Medical research continues to advance and enhance treatment methods. Below are a collection of blog posts and articles, designed to keep you informed of medical news related to drugs, alcohol, addiction, and recovery.
There are lots of different approaches to treat alcohol addiction, like using medications (Naltrexone) or the meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Or biomarkers. Biomarker testing have been used to monitor treatment outcomes for quite some time, and lately biomarkers have been linked with genetic testing to facilitate personalized treatment. A recent pilot study done by the Waukesha County of … Read More
Question: Does alcohol really cause brain damage? If it really causes brain damage, then why do so many people who drink seem to be perfectly healthy? Answer: Yes, alcohol really does cause brain damage! (It’s not exaggerated; those scientists are telling the truth). But the “how” and “to what extent” alcohol does this is dependent on … Read More
Vicodin is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance, which means it has potential for abuse and may lead to significant psychological dependence. Simply stated, Vicodin is regulated because it is an addictive drug. But how could your everyday Vicodin be so dangerous? How could Vicodin get a person addicted? Is Vicodin addiction even real? Vicodin’s … Read More
What do Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, and Whitney Houston have in common? They were celebrities who all died from lethal drug or alcohol combinations. And they’re not the first. Have you ever wondered whether it’s okay to drink alcohol and take Vicodin? Or is it safe to mix percocet and … Read More
The use of medications to treat substance abuse has become the new “biggest thing” in addiction treatment today. Have you ever wondered what drugs you can take to treat an opiate addiction? methamphetamine addiction? or alcohol addiction? Sometimes, you even avoid quitting, simply because you don’t want to deal with the negative effects of withdrawal. … Read More
The epidemic of prescription drug abuse has kicked a lot of doctors into action. Among the preventive measure set up, the newest (and coolest) is a video game designed to train doctors to identify deceptive behavior by people likely to abuse prescription painkillers. Video Game Helps Doctors Discover Hints of Prescription Abuse Designed by Dr. Michael F. … Read More
Question: Can you tell if somebody is going to be an alcoholic? Is alcoholism, like other diseases, predictable? Answer: James W. West, M.D. and author of The Betty Ford Center Book of Answers, says that while there may not be “absolute predictors,” there are “strong clues” as to whether or not a person will become an … Read More
Did you know that about 100 billion neurons (that is—100,000,000,000) are hard at work in your brain as you processes the content of this post? That’s a lot happening at once in the ol’ melon if you ask me. As trillions of synapses occur between these neurons, info is processed at speeds exceeding 250 miles/hr, … Read More
If you’ve been listening to the news last Christmas, you’ve probably heard about Zohydro–the new proposed painkiller coming to market soon. And later this year, you might be hearing a lot more about it. Zohydro has sent little ripples of shock through addiction experts and those who care about the rise of prescription addiction. So … Read More
Anyone who has worked in rehabilitation for some time knows that becoming addicted to pain killers is a common way patients become substance-dependent. Unfortunately, prescription drug dependency is one of the saddest forms of dependency since the patient often becomes dependent after seeking some form of relief from doctors for his or her chronic pain … Read More
