “addicted,” make sure you know the accurate definition of the word. People confuse the terms “physiological tolerance” (meaning your body gets used to the medicine and, over time, you can need more and more medicine to get the same amount of pain relief), “physiological dependence” (meaning if you don’t take the medicine you go through physical withdrawals), and “psychological dependence” (THIS means “addicted,” i.e. you’re dependent on the medicine to cope with stress, anxiety, etc).

The first two are normal physical phenomena that happen in ALL patients who take heavy doses of narcotics, but only the last one is abnormal/pathological. Thus, if you claim your character is addicted, his or her behavior should show at least a few pathological psychological features (bad relationships, inability to hold a job, stealing to pay for fixes, lying to doctors for drugs, etc.).

Myth #2:

You don’t become physiologically tolerant and/or physically dependent on ALL drugs. Thus, you don’t necessarily go through withdrawals when you come off certain controlled substances (e.g. hallucinogens like marijuana and PCP don’t cause withdrawals). And not all withdrawal symptoms are the same. They depend on the drug in question. E.g. withdrawals symptoms and overdose treatment for alcohol/benzodiazepines/ barbiturates are similar. However, the symptoms of stimulant withdrawal and overdose will be totally different. The point is the writer needs to research the specific overdose and/or withdrawal symptoms for the individual drug his or her character is hooked on.

Myth #3:

Only SOME people are susceptible to addiction to controlled substances (don’t make the mistake of thinking that ALL people who take controlled substances eventually become addicted). People susceptible to addiction tend to exhibit addictive tendencies early on (teenage or young adult addictions to smoking, alcohol, etc). In general, young people are more susceptible to developing addiction because their coping skills aren’t yet developed and they can learn to rely on drugs for dealing with the underlying anxiety that leads them into addiction.

Myth #4:

I see many elderly people with severe, painful joint pathology who don’t want to take narcotics b/c they’re afraid of getting addicted. But if they’ve taken narcotics periodically during their lives for e.g. root canals, fractures, etc, and have never had a problem getting off the drugs, they’re at lower risk for addiction. As noted above, though, they will (especially if they’re on large doses) eventually become physically dependent).

Myth #5:

There’s a difference between pain and suffering. Pain happens when an inciting event causes pain receptors to fire (e.g. a burn, a sprain, a pulled muscle, etc.). However, that physical pain is interpreted by the brain in the context of the person’s emotional state. A highly anxious patient or one with a volatile psych history (history of abuse, etc.) is more likely to experience psychological “suffering” with a low level of pain.
Thus, if the person tries to medicate his or her subjective experience with pain using pain pills, he or she is likely to over-medicate to quell the anxiety. You’re not supposed to treat your anxiety with pain pills. That’s how you become addicted. Many, many chronic pain patients suffer with psych issues, and often those psych issues long pre-dated their chronic pain. Psych issues are a definite risk factor for chronic pain and addiction.

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Dr. Rita Hancock, a full-time physician and author of Christian health books, writes about how emotional and spiritual factors contribute to physical disease through the mind-body-Spirit connection. According to Dr. Rita, “Once these underlying barriers fall away in the healing light of God’s truth, patients automatically feel less physical pain, experience fewer stress-induced symptoms, lose weight, and shed addictive behaviors more easily.” Dr. Rita is the author of The Eden Diet (Zondervan, 2008) and an as-yet untitled release with Charisma House, pending January 2013. She resides in Oklahoma City with husband Ed, and two wonderful children, Lindsey and Cory. 

Drug Abuse in America: Part 3/3

/ Jordyn Redwood / Leave a comment

Is there a prescription drug abuse problem in America? If so, what is the scope?

This ABC News piece aired in April and it has been on my mind ever since. Here’s a few of the stats that made my jaw drop.

Americans use 80% of all prescription pain killers in the world. The US consumes 99% of all Vicodin manufactured. In 17 states, deaths related to accidental overdose outnumber those deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents. Check out the full story at this link:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/prescription-painkillers-record-number-americans-pain-medication/story?id=13421828

Yes, I think there is a huge prescription drug problem here. There are also some disturbing trends/thoughts I’m concerned about. Should “emotional” pain be treated with narcotics. I say no. There is a purpose for sadness and grief. Why medicate with opiates? Is it not a better answer to work through the emotional pain rather than to numb it?

We are seeing more kids present to the ED within the last two years with complaints of migraine headache, chronic abdominal pain and back pain. We typically don’t treat with narcotics. My guess is that eventually, if these children keep presenting with these complaints, someone along the way will give them some. Is that a good answer?

I think it’s time that doctors institute tougher measures when prescribing narcotics just like the trend has swayed with overuse of antibiotics. This ABC news piece suggests to only give out pain killers for terminal illnesses. Broken bone, dental visit… only Ibuprofen for you.

What do you think about this issue? Give the narcotics or take a tougher stand? When should narcotics be given? Have you written about this in a fiction piece?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.