




Facts
Dilaudid and Palladone are the prescription names for hydromorphone hydrochloride. Both are made as pills. Dilaudid is a powder-based pill that immediately dissolves in the stomach. Palladone is a time-release capsule. The capsule's shell dissolves in the stomach and the medicine moves on into the intestines in the form of small pellets coated with substances that dissolve over time. Some pellets have more coating than others, allowing for a continuous release of the medicine into the bloodstream. In the past, doctors used injections of hydromorphone during and after surgery for pain relief. In more recent decades fentanyl has replaced hydromorphone for use in surgeries and also as a time-release painkiller. Abusers of dilaudid have been known to crush the pills and snort or inject the powder. Injection can be dangerous because the powder-form pills contain fillers that do not always dissolve completely. The injection of these particles into the blood can damage veins. Doctors who issue legal prescriptions for hydromorphone are ordered to stress the medication's potential for abuse. Patients needing the medicine are told to take it only as prescribed. They are not to double-up on doses. Also, they are told to flush any leftover medicine down the toilet so that it cannot be stolen. Patients who take the medication for more than a few weeks will need "taper down" doses to avoid WITHDRAWAL symptoms. Some more facts: The percentage of teens using ecstasy has more than doubled since 1995, with 12 percent of youth saying they have used the hallucinogen at least once -- and that number is rising -- fast. After alcohol and marijuana, ecstasy was the drug of choice last year among teens age 12-18, far surpassing cocaine, crack and heroin. Drug specialists, who fear that ecstasy use will spread like cocaine did in the 1970s and '80s, say ecstasy -- an extension of the "hippie" drug LSD -- has caused a dramatic increase in hospitalizations in the past few years. Kids see it as a harmless "peace and love" compound, but it impairs memory and can severely damage the brain. It's rise in popularity comes as teens' use of most other drugs is declining or holding steady. Some 2.8 million youth -- whites mostly, but also many Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and others have used ecstasy. Marijuana has a wide range of pharmacologic effects that suggest actions like those of stimulants such as the AMPHETAMINES, hallucinogens such as LSD, and depressants such as alcohol, SEDATIVES, atropine, or MORPHINE. Thus, marijuana does not fit any single traditional pharmacologic classification, and, hence, must be considered as a separate class. Home and Recreational Accidents: An estimated 22 to 30 percent of all nonfatal injuries that occur in the home involve alcohol. |
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse is defined as the chronic or habitual use of any chemical substance to alter states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Drug abuse is a problem which has an effect on people of all income levels,
ages, and stations in life. Quite often the last person to see that there is a
problem is the drug abuser them self. Every year, more and more people become
drug addicts in their pursuit to get "high".
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.
Drug Side Effects
Drug addiction and abuse comes with a heavy price. There are drastic drug side effects associated with drug misuse and abuse. Drug side effects from legal and illegal drugs can range from mild itching to comas and death. In addition to the physical drug side effects mentioned, there are many psychological drug side effects of drug abuse; the most serious being drug addiction and overdose.
Detox
Detox is necessary when an individual through their chronic use of drugs or alcohol has developed an addiction. The objective of detox is to help the individual achieve a drug and alcohol free state. Detox is intended to relieve the physical symptoms of withdrawal and helps prepare the individual for entry into drug rehabilitation. Therefore, the ultimate goal of detox is preparation for long term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
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.
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