How the Brain Changes and the Psychosis of Drug Addiction

 

To understand an addict, you need to look beyond behaviors or the source of addiction. Substance abuse goes far below the surface, and actually causes a transformation in the brain. When an addict says they can’t quit, it’s the truth. The brain has been altered through addiction and prompts a compulsion to get more of the drug of choice in order to function. It’s a Catch-22. More of the drug is needed to get through each day, the more abusive substance is used, and the more damage is done to the brain until it gets to the point of no return. Only professional help at an outpatient drug rehab facility can turn an addict’s life around.

 

How the Brain Changes through Drug Addiction

You can identify an addict when you see someone who has an intense need for the source of an addiction to the point that living revolves around that drug. A victim of addiction no longer has any control over substance abuse and will do anything to get more, regardless of the consequences. All of these behaviors are due to changes that have taken place in the brain. It begins with how the brain registers the feeling of pleasure. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released in the brain when positive feelings are experienced. It makes a person feel good, and that is the key to addiction. Drugs cause a surge of dopamine to be released, providing intense pleasure. Through repeated use of a drug, the brain is trained to like the drug and want more of it until it becomes a need to feel those same chemicals.

 

The Psychosis of Addiction

As the brain becomes altered through addiction, psychosis is common as well. Those who are under the influence of any form of drug over a prolonged period of time may experience a gamut of psychological issues. Changes in personality, intense anxiety, the inability to focus, and gaps in memory are par for the course for victims of addiction. When the brain is changed in any way, it will be exhibited through behaviors and alterations in thought processes. In order to address these problems with addiction, it is necessary to get professional help in a medical facility. Drug rehab assists an individual in breaking free from the source of addiction and retraining the brain to function normally once again.

 

Changes in the brain pull victims of addiction back in for more abuse time after time. It is important to understand that substance abuse is beyond the control of the individual. Drug rehab can establish new patterns in the brain and assist an addict in finding the path to sobriety once again.

 

Categories: addict, addiction, Brain, Drug, drug addiction, drug rehab, drugs, Mental Health, nbsp, physchosis, substance abuse

How Prescriptions Evolve: 4 Stages to Major Pharmaceutical Development

 

Millions and millions of people take prescription drugs every day, but few actually think about where they come from or the steps that it takes to make these medicines available. There are four steps in the development of pharmaceuticals; these include three initial phases and finally an approval by the FDA. The entire process takes between eight to 12 years.

 

1. Preclinical Phase

In the preclinical phase, the goal is to find an agent that can be used to treat a certain disease or condition. This involves three to four years of research, the synthesizing of compounds, the testing of those compounds in a non-clinical setting with the help of companies like Nelson Laboratories, and, often, computer simulations on how the new investigational drug may help to slow the progression of a disease or treat its symptoms.

 

2. Application to the FDA for Investigational Drug

If the preclinical phase is deemed successful, meaning that the compound is promising and shows an ability to treat a disease or ailment, then an application to the FDA as a new investigational drug is in order. The time it takes for the FDA to approve or deny the investigational drug trials varies, but may take up to a year.

 

3. Clinical Phases 1, 2 and 3

There are three clinical phases for all investigational drugs, and they must be tested on animals prior to their introduction to the human population. After animal (usually rodent) testing is completed, the three clinical phases for humans include:

• Phase 1 – Investigational drug is given in small doses to volunteers who are healthy in order to test its pharmacology and safety.


• Phase 2 – The efficacy of the investigational drug is studied. This involves a clinical trial with 100 to 300 patients who have the condition that the drug is designed to treat.


• Phase 3 – The drug is given to a larger population in an attempt to back up safety and efficacy findings and to titrate the right dosage.

These phases take one, two and three years, respectively. It should be mentioned that nearly half of the medications submitted to the FDA for investigational drugs will fail in the clinical phases.

 

4. New Drug Application with FDA

Finally, if the drug passes through all of the clinical phases, the manufacturer will submit an application for a new drug. The FDA will complete its own review at this point, and since 1992, the FDA has worked to complete these reviews in 12 months or less. Sometimes, drugs are denied; in other cases, the drugs may be approved conditionally. The manufacturer is required to keep track of results for the first three years after approval and report adverse reactions quarterly.

 

Because of the processes involved in developing new drugs and getting them approved through the FDA, these medications can often be quite expensive. A vast amount of research and testing must be done long before these drugs are available to consumers.

Categories: clinical, clinical phase, clinical phases, Drug, drugs, fda, investigational, investigational drug, investigational drugs, New Drug, pharmaceuticals, phases, preclinical phase

Introduction

If you drive after taking drugs, your ability to drive may be impaired and your reactions could be slower. Amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy are just some examples of illegal drugs known to cause impairment.

Driving under the influence of a drug (including any side effect) is illegal and is controlled by two offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988, Driving in excess of a specified limit for certain drugs specified in regulations and Driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.

The current UK law defines a drug as ‘any intoxicant other than alcohol’. This includes illegal drugs such as cannabis but also prescribed medicines and over-the-counter medicines. This is because a driver who is impaired through any drug is at risk of having an accident. Drug driving is considered to be as serious as drink driving, and the penalties are the same.

How drugs affect driving

Drugs affect your ability to drive in many ways. For example, you may experience:

• slower reaction times


• erratic (unpredictable) and aggressive behaviour


• poor concentration


• distorted perception (false sense of awareness and understanding of, for example, distances) 


• poor co-ordination


• blurred vision


• overconfidence that leads to you taking unnecessary risks


• nausea (feeling sick)


• hallucinations (seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not real)


• panic attacks


• paranoia (being suspicious of people and situations)


• tremors or shaking


• dizziness


• tiredness, which can be severe, and sometimes the following day

The effects can vary according to the individual person, drug type, dosage, the length of time the drug stays in your body, or if the drug has been taken with other drugs or alcohol. The effects can last for hours or days.

Police roadside tests

The police can carry out tests at the roadside to check if a driver is above the specified limit for certain specified drugs and also test to help the officer decide if the driver is impaired.. Refusing to take the tests is an offence and the driver can be arrested in the same way that failure to provide a breath test when under suspicion of drink driving is. For more information, see Is there a police test for drug driving?

What happens if I’m caught?

If you’re found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs, the penalties are the same as for drink driving. You will receive:

• a minimum 1 year driving ban


• a fine of up to £5,000 or up to six months in prison or both


• a criminal record

A conviction for drug driving is shown on your driving licence for 11 years. If you drive for work, your employer will see the conviction when you produce your licence.

Any drug-related conviction may cause problems visiting countries such as the US.

Medicines and driving

Medicines that can affect your ability to drive include:

• prescribed medicines, such as antihistamines or tranquillisers


• over-the-counter medicines, such as co-codamol

Medicines that can make you feel sleepy will carry a message saying: "Warning. May cause drowsiness. If affected, do not drive or operate machinery".

Always ask your GP or pharmacist if your medication may affect your ability to drive. Also check:

• the medicine’s packaging


• the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine

You can find out which health conditions or medical treatments you may need to tell the DVLA about or you can call NHS 111 for advice.

If in doubt, don’t drive.

Read the answers to common health questions about alcohol, drugs and smoking.

Further information:

• How much alcohol can I drink before driving?


• How long does cannabis stay in the body after smoking?


• What should I do if I think someone has a drug problem?


• Alcohol misuse


• Are you fit to drive?


• Drugs and healthy living


• Medicines information


• Department for Transport: Think! Drug driving


• Talk to Frank

Categories: counter medicines, drink driving, Driving, Drug, drug driving, drugs, drugs affect, illegal drugs, prescribed medicines

Could ADHD Drugs Give Addicts a Better Chance at Quitting?

If your mental health is affected by ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), you may use Ritalin for help with your concentration. However, according to a new study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the drug may also help treat addiction in people who use cocaine.

 

Prior studies have shown that that oral methylphenidate – a stimulant drug prescribed to treat ADHD – helped improve brain function in cocaine addicts when they were performing specific cognitive tasks, such as ignoring emotionally distracting words or resolving a cognitive conflict. This new study revealed that, when your wellness is affected by cocaine addiction, the drug works by changing connectivity in certain brain circuits responsible for self-control and craving, but the researchers noted that the findings might also apply to other types of addictions.

 

In a statement, Rita Goldstein, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai, who led the research while at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in New York, commented, ‘Orally administered methylphenidate increases dopamine in the brain, similar to cocaine, but without the strong addictive properties. We wanted to determine whether such substitutive properties, which are helpful in other replacement therapies such as using nicotine gum instead of smoking cigarettes or methadone instead of heroin, would play a role in enhancing brain connectivity between regions of potential importance for intervention in cocaine addiction.’

 

For the study, the researchers evaluated 18 cocaine addicted who were either given an oral dose of methylphenidate or placebo. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers measured the strength of connectivity in particular brain circuits linked to addiction both before and during peak drug effects. They then determined how severe each patients’ addiction was, in case level of addiction had any effect on the results. The findings revealed that methylphenidate normalised the nerve pathways that are usually disrupted in cocaine addiction, strengthening connectivity between several brain regions of your brain that are involved in regulating your emotions and exerting control over your behaviours

 

Goldstein concluded, ‘The benefits of methylphenidate were present after only one dose, indicating that this drug has significant potential as a treatment add-on for addiction to cocaine and possibly other stimulants. This is a preliminary study, but the findings are exciting and warrant further exploration, particularly in conjunction with cognitive behavioural therapy or cognitive remediation.’

Categories: addiction, ADHD Drugs, Brain, brain circuits, cocaine, cocaine addiction, Cocaine Addicts, Drug, methylphenidate, Research

8 Drugs that Don’t Do What They Were Intended For

These days we take all kinds of drugs and medicines, but where exactly do they come from? Here’s a run down of the different drugs we use today, and their accidental histories:

 

1. Novocain: This drug is used to numb a local area, such as while having a dental procedure, but how did we get this bright idea? According to wellness expert Lauren Gelman, ‘The commonly used anaesthetic is actually named for the drug cocaine. Cocaine was first introduced as a local anaesthetic in 1884, but it caused a number of addictions and deaths. A few years later, German chemist Alfred Einhorn began to look for a safer substitute; in 1905, he discovered the injectable local anaesthetic procaine, which became Novocain.’

 

2. Lithium: We use this drug for managing bipolar disorder and other issues related to mental wellbeing. However, Gelman notes, ‘Before it received FDA approval in 1970, the metal was first used in the 1840s to treat bladder stones and gout. A century later, Australian psychiatrist John Cade observed that guinea pigs injected with a form of lithium became sedated rather than excited; subsequent large-scale clinical studies confirmed lithium’s effectiveness for preventing mania.’

 

3. Cortisone: Gelman details, ‘Cortisone (and subsequent forms, such as hydrocortisone) was created out of a WWII rumour that German pilots were injecting steroid hormones to help counteract high-altitude stress. The myth spurred the US military to research their own comparable drug.’ Now the drug is used for a variety of ailments, including inflammation, pain, allergies, skin disorders, and autoimmune diseases such as lupus and psoriasis.

 

4. Warfarin: This life-saving drug is used to stop blood clotting. Gelman describes, ‘In 1921, veterinarians in Canada and North Dakota observed that when certain cattle had a minor injury or surgery, they bled excessively and sometimes fatally. The doctors concluded that the cows had been eating spoiled clover, which contained a substance that caused the bleeding. In 1940, a University of Wisconsin-Madison biochemist isolated a pure form of the compound, and later it was introduced to the market as Warfarin.’

 

5. Rogaine: Gelman outlines, ‘Minoxidil first appeared on the market in 1979 as a breakthrough drug for high blood pressure. However, it increased body hair growth for 80% of patients who took the drug orally; within three to six weeks, patients would grow dark hair on the face and then on the back, chest, arms, and legs. Upjohn began marketing the drug as a solution to apply to the scalp in 1988.’

 

6. Viagra: This erectile dysfunction drug is also known by the generic name of Sidenafil. Gelman comments, ‘Sidenafil (the generic name) was first tested in the 1980s to treat high blood pressure and improve blood flow in patients with chest pain. In trials, it didn’t have much of an impact on angina, but it did lead to erections. In 1998 Sidenafil became the first oral drug approved to treat impotence, replacing injected medications.’

 

7. Tamoxifen: Gelman points out, ‘Tamoxifen was originally intended as an anti-fertility drug when it was synthesized in 1962, but it turned out that it stimulated ovulation instead of suppressing it.’ Now, we use Tamoxifen to treat oestrogen-positive breast cancer, which accounts for 50 to 70% of cases. Moreover, the drug may also prevent the development of breast cancer in high-risk patients.

 

8. AZT: ‘Jerome Horwitz, of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, first synthesized AZT as a potential anti-leukemia drug in 1964, but it didn’t work,’ says Gelman. ‘In the 1970s, AZT was found to be active against a retrovirus, which led government researchers to consider it as an HIV fighter. The FDA approved the drug in 1987.’

Categories: Blood, blood pressure, breast cancer, Drug, gelman, high, high blood, lithium, local anaesthetic, nbsp, novocain, Viagra

Could Your Prescription Drug Lead to Dangerous Side Effects?

The phrase “may come with side effects” doesn’t stir up much concern for your well-being these days. Let’s be honest; most of the time you don’t even bother to read what they are. The worst your prescription drugs can do to your wellness is a few unwanted bowel movements or a slightly queasy feeling, right? Unfortunately, there’s a reason why certain drugs are only available via prescription; the side effects could leave you with some serious health concerns.

 

1. Amnesia. Though, in the movies, amnesia is usually caused by a head injury or traumatic emotional event in a character’s life, in real life it can affect you simply because of the medication you’re taking. For example, if you’re taking Mirapex or pramipexole for Parkinson’s disease or Restless Leg Syndrome, temporary amnesia is a fairly common side effect and you need to go on a different drug to cure it. You may also experience amnesia from cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins.

 

2. Loss of senses. Your senses are so important as they connect you to the rest of the world. Can you imagine not being able to taste cake anymore? Or smell dinner cooking in the other room? Vasotec or enalapril – which is used to treat congestive heart failures and high blood pressure – can adversely affect all of your senses, causing loss of smell, loss of taste, blurred vision and ringing in the ears. Also, according to a study from the University of Minnesota, going on Viagra for long periods of time can lead to permanent blindness.

 

3. Hallucinations. Mirapex is another culprit in this area, but you also need to be wary of hallucinations before taking Lariam. If you go travelling, you might be prescribed this drug to prevent malaria, but reports of hallucinations grew in the early 2000s, such as snakes crawling on the ceiling and hiding demons in the closet. It’s best just to take an alternative malaria medication, especially if you have a history of psychosis or depression.

 

4. Night terrors. If you’re using Champix to help you quit smoking, it can cause nightmares and even night terrors, which cause you to wake up screaming and moaning. Also, drugs that induce sleep, such as Lunesta/Eszopiclone and Zolfresh/zolpidem, cause night terrors, as well as other weird sleep behaviour. You can eat, talk, walk, drive and even have sex in your semi-conscious state and have no recollection later.

 

5. Birth defects. When you’re pregnant, the doctor will give you an exhaustive list of medicines that you can safely take. This is because even a couple of dosages of the wrong medicine, can result in you giving birth to a deformed baby. In the 50s, thalidomide was infamous for causing more than 10,000 women to give birth to babies with no limbs or extremely short limbs. If you’re on Accutane for treating acne, getting pregnant is an absolute no-no, as your baby can also have the disease that causes limb defects; phocomelia.

Categories: amnesia, birth defects, Drug, drugs, nbsp, Night Terrors, prescription drugs, Side Effects, terrors

How to Get Rid of Your Double Chin With New Injections

A controversial new injection claims to be able to cure your double chin for good. This extreme anti-aging technique is purely cosmetically focused, rather than having any benefit for your wellness and wellbeing.

 

A double chin is a real problem area for many women, as it is a common area to store fat. People will do all kinds of things to try to disguise it, including wearing large, stylish scarves and using blending makeup to try to hide the line between chins. These non-surgical options are only partly effective, but people tend to go for them as they are anxious about the invasion of surgery, but now this injection promises to get rid of the excess fat without any need for anaesthetics and knives.

 

This injection is a synthetic, purified version of deoxycholic acid, which is a molecule that is naturally present in the body. This molecule helps to dissolve fat. When the drug was being trialled, about 70 percent of those injected found that they had a significant improvement in the look of their double chin. This result eclipsed even the company’s own projections about the drug.

 

A full course of the treatment involves having a few injections over the space of a number of months. These injections purportedly target the fat whilst leaving the other types of cells alone. The drug company anticipates that the drug will be approved for general use in the US and Europe in 2015.

 

This is a type of technique known as mesotherapy, and involves the injection of drugs into the fat. The product used in this case is a type of bile acid which cases fat cells to die, and therefore reduces the fat in problem areas such as in the double chin.

Categories: chin, double, double chin, Drug, Injection, nbsp

Why Abuse-Resistant Versions of Addictive Drugs Don’t Work

Addiction can have a strong grip on your mental health and wellbeing, which is why manufacturers of addictive prescription painkillers work hard to find an alternative medication that won’t get users so hooked. This was the case in August 2010, when makers of the prescription painkiller OxyContin released a abuse-resistant form of the drug that deterred drug addicts from crushing the substance and inhaling or injecting it. According to a letter published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), it worked; OxyContin went from being the primary drug of abuse for 36% of prescription-drug misusers to just 13% about 21 months later. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t the end of the story.

 

Instead of drug users quitting when they stopped getting high on OxyContin, they simply switched drugs. Other opioids moved in to fill the gap left by OxyContin, with drug users choice of high-potency fentanyl and hydromorphone rising from 20% to 32%, the NEJM survey showed. Even though, when drug users were asked about the substances they used to “get high in the past 30 days at least once,” OxyContin fell from 47% of respondents to 30%, the use of heroin nearly doubled. The survey authors quoted one respondent who said, “Most people that I know don’t use OxyContin to get high anymore. They have moved on to heroin [because] it is easier to use, much cheaper and easily available.”

 

For the study, the scientists researched almost 2,600 people who had been involved in treatment programmes throughout the US for prescription opioid addiction between July 2009 and March 2012. When they gathered their data, the authors were forced to conclude, “[A]n abuse-deterrent formulation successfully reduced abuse of a specific drug but also generated an unanticipated outcome: replacement of the abuse-deterrent formulation with alternative opioid medications and heroin, a drug that may pose a much greater overall risk to public health than OxyContin. Thus, abuse-deterrent formulations may not be the ‘magic bullets’ that many hoped they would be in solving the growing problem of opioid abuse.”

 

If you know anything about how addiction affects your wellness, you won’t be too surprised by the findings. There’s something to be said for how reducing the supply of particular drugs can help to prevent some new cases of addiction, but the strategy doesn’t do anything for existing addicts, and just replaces one object of addiction with another, potentially more harmful, one. This is due to the fact that addiction doesn’t lie in the drug itself, but rather in a dysfunctional coping strategy for the widespread human desire to manage emotions. On a more superficial level, it’s like taking cupcakes away from someone who’s trying to lose weight, but has a problem with emotional eating. That person wasn’t addicted to the cupcakes, they were relying on the dysfunctional coping strategy – the emotional eating – and so will simply switch to chocolate or ice-cream.

 

Therefore, doctors who simply cut off addicted patients’ supply of prescription drugs, or pharmaceutical companies who introduce abuse-deterrent formulas, do not address the underlying need that drives the addiction. In fact, it just pushes these people into the market for street drugs, which makes the situation so much worse. They lose contact with the medical system, purchase drugs that are more likely to be adulterated or even poisonous, and don’t know the exact dose they’re getting, which increases overdose risk. Though it may seem counterintuitive, we should be bringing as many opioid addicts as possible into the medical system and using opioids themselves in treatment when necessary, instead of driving them out and into the hands of the illegal heroin market.

Categories: abuse, abuse deterrent, abuse resistant, Abuse-Resistant Drugs, coping strategy, deterrent formulation, Drug, drug addiction, drug users, dysfunctional coping, emotional eating

The Shocking Truth About Baldness Cures and Sex

Going bald is a serious problem for many men, affecting their emotional wellness and wellbeing through self confidence and self esteem. But is it a sexual problem?

 

Many men are devastated when their hair starts falling out, and this can occur in their 20s, as well as later in life. It can be a big worry for men, who fear that if they go bald, they will not have any luck in the romance department.

 

There are drugs available to treat male pattern baldness, such as Propecia. Most people tolerate the drug fairly well but there are side effects and they are unpleasant – including a slow and intermittent decline is sex drive. Men report that as well as feeling a lack of interest in sex, they actually feel almost revulsion towards the idea of having sex. In addition to this, when men feel that they are ready to come off the drug (usually when they become more secure, later in life) they may find that their libido vanishes altogether and that they may also lose sensation in the penis.

 

The risk to taking Propecia is mild – there are only 50 known sufferers of the side effects of treatment, and these sufferers also find that their side effects wear off after a period of time, or at least lessen. The pharmaceutical manufacturers of Propecia are keen to point out that the drug is extremely safe and that there are very few known side effects. It works by fighting against male pattern baldness, where a hormones related to testosterone starts shutting down genetically vulnerable hair follicles.

 

Researchers have known for a while that there could be sexual adverse effects to a small number of men who take the drug. However, many trials have shown that these adverse effects, whilst rare, can be quite debilitating, including problems with libido and erectile dysfunction.

Categories: adverse effects, bald, baldness, Drug, Effects, male pattern, nbsp, pattern baldness, propecia, Sex

Lasting Health Effects of Drug Addiction

A few moments of pleasure can easily turn into a lifetime of pain for unsuspecting drug addicts.Even after an addiction has been treated, the health effects of drug addiction can linger. Sadly, many drug users will inject, ingest or inhale a substance without giving any serious thought to the consequences. Outside of lost jobs and ruined relationships, drug addicts will also face setbacks when it comes to their health.

 

Weakened Immune System

Drugs that are inhaled will cause damage to the nose, throat and lungs. This will lead to increased risk of lung infections and upper respiratory tract infections. Methamphetamines contribute to decreased immune function by drying out the mucous membranes. Defective mucous membranes are not able to help the body in its removal of harmful bacteria. This will allow foreign bacteria to wreak havoc on the addict’s body. Even when a drug is used just a few times, the health effects of drug addiction are plentiful, and chilling.

 

Brain Dysfunction

A number of drugs contain chemicals that are structured similarly to those created by the brain. Using such drugs will send those chemicals to the brain and activate nerve cells under false pretenses. Other drugs trick the brain into releasing high amounts of neurotransmitters that stimulate the reward center of the brain. In order to compensate for this release, the brain begins producing less and less of these chemicals. As a result, it becomes increasingly difficult for drug addicts to experience feelings of joy and pleasure.

 

Damage to the Cardiovascular System

Drugs like marijuana and cocaine will create an irregular heart rate and constrict the blood vessels. This will force the heart to work at an elevated intensity. If the heart is forced to work too hard for too long, then it will not be able to supply adequate amounts of oxygen to the rest of the body. This can result in chronic muscle fatigue, stroke and cardiac arrest.

 

Infertility

Long-term drug use can have an impact on a couple’s ability to conceive children naturally. Male addicts may experience low sperm count, poor sperm mobility and low amounts of seminal fluid. Female addicts may experience disruptions in their menstrual cycles and destruction of mature eggs in the ovaries.

 

Tooth Decay

Drugs like ecstasy and meth can cause dry mouth. Without enough saliva in the mouth, harmful bacteria will have free reign on tooth enamel. In other cases, tooth decay occurs in response to cravings brought on by drug use. For example, marijuana use produces cravings for junk food. The additional sugar will eat away at enamel.

 

Toxic Neuropathy

Putting drugs into the body will interfere with how the body communicates with itself. When nerves are unable to communicate, it is often the result of toxic neuropathy. This disorder produces tingling and numbness in various parts of the body.

 

Addicts who receive treatment may be able to regain some nerve functions. Treatment centers like the Action Recovery Group, for example, will be able to implement a safe 12-step recovery program that will help restore the mind and body of drug addicts.

 

Addicts are constantly chasing the euphoric feeling of their very first high. As they continue to search, they end up taking their bodies down in the process. Once they decide to get help, they can begin taking steps towards reversing some of those damages.

Categories: carcinogens, dangers of drugs, Drug, drug abuse, drug addiction, drug addicts, harmful bacteria, health effects, Health Risks, Infertility, mucous membranes, nbsp addicts

Things You Should Know About Herbal Supplements

It seems that herbal supplements are becoming more and more common as household names. We already think of Echinacea when we want to deal with colds. We think of ginkgo if we want to improve memory function. We think of flax-seed when we want to reduce our levels of cholesterol, and there are so many more now that it becomes difficult to list all the names. Yes, herbal supplements have taken off as big business whether people are looking to lose weight, gain muscle or avoid illnesses. But how much do you really know about them? Could it be true that we generally take herbal supplements without actually being sure they’ll help us out. Here are a few things that you should know about herbal supplements before you buy them.

 

Herbal supplements are not anything new – they have been around for a long time. Sometimes referred to as botanicals, they are medicines and pills that have been used for their medicinal purposes for thousands of years. All sounds good so far right? Well, the trouble is that many herbal supplements are largely untested by the scientific community, or have not stood up well to the kind of scrutiny that other medicines go through to gain recognition. It’s also well known that as these are natural herbal products, they do not need to be verified as useful by the drugs authorities, and therefore the people who make them are relatively a law unto themselves. Suddenly it’s beginning to sound a bit worrying.

 

It is a certainty that some herbal supplements have drug-like effects that, if seen it drugs, might be considered to be dangerous enough to avoid the authorities allow them to be put into the market. But as there is no controlling body, there is no way to stop the flow of these supplements into the community. This has the potential to be very dangerous – so it’s vital that you do the research for yourself and only take the herbal supplements that you know to be safe. Don’t fall for the marketing gimmicks of the companies, instead find real reviews and be sure within yourself that you aren’t putting yourself in harm’s way be taking them.

 

The best advice here is that you should talk to your doctor if you are worried about the potential effects of a particular herbal supplement. They will have a good idea of what may or may not be dangerous for you to ingest and you’ll be making an informed decision based on their suggestions. This is a much better idea that just going in blind without knowing whether or not these pills could damage your health.

 

Remember that herbal supplements are still regulated, but not in the same way that drugs are. They have to be manufactured under the careful and safe precautions, so you at least know that the creation of the products should not put you in any danger. Still it may be best to be safe rather than sorry as often there are practical alternatives to taking these supplements that cannot be deemed a potential risk to your safety.

 

It doesn’t make any sense to mess around with things that can be as dangerous as this, so consult your doctor first. Always try herbal supplements in moderation even if you know they are safe, it’s best to try things slowly and not rush your body or attempt to force whatever change you want. Remember there are usually healthier natural ways to achieve your goals and its probably taking a look into them.

Categories: Drug, herbal, herbal supplements, nbsp, potential, Safe, Supplements

Dust Mite Droppings: The Key Ingredient in New Asthma Pill

House dust mite droppings could improve your wellbeing if you suffer with asthma. This is according to experts from Danish firm ALK Abello, who have developed a pill from a protein found in house dust mite droppings which could.

As one of the leading causes of asthma, you may not think dust mites, which are tiny creatures that live in your dusty household carpets, bedding and soft furnishings, are suitable for improving your wellness. If you are allergic to house dust mites, when you touch or inhale them the proteins from their droppings cause your immune system to release a chemical called histamine, which triggers your asthma attacks, so why would you want to consume them in the form of a melt-in-the-mouth tablet?

The breakthrough pill is an immune-therapy treatment, by which your immune system is regularly exposed to tiny amounts of the proteins, and so it no longer interprets them as a threat. This means that your body no longer feels the need to trigger the asthma-inducing histamine rush. Results of early trials of the pill have been promising, allowing patients who took the tablet every day to substantially reduce their use of inhaled steroids.

According to Leanne Metcalf, Assistant Director of Research at Asthma UK, ‘Dust is a huge issue for people with asthma; 90% of them tell us that dust triggers their symptoms so this research is really encouraging. We know that some people find inhalers difficult to use and also that some asthma medicines can have side effects if taken in high doses or over a long period of time, so we look forward to the day that this research can be translated into a viable alternative treatment for allergic asthma.’

She added, ‘If successful, it may help many of the 5.4million people with asthma in the UK to manage their allergic asthma symptoms and live less restricted lives.’ Until then, if your asthma is triggered by dust mites, Asthma UK recommends using complete barrier covering systems on your mattress, duvet and pillow, replacing your carpets with hard flooring and vacuuming all areas frequently. You can also try washing your bedding once a week on a hot wash, and purchasing a dehumidifier to kill dust mites.

Dust Mite Droppings: The Key Ingredient in New Asthma Pill

Categories: Drug, Dust Mite Droppings, Research

The Costs of Cancer: NICE Refuses to Pay for New Drug

If you have a specific type of lung cancer, a new drug that could significantly improve your wellbeing is too expensive for the NHS. This is according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), who have refused to pay for Crizotinib, which costs £4,000, as they are unsure how successful the drug is, and so it is not deemed to be cost-effective.

This has sparked discontent amongst wellness experts, such as Dr Michael Peake, Clinical Lead, National Cancer Intelligence Network, who said ‘In an aggressive disease like advanced lung cancer, where, for the majority of patients, survival is exceptionally poor and where not all patients can expect to gain much benefit with existing therapies, there is an urgent need for new medicines like crizotinib which target the specific drivers of a patient’s tumour. Clinicians recognise that the future of cancer treatment lies in these types of targeted medicines. If this preliminary guidance is upheld, it potentially signals a setback to the advancement of cancer medicine in the UK.’

The drug, which is aimed at patients in their 40s and 50s, has been granted a conditional licence by the EU drug regulatory body because it serves an “unmet clinical need” which is expected shortly to become a full licence. Crizotinib works by halting the advance of lung cancer for almost eight months – more than double the time for chemotherapy which, according to experts, costs more than £1,000 a month but is being given to hundreds of patients who will get little or no benefit. Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often have  a second round of chemotherapy which threatens some life-threatening side effects, but the drug has far fewer adverse effects, and could be beneficial to two-thirds of NSCLC sufferers.

Dr David Montgomery, Medical Director of Pfizer Oncology UK which makes the drug, commented, ‘Personalised medicines are developed specifically for selected subgroups of patients who are most likely to benefit, sparing those in whom they will have no effect. We believe this approach is better for patients and offers better value for the NHS, a concept in keeping with NICE’s purpose. We are committed to working through the NICEe consultation process to address the uncertainties within this preliminary recommendation.’

The Costs of Cancer: NICE Refuses to Pay for New Drug

Categories: Cost, Drug, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Could a New Cancer Drug Help Treatments?

A new study suggests that the drug, known as BMN 673, which has been created to help patients with faults in their BRCA genes is showing substantial improvements in its development. In a trial based on 70 patients, researchers found signs of excellent anti-tumour activity, whilst also establishing that the drug was suitable for further testing under different circumstances to see how effective it is. 23 of 28 ovarian cancer patients and 12 of the 18 breast cancer patients’ conditions improved following the treatment, in studies carried out by the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. In 11 of the ovarian and 7 of the breast cancer patients, researchers noticed that there were noticeable lesions and cracks on the side of the tumours – these side effects show that the treatment was working, which is a positive sign for the development of the drug.

 

Previous studies have shown that mutations in the BRCA genes are rare overall, only affecting one in every 800 to 1,000. However, they increase the risk of certain cancers developing, including breast and ovarian. Healthy BRCA genes generally suppress these cancer cells from growing, but mutations can stop this from happening naturally. Cancer Research UK believes that women who carry the faulty BRCA genes have between a 45 and 90 percent chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime – Angelina Jolie has recently brought this subject to the fore, having chosen to undergo a double mastectomy after doctors advised that she had an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer, and a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer. Researchers hope that the drug’s effectiveness in the trial could offer hope for patients. Patients with germ line BRCA-associated tumours currently have no treatment options, and these need to be developed quickly.

Categories: cancer, Drug, new trial

Could a Drug Reduce Your Asthma Symptoms and Save Your Life?

If your wellness is affected by asthma, a new anti-viral drug could protect you from life-threatening symptoms. This is according to researchers from the University of Southampton and respiratory drug development company Synairgen, who say that their anti-viral drug – SNG001 – could lead to a cure for asthma.

SNG001 works to guard your wellbeing against respiratory virus infections (such as the common cold), as these can spread to your lungs and worsen your asthma symptoms. Viral infection is associated with an estimated 80% of asthma-related emergency department visits. Researchers recently tested the drug on 134 adult asthmatics with mild to severe symptoms, discovering that, compared to a placebo drug; SNG001 prevented two out of three asthma sufferers developing worse symptoms after catching a cold.

The scientists also found that, as a result of using the drug, the participants’ asthma symptoms were reduced by a whopping 65%, which allowed the sufferers to reduce the amount of times they inhaled a bronchodilator, which is an inhaler that increases airflow to your lungs. Now, the scientists hope that they will be able to create a commercial version of the drug, and change the lives of the 5.4m asthma sufferers in the UK.

In a statement, professor Stephen Holgate, founder of Synairgen, said, ‘This is a really promising breakthrough for the future treatment of asthma and one of the most exciting developments that I have seen in years. This is the first clinical study which appears to demonstrate that, by boosting the antiviral defences of the lungs of asthmatics rather than trying to inhibit rapidly evolving viruses, we can limit the adverse effects of viral infection significantly to prevent worsening of asthma symptoms in a high risk group of patients.’

Leanne Metcalf, assistant director of research at Asthma UK, commented, ‘This has the potential to be one of the biggest breakthroughs in asthma treatments in the past 20 years. We are incredibly excited by the possibilities this research could bring to reduce hospital admissions and deaths as a result of asthma attacks. Over 80% of asthma attacks are triggered by cold and flu viruses, and until now we haven’t had any effective treatments that can stop this from happening. This clinical trial demonstrates the potential of this anti-viral drug to prevent asthma attacks for thousands of people with severe asthma. We are incredibly proud to have played a part in the realisation of this research programme which should benefit people with asthma in a really significant way.’

Could a Drug Reduce Your Asthma Symptoms and Save Your Life?

Categories: anti viral, Asthma, Asthma Attacks, asthma sufferers, asthma symptoms, cure, Drug, drug sng001, Research, SNG001, viral drug, viral infection

Innovative COPD Drug Produces Positive Results in Trials

A positive batch of late-stage trial data has put Spanish drug manufacturer Almirall and US group Forest Laboratories one step closer to improving COPD wellness. The company has announced the results of their study, which indicates they are close to filling their chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) inhaler Genuair with regulators which could greatly improve COPD sufferers’ wellbeing.

Genuair delivers a fixed dose of alclidinium bromide and formoterol fumarate, which are two different bronchodilators with different modes of action. The doses of aclidinium/formoterol tested were 400/6mcg and 400/12mcg, taken twice a day. According to the group, both of the bronchodilators made their primary endpoints during the pivotal six-month Phase III clinical trial of Genuair (also known as Pressair).

The study researchers boasted that both doses of the aclidinium/formoterol combination showed statistically significant improvements in lung function. This was measured by change from baseline in morning pre-dose through FEV1, and compared with formoterol 12mcg and in FEV1 at one hour post-dose versus aclidinium 400mcg. The study researchers also noted that both treatment arms were well tolerated in the study, although nasopharyngitis and back pain were the most common side effects experienced.

A second Phase III trial is now underway, the results of which are expected over the coming weeks. If this second trial produces positive results, the groups will have the support they need to file a New Drug Application with regulators on both sides of the pond. According to Bertil Lindmark, Chief Scientific Officer at Almirall, ‘We expect this novel combination of aclidinium/formoterol to offer patients a new option in COPD treatment. In addition to the improved efficacy shown in this study, the safety profile was comparable to placebo.’

The World Health Organisation (WHO) calls COPD as a global epidemic, with an estimated 64 million people suffering from the condition around the world. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is common, progressively debilitating your lungs through persistent airflow limitation that makes it hard to breathe. Therefore, a new treatment which could effectively reduce the symptoms of COPD is always welcome, and this study may provide new hope for millions of sufferers worldwide.

Innovative COPD Drug Produces Positive Results in Trials

Categories: aclidinium formoterol, chronic obstructive, COPD, Drug, obstructive pulmonary, phase iii, positive results, produces positive, pulmonary disease, Research, study researchers

Five Natural Ways to Detox

The main goal of detoxing naturally after drug addiction is to get rid of the toxic remnants that have built up in your body while you were abusing drugs. You can choose to detox naturally to make sure you get as many toxins out of your body as possible. Your liver is the organ that processes and stores drugs that enter your body. If there is a significant drug buildup in your liver, it can cause toxicity. Leftover drugs in your system can also cause residual cravings or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, there are several natural things you can do to safely detox after drug addiction and Find a rehab right for you.

Water

The first thing to do is start drinking 72 to 96 ounces of water each day. Drinking lots of water will flush the drugs and toxins out of your liver and kidneys. It will also help you to sweat more toxins out of your skin.

Exercise

Engaging in at least one hour of aerobic exercise a day is another component of natural drug detoxing. Activities such as running, swimming and hiking will strengthen your liver and other organs. You will also release toxins by sweating.

Supplements

Ingesting natural supplements can help to cleanse your organs and increase overall health. Sodium alginate is a natural compound found in seaweed that will join with toxins in your digestive system, thus preventing them from being absorbed into your bloodstream. To be effective, you should eat two to three ounces of seaweed every day. Inulin is a substance that increases bile flow and helps your liver to detoxify. To get the proper amount of inulin, take 500 milligrams of a dandelion flower supplement once a day with a meal. Another great supplement for natural drug detox is ginger. Simply drink one cup of ginger tea each day. The gingerol in the tea will encourage sweating and cause toxins to be released through your skin. To make the tea, cut up one ginger root, and then put it in a cup of boiling water and honey. Allow it to steep for about 10 minutes before drinking.

Fasting

Fasting is another way to detoxify your body naturally. However, it is not recommended for people in poor health or who are underweight. Fasting increases the rate of detoxification because your body no longer needs to use energy to digest food. It uses this extra energy to heal itself. It is usually safe to fast for one or two days on your own, but longer fasts need to be approved and supervised by your doctor.

Author Bio: Annette Hazard wrote this along with Stanley Martinson. Annette often writes about health and is a mother of one and avid runner.

Categories: body, Drug, drug addiction, exercise, Fastiong, Liver, Natural, Natural Detox, natural drug, Supplements, toxins, Water

Diabetes: Drug Could Lower Chest Pains In Patients

The anti-anginal drug that’s used in type 2 diabetes patients has shown more positive effects in those who have a poorer glucose control, so say the American College of Cardiology. Ranolazine is used to treat chronic angina and chest pains, but it has been discovered that this drug could help diabetes sufferer’s deal with chest pains, as well as those dealing with coronary heart disease. It’s an uncommon truth that those suffering with diabetes are more at risk of developing coronary heart disease, which leads to more chest pains and angina.

 

Angina is linked to an increased risk of hospitalisation, in addition to costly medications and a worse quality of life. It is more common in those dealing with diabetes, a lifestyle-related condition which affects millions of people and is on the rise due to today’s unhealthy combination of less exercise and a high fat diet. Those who are overweight are at risk, as are people who eat a lot of sugar or fat in their diet. If you think you may have the symptoms of diabetes, you should aim to increase your exercise and eat a more balanced diet that’s rich in fruit and vegetables. It’s advised that you speak to your GP as well, so that they can offer the right treatment if need be.

 

Researchers found that Ranolazine helped to reduce the chest pain in people with poor glucose control, showing that diabetes patients could see a benefit with their symptoms. Further studies need to take place in order to categorically prove that this drug could work, but researchers are hopeful that this could be a route healthcare professionals could take in future. Though studies have been carried out to prove its effectiveness with angina, this is the first trial of its kind in regards to diabetes.

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Diabetes: Drug Could Lower Chest Pains In Patients

Categories: chest pain, Diabetes, Drug

Drug Combined with Chemo Offers Hope for Breast Cancer

cancer-female/">Breast cancer patients whose tumours have been treated by chemotherapy but remain too large to be removed by surgery have been offered new hope. Doctors at Singapore’s National Cancer Institute say taking the drug sunitinib a week before chemotherapy begins can shrink the tumour sufficiently so that it could be safely removed by surgery.

The Singapore doctors carried out a trial using 24 patients that revealed this new combination of treatment was able to shrink tumours by a quarter after just one cycle of chemotherapy. The tumours in those patients who only received chemotherapy saw minimal reduction after one cycle of chemo – it can take up to four treatments and often include radiotherapy too to reduce a tumour sufficiently for surgery.

All the patients taking part in the study, which began in 2010, had advanced cancer-female/">breast cancer, their tumours on average measuring 8cm.

Sunitinib is more typically used to treat renal or kidney cancer but, along with cancer-female/">breast cancer, it is being considered for use to combat melanoma, cancer/">bladder cancer and mesothelioma. The drug works to destroy the vessels that supply blood to cancerous tumours and blood cells and when combined with chemotherapy, it makes for a more effective way of reducing a tumour.

The Singapore study involved giving patients a daily dose of 12.5mg of sunitinib one week before chemo. Of those patients who followed that drug regimen, 9% showed no traces of cancer after four cycles of chemo. There was no replication of those results in any of the patients who only had four cycles of chemo.

With the tumour drastically reduced in size, the chances of successful surgery to remove the cancerous growth are much higher.

The Singapore team presented the results of their study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2012.

While sunitinib is known to work successfully in reducing cancerous growths, the drug does have known side effects, such as nausea and diarrhoea. However, the Singapore team reported that their patients did not typically present with those side effects.

More clinical trials into the drug’s effectiveness in treating cancer-female/">breast cancer are now planned, both in Singapore and elsewhere.

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Categories: breast cancer, Drug, tumour

Breast Cancer Drug Hailed as ‘Biggest Boost since Herceptin’

Doctors have praised Perjeta as the ‘biggest boost since Herceptin’ in cancer-female/">breast cancer wellness, as the drug has been shown to cut your chance of dying by a third within three years of starting treatment. A fifth of patients are suitable for the established drug, which works in combination with Herceptin. If cancer-female/">breast cancer affects your wellbeing, and there’s a particularly high level of a protein called HER2 in your cancer cells, you are eligible for Perjeta.

According to Dr David Miles, a consultant oncologist at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre near Watford, ‘Perjeta has been shown to extend survival and control cancer for longer than the current standard of care – showing a magnitude of benefit that has not been seen since the launch of Herceptin more than ten years ago. This marks a significant step forward in the treatment of this aggressive, difficult-to-treat disease.’

Perjeta is manufactured by Roche, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has just given the company permission to market the drug across Europe. A year’s supply of the drug costs £31,135, and so the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which rations expensive treatments, is still deliberating whether Perjeta should be made available as standard in the English and Welsh NHS. At present, however, women in England will be able to apply for it through the Cancer Drugs Fund.

A trial found that using Perjeta with Herceptin and chemotherapy cut the chance of dying within three years by 34%, compared to using Herceptin and chemotherapy alone. The Cleopatra study also found that the average time that tumours were stalled rose from 12.4 to 18.5 months with the use of the drug. However, the drug can have unpleasant side effects when used with Herceptin and chemotherapy, as two-thirds who have received the treatment also suffered from diarrhoea.

Yet Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive of cancer-female/">Breast Cancer Campaign said the drug ‘should be made available to all women who will benefit from it as soon as possible. Perjeta has the potential to bring a significant, and precious, extension of life to around 2,000 women with advanced cancer-female/">breast cancer each year, by preventing the cancer from progressing for longer than we’ve seen with other treatment combinations.’

Dr Emma Pennery, clinical director of the charity cancer-female/">Breast Cancer Care, added, This drug, when combined with Herceptin and chemotherapy can provide a more effective, targeted treatment option to delay progression of this aggressive disease than Herceptin and chemotherapy alone, but with comparable side effects. The priority now must be that Perjeta is made widely accessible across the UK as soon as possible for patients with secondary cancer-female/">breast cancer whose lives could be extended from its use.’

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Breast Cancer Drug Hailed as ‘Biggest Boost since Herceptin’

Categories: Breast, cancer, Drug