cannabisnews.com: U.S. Researchers Take Aim at Addiction!





U.S. Researchers Take Aim at Addiction!
Posted by FoM on June 09, 1999 at 17:56:03 PT
Medications tested to try to defeat habit
Source: Globe & Mail
New York Taking a bold approach to addiction, researchers at Columbia University are offering free heroin to addicts and paying them to use it under a federally authorized program aimed at finding a cure for their drug habits.
Since September, 14 addicts have received regular doses of pure heroin after being given naltrexone, buprenorphine or methadone, which are medications found to be effective in neutralizing heroin's high.The researchers want to learn whether stronger doses of these medications are needed and can be prescribed without risk, particularly in light of the increasingly pure heroin being sold on the streets."A dose that was probably good enough 15 years ago may not be good enough for heroin now," said Dr. Herbert Kleber, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia who directs the medical college's division on substance abuse and is medical director of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia.Heroin and cocaine have been tested on mice and other laboratory animals. But Columbia's study is now the only one in the country testing addicts with heroin.Dr. Marian Fischman, a psychologist at Columbia who studies medications for drug abusers, said the volunteers, who agree to stay in the hospital for six or seven weeks, had rejected offers to treat their heroin habit."We would not give a drug of abuse to someone who was seeking treatment," she said. "We refer anyone to treatment who would even moderately consider it."The medications being tested affect the brain in different ways. Naltrexone is an antagonist, meaning that it blocks the effect of heroin on the brain's receptors. Methadone is an agonist, which stifles the craving for heroin by binding to the brain receptor. The third, buprenorphine, acts as an agonist at lower doses and as an antagonist at higher doses.Six related drug-addiction studies are being conducted at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons, all of which focus on the role existing medications can play in defeating drug addictions.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 09, 1999 at 21:13:37 PT
It's A Step!
In all the programs about drug rehab they never mention nutrition that I'm aware of. A drug abuser, besides physical addiction and withdrawal pain, their bodies are run down and need special help with nutrition. The body needs to be strengthened to be able to go thru detox but I don't know if nutrition is even discussed!Moving away is a great idea because it works! We moved 400 miles away!Peace, FoM!
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Comment #1 posted by oldlady#420 on June 09, 1999 at 20:04:34 PT
Sounds bold but helpful...
I heard on oone of the all night talk raadio shows sometime ago that a woman made a geographical cure (moved elsewhere) to get away from her heroin addiction. You know sometimes that does work! I have no such qualms with that! I wish at times I had tried a geographical! It sounds like the three agents working together may benefit the addict. When I used to attend NA meetings they did not suggest methadone treatment. It is always a matter of choice! The addiction is the same but addicts may respond in different ways. The whole idea is to get the addict to not use the chemical of choice. Hard way, easy way or no way. For me any means is difficult! It all requires a dedication to the truth, and a new way...I hope the program is a success. Shalom. ol#420
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