Definition
Drug addiction outlines a complex pathological picture, in which a subject feels the extreme need to take a substance, despite being aware of its side effects and dangers; suspension of the assumption of that substance leads to abstinence. Often, drug addiction is also related to tolerance: to achieve the same effect, the body needs an increasingly higher dose of the substance of abuse.
- For drug addiction, reference is not made only to drugs of abuse; in fact, even alcoholism and some drugs can create physical or psychological dependence. Smoking is also a common form of drug addiction.
Causes
Drug addiction is a psychological, behavioral and physical disorder in all respects, in which genetics and the environment seem to play a very important role in pushing the subject to take substances of abuse. Dependence on abuse seems to occur when the repeated and constant use of a drug, drug or other substance alters the perception of pleasure; this behavior triggers a series of mechanisms that induce the subject to continue taking that substance.
Symptoms
The symptoms of drug addiction vary according to the substance of abuse: for example, the administration of a beta-blocker gives physical dependence, different from the psychological dependence caused by a drug like heroin. The symptoms that most drug addicts have in common are abstinence and tolerance, accompanied by a series of obsessive compulsive behavioral disorders, mood alterations, panic attacks, propensity to violence, decreased concentration, drowsiness or insomnia, alterations in appetite. These aspects are often associated with other symptoms, such as red eyes, narrowing of the pupil, blurred vision, etc.
It is not possible to describe a complete picture of the symptoms, since the characteristic signs depend on the substance that creates the drug addiction. For further information: read the article on the symptoms of drug addiction
Information on Addiction - Drugs for the Treatment of Drug Addiction is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Drug Addiction - Drugs for the Treatment of Drug Addiction.
drugs
The treatment of drug addiction starts from the moment in which the problem is recognized: given its delicacy, relatives, relatives and friends should take care of the patient, without giving impositions or orders on what to do and what not to do. Although trivial, the support of people who are close to the addict is essential.
The treatment of drug addiction is rather complex, since, as we have analyzed, abstinence crises are often established which push the toxic drug to look desperately for that substance: in addition to the attention of family members, drug addiction, to be cured definitively, requires a multidisciplinary approach with psychological, social and pharmacological interventions.
The administration of drugs is an element that unites the vast majority of treatments for drug addiction, since it is very difficult to abandon the use of the drug with the psychological approach alone. It should also be emphasized that an addict does not "only" manifest the risk of relapses: it is observed, in fact, that a drug patient tends to inject himself with preparations intended for oral intake, which leads to a series of rather serious consequences (gangrene, abscesses or necrosis at the injection site, cardiac or pulmonary toxicity derived from the deposition of the substance at the level of the cardiac muscle or lung, diseases derived from injections made with infected needles, etc.).
Let us look in detail at the most suitable drugs for addiction to alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
Alcohol addiction : alcohol can also be considered a drug and, as such, can be addictive and withdrawal symptoms. In general, the alcoholic begins to drink occasionally, to then increase the dose more and more: with time, the individual perceives the need to take more and more alcohol, in order to reach the desired state of euphoria.
To treat alcohol addiction, the patient must collaborate with doctors and family members: it would be useless to follow a "rehabilitative" scheme when the patient does not want it.
For drugs and dosage: see the article on drugs for the treatment of alcoholism
Tobacco addiction : even smoking can be considered a form of drug addiction, whose long-term side effects can also be very serious. Also in this case, as for the previous one, the pharmacological treatment for smoking cessation can exert its therapeutic effect only if the subject is convinced, because it would be useless to take pharmacological substances to reverse the addiction to smoking if the intention to do it really it lacks.
For drugs and dosage: read the article on smoking cessation drugs
Drug addiction drug abuse: the treatment of opioid addiction can be twofold and consists in the gradual arrest of the drug administration or its abrupt abstention; the choice of a treatment rather than another should be assessed on the basis of each individual case.
Emergency treatment must be performed in cases of drug overdose or intoxication; in similar situations, the subject tends to lose consciousness and often needs temporary assisted breathing. The choice of drug depends on the drug being abused. In addition to the administration of pharmacological specialties, the patient can be referred to special centers for intoxication, in which patients are subjected to specific behavioral and psychological programs. Now let's see what are the most used drugs in therapy:
- Methadone (eg Metado C): an opioid agonist drug to be used in therapy, under medical supervision, for the treatment of heroin addiction. The administration of this drug is useful for reducing heroin withdrawal symptoms; the drug causes addiction, therefore it is not prescribed to all patients. Its use is reserved only for cases of severe heroin or opioid dependence. Although the dosage should be carefully adjusted to the individual patient, a purely indicative dosage is reported below: initially, take 10-40 mg of the drug per day. Gradually increase the dose of max. 30 mg a week (not more than 10 mg a day), until the withdrawal symptoms disappear.
- Buprenorphine (eg Buprenorphine MYL): it is a partial opioid agonist drug, prescribed only to drug addicts with a serious situation; however, its use is also indicated for treating drug addiction in subjects with moderate opioid dependence. The drug can cause abstinence: according to this, it is the duty of the toxic drug to gradually reduce the drug intake before starting the treatment with the drug. Buprenorphine is often associated with Naloxone (eg Suboxone): in the form of sublingual tablets to be dissolved - formulated with 2 mg of buprenorphine and 0.5 mg of naloxone - it is indicative to take the drug at a dose of 1-2 tablets per day, increasing significantly the dosage, in full compliance with the instructions dictated by the doctor. Do not exceed 24 mg per day of buprenorphine.
- Naltrexone (eg. Nalorex): unlike the drugs described above, naltrexone is a partial opioid antagonist, to be used only in cases of severe opioid addiction; the drug induces all withdrawal symptoms. It exerts its therapeutic action by inhibiting the euphoric action of opioids and it is prescribed, precisely for this reason, even to former toxicants to avoid relapses. It is a powerful drug, to be administered only in specialist hospitalizations, under the supervision of the doctor. Begin therapy at least 7-10 days after opioid withdrawal (to be verified by urinalysis), in the absence of signs of withdrawal. Begin therapy with 25 mg of the drug in a single dose; the maintenance dose is expected to take 50 mg a day. The weekly dose can be divided into three doses, in order to improve patient compliance. The drug is also available as a suspension for injection: take 380 mg every 4 weeks for intramuscular injection in the buttock.
- Lofexidine (eg Dimatex): the drug (alpha adrenergic agonist) is not marketed in Italy. In some countries it is used to relieve symptoms of opioid addiction. In general, the drug is initially administered at a dose of 800 mcg per day, divided into several doses; the dosage can be increased gradually, without exceeding 2.4 mg per day (for each dose, do not exceed 800 mcg). The indicative duration for the treatment of drug addiction is 7-10 days: the patient should not take this drug if he continues to take opioids.
