




Facts
Cocaine is known to cause many medical complications in adult users, including heart attacks, irregular heart beats, rupture of major blood vessels, strokes, fevers, seizures, infections, as well as a range of psychiatric disorders. The medical impact of cocaine on human pregnancy must consider all associated variables such as poverty, homelessness, inadequate prenatal and postpartum care, deficient nutrition, varying types of cocaine usage, multiple drug use, sexually transmitted diseases, and the possible presence of toxic chemicals that are mixed with or used to process cocaine. Suppression of maternal appetite with inadequate nutritional intake is well recognized in cocaine "binging." Many cocaine users admitted for treatment may have at least one vitamin deficiency (B1, B6, C). Correction of these vitamin deficiencies is important during pregnancy so that essential chemicals (neurotransmitters) that transmit messages in the brain can be replenished. Cocaine's chemical properties (low molecular weight and high solubility) allow it to cross the placenta easily and enter the fetus. The passage from maternal circulation to the fetus is enhanced by the injection or smoking of cocaine. In addition, because of acid/base balance issues and low levels of certain enzymes, which usually metabolize the drug, accumulation of cocaine in the fetus occurs. Furthermore, the "binge" pattern commonly associated with cocaine use may lead to even higher levels of cocaine in the fetus. Transfer of cocaine appears to be greatest in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Cocaine has a very potent ability to constrict blood vessels. A deleterious effect of this blood vessel constriction is fetal deprivation of essential nutrients and decreases in the amount of fetal oxygen. In addition to an acute oxygen deprivation, long time use of cocaine may produce a chronic decrease in nutrients and oxygen, leading to diminished growth of the fetus. The day after taking Rohypnol, many people report what feels like the worst hangover they have ever had. This feeling may last anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. This sensation is one reason many people who have been victims of Rohypnol-assisted assaults do not immediately realize what has happened. Instead, they may simply assume they drank too much the previous night, even though they may not remember drinking particularly heavily. OxyContin, approved by the FDA in 1995, is an opium derivative that contains the same active ingredient as Percodan and Percocet. OxyContin is intended for use by terminal cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers. The structural formula for oxycodone hydrochloride is as follows: The chemical formula is 4, 5-epoxy-14-hydroxy-3-methoxy-17-methylmorphinan-6-one hydrochloride. OxyContin is designed so that the oxycodone is slowly released over time. The perceived risk of trying PCP, though very high relative to other drugs in 1988, fell by 14 percentage points from its peak level of 59% in 1988 to 45% in 1999, about where it has remained since. Again, we suspect that teens in more recent classes are simply much less familiar with the drug and its considerable dangers compared to those who grew up in an earlier period; we have termed this phenomenon “generational forgetting." |
Sobriety
Sobriety means the moderation in or abstinence from consumption of alcoholic liquor or use of drugs. When an individual with an addiction problem enters drug rehabilitation, their main goal is to attain long term sobriety. Unfortunately, sometimes drug addicts and alcoholics find they are able to sustain short periods of sobriety followed by a drug or alcohol relapse. This is why attending a drug or alcohol rehab will help the individual maintain their focus on sobriety. Often, it is only by getting help that individuals with severe drug addiction problems are able to achieve lasting sobriety.
Tolerance
Tolerance to a drug takes place when an individual is exposed to the same drug repeatedly and begins to build up an resistance to the drugs effects. The body then adapts and develops a tolerance for the drug. The addiction that is produced is so powerful that it creates cravings in the user. These cravings for the drug are the result of its impact on the individual's memory with feelings of pleasantness and euphoria which the individual has come to associate with the taking of the drug.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism, also known as "alcohol dependence," is a condition that includes craving and continued alcohol abuse despite repeated drinking-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law. It includes four major areas: Craving: - A strong need, or compulsion, to drink. Impaired control: -The inability to limit one's drinking on any given occasion. Physical dependence: -Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. Tolerance: - The need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to feel its effects.
Addiction Treatment
Addiction treatment is needed when an individual finds that they have developed a drug or alcohol addiction which they are not able to successful end on their own. With the help of addiction treatment, addicted individual can get help to control their drug taking behavior and live happy and successful lives. There are several addiction treatment options available for drug and alcohol addiction. Some of these options include self-help groups, counseling, drug rehabilitation programs (in and out-patient), and residential treatment facilities. Each of these differ
in their aims and outcomes and elements of these addiction treatment options are often
combined.
Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is a pattern of repeated drug taking that usually results in tolerance (the need for greater amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect), withdrawal (physical and cognitive effects when drug use declines or stops), and compulsive drug taking behavior (drug taking that persists despite efforts to reduce intake and despite problems with family, friends, and work). Drug addiction encompasses a diverse range of drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine) and is caused by many different factors.
|
|

To Find Drug Rehab and Treatment Centers in Littleville
Call toll free


Littleville Drug Rehab and
Alcohol Addiction Treatment Information
|