We recently entered a new year, and the opioid epidemic remains a major problem in the United States. A recent report by Bloomberg has estimated a surge in overdose deaths due to the rise of fentanyl in recent years. According to the report, in 2021, more than 80,000 people died from opioid overdoses....
For the first time, in 2021 the number of overdose deaths surged past 100,000. The majority of overdose deaths were among individuals addicted to opiates. The pressures of the pandemic exacerbated the devastation of addiction and created a storm of death for the most vulnerable. The pandemic kept this...
Opiates are a powerful and often deadly class of drugs that can include prescription painkillers like OxyContin and heroin. Yet they can be found in medicine cabinets across the US, with hundreds of thousands of people addicted to them. An addiction can begin with a prescription to treat pain caused...
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DEA and all 50 states temporarily suspended safeguards for telehealth treatment for opioid use disorder. This meant that patients struggling with opioid use disorder were able to access much needed treatment without having to see a doctor in person. Out-of-state...
A recent study tracked nearly 300,000 U.S. seniors and found that nearly 17% were still taking opioids six months after hip surgery. At three months after surgery, the figure was close to 70% and during the first month, 84% of patients were on opioids. Researchers said the numbers suggest that older...
Patients with a narcotic dependence may be physically dependent on opiates, heroin, painkillers, and other legal and illegal substances. An addiction can develop as quickly as two weeks after the first use and require a detoxification process that can be difficult to endure. Traditional Methods of Drug...
In 2019, an estimated 11.4 million people misused opioids and among these 2.1 million people were addicted. Around 10% of misuers were only misusing heroin while around 5% were misusing both heroin and legal opioids. Among the misuers, around half generally obtained legally prescribed opioids from friends...
According to some estimates, more opioids are prescribed for acute pain sufferers than what those patients actually use. In an attempt to curb issues with excessive use, addiction, and abuse related to powerful painkillers, more states are setting prescribing limits. Some of these restrictions also apply...
Whether you’re taking a prescription medication for chronic pain or for temporary pain that resulted from an injury, it’s possible to become addicted to these medications, which occurs when your brain and body are no longer able to stop taking the medication without suffering from severe...
If you suspect that someone you care about has been using heroin or other types of opioids, there are a few signs that you might notice after spending some time with them. You can use this information to discuss next steps with a qualified professional. All in the Eyes When you talk to your loved one,...
Heroin is a drug that often takes over the body and mind like a thief in the night. Use of the drug often begins slow and steady, but as the body develops a resistance to the drug’s impacts, the person needs more and more to get the same high that only a small amount did in the beginning. If you...
Opiates are among the most addictive drugs that a person can use with heroin being at the top of the list of those drugs. Sometimes, you might not realize that someone else is using heroin because they hide the marks on the arms from the needles or try to maintain a normal life while overcoming the feelings...
Long-term opioid use is sometimes prescribed for patients with chronic pain, such as headaches, back pain and arthritis. One-third of Americans deal with chronic, non-cancer-related pain. As opioid medications were increasingly used to manage chronic pain, the rate of overdose deaths related to opioids...
In 2017, prescriptions for opioids dropped 12 percent. This is believed to be the most dramatic drop in opioid prescriptions in nearly a quarter century. Additionally, more doctors are exploring alternatives to powerful pain medications because of the risks that come with even short-term use of such...
Thanks to public awareness campaigns, more people are aware of the opioid addiction crisis in this country. Even so, many people each year still fall prey to opioids and find themselves dependent on these substances. You can help yourself or a loved one overcome an addiction to opioids by learning how...
Opioids are often given to patients who visit emergency rooms with complaints of acute (sudden) pain. While the reason for doing so is to provide fast relief for patients experiencing significant discomfort, a new study suggests over-the-counter medications may be just as effective in some instances....
Derived naturally or synthetically from the opium plant, opiates are a class of drugs that were all originally produced for the purpose of providing pain relief. While not all opiates are used for their intended purpose today, there are many narcotic painkillers commonly used to help patients with severe...
Over two decades ago, the term “neonatal abstinence syndrome” was relatively unheard of in many states. However, it is different now as it has become quite a common occurrence in the newborn intensive care units (NICUs) in the United States. Babies with the syndrome were born with drug dependency. According...
Opiate addiction often develops over time. In some instances, the abuse of opiates is intentional, as may be the case if someone is purposely seeking illegal narcotics like opium or heroin. An addiction to opiates can also be unintentional and stem from the use of prescription medications like oxycodone...
Opiates are the oldest class of drugs in the world still in use today. Every drug in this category is, or was originally meant to be, a pain reliever. For many people who develop a dependence on one or more opiates, the path to addiction often starts when these drugs are taken primarily for their euphoric...
More than 200 million prescriptions are written for opiate drugs each year. These narcotic analgesics, including powerful medications such as Morphine and codeine, are only meant to be used short-term for pain relief purposes because these drugs are highly addictive. Because of the rapid increase in...
Opiates do more to the body than create a sense of physical relief from pain. It’s actually the way opiate drugs work within the body to manage chronic or severe pain that sometimes creates a dependence within the brain. Because of characteristics like this, opiates can produce withdrawal symptoms...
The exact recovery process will be different for every addict. However, each journey starts at the same point, with the need to remove drugs from the body. This detoxification (detox) process can be physically and mentally demanding. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out process, however, when...
Defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a chronic disease characterized by a compulsive need to repeatedly use certain drugs, addiction causes several imbalances within the brain and throughout the body. It’s these changes that can make recovery a challenge for addicts wishing to...
Among the world’s oldest drugs used for medicinal purposes, opiates can serve a useful purpose for patients dealing with severe or chronic pain. However, medications like OxyContin, morphine, and fentanyl are only meant to be used short-term because of the addictive nature of these drugs. The reason...
A wide range of drugs can be classified as opiates, including legal, prescription medications such as codeine and morphine and illegal “street drugs” like heroin. When taken as directed and used for the short-term relief of chronic pain, opiate drugs can be effective and safe. Unfortunately,...
An opiate addiction affects life in so many ways: mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. It doesn’t take long before the person facing the addiction may need help breaking the habit in order to recover a normal, healthy perspective and way of living. One way to accomplish this is to opt for...
The rapid detox procedure allows you to beat opiate addiction in just one day. This service is offered in a fully equipped surgical center. The procedure takes just 30 to 90 minutes, unlike other types of detox that can take up to 120 days to be complete. The doctors who perform this procedure are licensed...
More than 200 million prescriptions are written each year for various opiates to help manage severe or chronic pain. A huge portion of the population is at risk for mental and physical addiction to this powerful narcotic. Breaking an opiate addiction starts with detoxification and withdrawal. This process...
The withdrawal process is one of the most important keys to addiction recovery. Ridding your body of addictive substances such as opiates is often the first step taken towards sobriety, right after making the brave decision to enter a treatment program. Without first undergoing detox and withdrawal,...
The decision to treat an opiate addiction may feel overwhelming for many people. When considering the fact that the majority of traditional recovery programs take approximately 90-120 days, the process can feel even more daunting. Fortunately, other programs, such as rapid detox, promotes a much faster...
A rapid detox can get you drug free in one day. Once you participate in rapid detox, you will have access to many resources in order to remain drug free. Staying drug free after detox can be accomplished through the professional services recommended by our doctors and staff. Certain lifestyle changes...
Detoxification involves ridding the body of addictive substances that are toxic to your system. Undergoing a rapid detox procedure helps you withdraw from drugs, such as opiates, at an accelerated rate and within a shorter time frame than other processes. Undergoing rapid detox includes going through...
The most challenging part of recovering from addiction for many people is the initial withdrawal process. It’s during this early stage of recovery when your body is physically and mentally adjusting to life without certain substances. With opiates, there are changes within the brain that create...
The intended use of opiate drugs is to provide relief for moderate-to-severe pain. It’s the way opiates work within the brain that sometimes creates a physical dependence to these drugs. Addiction to opiates often develops over time due to prolonged use, which can make it difficult to stop taking...