Acetaminophen

1:01 AM , Posted in

[drug clinic]

DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Acetaminophen belongs to a class of drugs called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before a person feels it. It reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center of the brain. Specifically, it tells the center to lower the body's temperature when the temperature is elevated. The FDA approved acetaminophen in 1951.

PRESCRIPTION: No.

GENERIC AVAILABLE: Yes.

PREPARATIONS: Liquid suspension, chewable tablets, coated caplets, gelcaps, geltabs, and suppositories. Common dosages are 325, 500 and 650 mg.

STORAGE:

Store tablets and solutions at room temperature 15°-30°C (59°-86°F). Suppositories should be refrigerated below 27°C (80°F).

PRESCRIBED FOR: Acetaminophen is used for the relief of fever as well as aches and pains associated with many conditions. Acetaminophen relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation, redness, and swelling of the joint. If the pain is not due to inflammation, acetaminophen is as effective as aspirin. It is as effective as the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug ibuprofen (Motrin) in relieving the pain of osteoarthritis of the knee. Unless directed by physician, acetaminophen should not be used for longer than 10 days.

DOSING: The oral dose for adults is 325 to 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours. The maximum daily dose is 4 grams. The oral dose for a child is based on the child's age, and the range is 40-650 mg every 4 hours.

When administered as a suppository, the adult dose is 650 mg every 4 to 6 hours. For children, the dose is 80-325 mg every 4 to 6 hours depending on age.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Acetaminophen is metabolized (eliminated by conversion to other chemicals) by the liver. Therefore drugs that increase the action of liver enzymes that metabolize acetaminophen [for example, carbamazepine (Tegretol), isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid, Laniazid), rifampin (Rifamate, Rifadin, Rimactane)] reduce the levels of acetaminophen and may decrease the action of acetaminophen. Doses of acetaminophen greater than the recommended doses are toxic to the liver and may result in severe liver damage. The potential for acetaminophen to harm the liver is increased when it is combined with alcohol or drugs that also harm the liver.

Cholestyramine (Questran) reduces the effect of acetaminophen by decreasing its absorption into the body from the intestine. Therefore, acetaminophen should be administered 3 to 4 hours after cholestyramine or one hour before cholestyramine .

Acetaminophen doses greater than 2275 mg per day may increase the blood thinning effect of warfarin (Coumadin) by an unknown mechanism. Therefore, prolonged administration or large doses of acetaminophen should be avoided during warfarin therapy.

PREGNANCY: Acetaminophen is used in all stages of pregnancy and is the drug of choice for short-term treatment of fever and minor pain during pregnancy.

NURSING MOTHERS: Acetaminophen is excreted in breast milk in small quantities. However, acetaminophen use by the nursing mother appears to be safe.

SIDE EFFECTS: When used appropriately, side effects with acetaminophen are rare. The most serious side effect is liver damage due to large doses, chronic use or concomitant use with alcohol or other drugs that also damage the liver. Chronic alcohol use may also increase the risk of stomach bleeding.

source : medicinenet
[drug clinic]

Club Drugs -party drugs gaining popularity

11:03 PM , Posted in

[drugs clinic]

Club drugs are being used by young adults at all-night dance parties such as "raves" or "trances," dance clubs, and bars. MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and LSD are some of the club or party drugs gaining popularity. NIDA-supported (National Institute on Drug Abuse) research has shown that use of club drugs can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, even death. Used in combination with alcohol, these drugs can be even more dangerous. read about drug rehab

Club drugs are attractive to today’s youth because they are inexpensive and produce increased stamina and intoxicating highs. Because many of these drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be secretly added to beverages by individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others.

Research has shown that club drugs can have long-lasting negative effects on the brain, especially on memory function and motor skills. When club drugs are combined with alcohol, the effect is intensified, and they become even more dangerous and potentially fatal.
The most widely used club drugs:

* Ecstasy Also known as MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), Ecstasy is a stimulant
that combines the effects of amphetamines and hallucinogens.

* Rohypnol Known as the “date rape drug,” Rohypnol is a central nervous system depressant
that produces sedative-hypnotic effects, muscle relaxation, and amnesia.
* Ketamine A rapid-acting general anesthetic, ketamine produces a wide range of feelings, from
weightlessness to out-of-body or near-death experiences.
* GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate). Originally available over the counter in health food stores to
aid body builders, GHB and other synthetic steroids are also used for their euphoric effects.
* LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). This hallucinogen produces unpredictable effects, depending
on the amount taken, the surroundings in which the drug is used, and the user’s personality,
mood, and expectations.
* Methamphetamine Among the club drugs discussed in this page, methamphetamine accounts
for the largest use and is most frequent in metropolitan areas in the western U.S.

Club Drugs and Emergency Department Visits

Cumulatively, 2601 deaths associated with methamphetamine abuse, 46 deaths associated with Ketamine and 27 with MDMA were reported by participating medical examiners over the 5-year period from 1994 to 1998.

Methamphetamine abuse can lead to memory loss, aggressive behavior, violence, psychotic and paranoid behavior, and potential cardiac and neurological damage.

LSD is the next most common in emergency department (ED) visit mentions, followed by GHB, MDMA (Ecstasy), Rohypnol, and Ketamine.

ED episodes involving club drugs usually involve multiple substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, and other club drugs. Alcohol is a particularly common factor in these episodes.

ED episodes related to GHB, Ketamine, and MDMA increased significantly from 1994 to 1999, and GHB and MDMA mentions increased dramatically from 1997 to 1999.

Young people are disproportionately represented in ED visits involving club drugs.

[Drugs Clinic]

8 Factors to Consider when Choosing a Residential Drug Treatment Center

12:37 AM , Posted in

Facing the fact that someone you love is not only suffering from drug addiction, but now must receive help to overcome the addiction, is difficult for anyone. Where should you start? Who do you turn to? What questions do you need to ask about drug treatment programs? Perhaps, you may have been at this point before, and you now feel a sense of hopelessness in finding a residential treatment center that will work this time around. Maybe, though, this is the first time you’ve had to take these steps to help someone you love. The process can feel overwhelming.

Ultimately, you want your loved one back. You want that person you love free from drugs. You want that person to live a healthy and productive life. By asking the right question on each of the following areas when choosing a residential drug treatment center, your chances of making this happen for your loved one will increase.

1. Success Rate –
What is the success rate of the residential drug treatment center? Obviously, the higher the success rate, the more likely your loved one will succeed. Ask to speak with graduates of the drug rehab facility or their families. Get real opinions from real people.

2. Methods –


What method does the drug treatment center use? Ask yourself if they are addressing all aspects of your loved one’s addiction, including what led them to drugs in the first place. Methods that only deal with one aspect of addiction are more likely to fail. Remember addiction results from a combination of many factors, including a lessening of morality and integrity and an increasing burden of guilt and shame. The life of an addict includes bad habits, poor health and difficulty facing problems. After speaking with the facility, ask yourself if they are handling not just the psychological aspects, but also the physical and mental aspects of addiction as well. Are they providing practical skills that will help your loved one succeed once the drug rehabilitation program is completed?

3. Services –
What services does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is not only for your loved one, but for you as well. Will they help with legal issues? Will they assist in an intervention? In other words, to what length will they go to make certain your loved one gets the drug treatment they need?

4. Staff –
Who are the staff members at the residential drug treatment center? The best trained staff will have had experience with drug addiction. They will not have learned about it in a book. Are they qualified for their positions? What real-life knowledge do they have with drug addiction? What is their reason for working in this field?

5. Follow-up Program –
What type of follow-up program does the residential drug treatment center offer? This is important. Sending a newly rehabilitated drug addict back into the world without any follow-up can be disastrous. Make sure that there is a program of this type in place. Good programs keep in touch over the phone regularly after one leaves the program.

6. Location –
Where is the residential drug treatment center located? A residential drug treatment center should be protected. Ask how easy it would be for your loved one to leave. Many addicts when first coming off drugs want to leave. Ensuring that this is difficult, while not seeming like a prison, increases the chances that the person will stay to finish.

7. Length –
How long does the residential drug treatment center take? Although the standard program is 28 days, if the residential drug treatment center offers a longer program, it is more likely your loved one will succeed. However, if the residential drug treatment center allows your loved one to work at his or her own pace, without imposing time constraints, your loved one has an even greater chance of overcoming drug addiction. An example of a program that is not based on time but on completion can be seen at http://www.drugrehab.net

8. Price –
How much does the residential drug treatment center cost? Before eliminating any program because of its price, ask yourself this: What are they offering? Look back at the points above and determine what the drug rehab is truly giving to the one you love. Yes, the more it offers, the more likely the price will be higher. However, your loved one will have a greater chance at becoming a healthy productive member of society. How much is that person worth to you?

Choosing a residential drug treatment center can be difficult. Dealing with a loved one suffering from drug addiction is devastating. By breaking the process down into what is important and finding out the answers to the questions above, you will be able to make an informed choice as to which residential drug treatment program can best help you and your loved one. Drug addiction can be dealt with and overcome.

Drug Addiction Treatment For Marijuana More Important Than Ever

12:17 AM , Posted in

Drug Addiction Treatment

The White House just released a study on the potency of marijuana. It's more potent than it's been in 30 years, and twice as potent as in 1983. People often don't think that using marijuana is enough to justify getting someone drug addiction treatment. However, as can be attested to by the many people who have used marijuana and gone on to take other drugs, nothing could be further from the truth. Now, with nearly double the effect being created, getting into a drug addiction treatment center is more important than ever.

Marijuana is known to cause disassociation - a withdrawal from family, school, work, and life. Really, when you're high, you just don't care. It doesn't matter what's happening in life because it's just not being taken seriously. However sincere a person taking drugs seems to be at times, you can't expect it to be followed up with action that would demonstrate that sincerity.


Now the problem is even worse. The higher potency marijuana is causing more physical problems - with the respiratory tract, for example - and young people who use marijuana are now twice as likely as others to be depressed. The study also showed a 40% increase in the risk of developing 'mental' problems. It's not quite clear what that means, but both the depression and the 'mental' problems could lead to the use of prescription drugs. Prescription drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. (and other countries) and prescription drugs are even harder to stop taking than some of their illegal counterparts.

Getting drug addiction treatment for marijuana could save years of misery in the future.

Also disturbing was the comment made by the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse who was worried that if the increase in potency continues (which is a very real threat) it could also lead to drug addiction - i.e. addiction to marijuana.

She related drug addiction to the severity of withdrawal symptoms - but withdrawal is a relatively minor part of drug addiction. Although withdrawal symptoms are definitely a deterrent to those trying to get off a drug, drug addiction is much more complex than what the person feels for the first week or so as they're going through withdrawal. The 'addiction' end of things relates to the reason the person prefers to be stoned rather than living life without drugs. That's where the drug addiction treatment comes in and, without it, it's less likely the person will quit regardless of the severity of withdrawal itself.

As with all drugs, other than antibiotics and other drugs that are handling a purely physical condition that might otherwise be dangerous, it's important to get someone who's using marijuana into a drug addiction treatment center as soon as possible if they have any trouble whatsoever getting and staying off the drug. The alternative could be worse than the effects of marijuana: It could also involve taking other drugs that could be deadly and, even worse, prescription drug addiction.
by : Gloria B. MacTaggart

Drug Rehab Programs High Success Rate Today

12:07 AM , Posted in

Drug rehab programs are located throughout the country from Alaska to Florida and California to Maine. You will discover many of the drug treatment centers operate totally independently from any major hospital, psychiatric facilities or any of the primary health care facilities. Do not be surprised to find many different drug treatment plans as well, long term live in, inpatient treatment and the very short term outpatient plans. Unfortunately, too many time the drug rehab programs will be determined by your insurance company or even you ability to pay.

What type of drug rehab program will be best for you and provide you with the best results and success of recovery. Many people feel more at home in a private setting and should probably choose one of the more private programs. While others, my feel a stronger need for a more traditional medical hospital and feel more out of harm's way with the help of a full service hospital.

Dual-diagnosis is something you should keep in mind. If you are suffering form a psychological problem as well as your addiction to drugs. You may need to consider a psychiatric hospital associated with a drug rehab center. Being able to manage ailments, your drug addiction and your psychological adversities will greatly increase the probability of your complete recovery.


Conquering your drug addiction will require a safe and secure facility for you to combat your drug problems. You will find many different approaches to the treatment of your drug dependency. Many of the hospital programs will follow a more traditional medical plan to treat your addiction. Physician will often prescribe medication to reduce the physical affects of drug detox. Methadone, a synthetic narcotic similar to morphine, may be given to help block the effects of addictive drugs and help reduce your cravings.

Alternative or natural rehab programs are becoming more the vogue within the industry. Here they use limited medical intervention and focus more on the natural techniques. Diet and nutrition, breathing exercise combined with Yoga, meditation and many other new techniques for combating the symptoms of your detox and withdrawal.

Rehab programs today, fall within two extremes and use a plethora of professionals and peer counselors to help you gain control over the many problem areas of your life that may have led to you using drugs in the first place. Think for a minute about the connection of you body and mind. The ability to work with nutritionists and other professional who specialize in drug addiction will make your road to recovery much easier and with more hope of success. Learning coping strategies will be a major part of your blueprint to sober living.

Choosing one of the many drug rehab programs will be a major decision of your lifetime. Right now you are probably in a state of confusion because of your addiction. Seeking the help you need is the right thing to do. Make an informed decision by researching the all the drug rehab treatment programs being considered and asking any questions you may have about the facility or the treatment plan being reviewed.

Life comes at us full stride. Never a dull moment and full of many twist and turns. Today Julie, my daughter is a beautiful young woman, but there were times, I was terrified of the hearing the doorbell ring. Always fearful of the news of another overdose. Perhaps you can relate. You are in good company, not many families in this country have escaped the terror brought on by the drug addiction of a child, spouse or even a Mother and Father. I will attempt to share a few stories of our journey through drug hell, but most importantly I would like to extend to you that there is hope. Never give up. There is always a chance for their recovery, continue to love them and hold them steadfast in your heart and in your prayers.
by : Dennis R Thomas

What is Drug Rehab Program?

11:40 PM , Posted in

Drug Rehab Clinic

What is drug Rehab? This is medical and psychological form of treatment which done to treat drug dependency. Drug dependency cannot be treated without professional help and care. A patient who is addicted to drug or alcohol should have to go under a rehabilitation program.

The treatment in the drug rehab center depends on the drug to which the patient is addicted. Nowadays teenagers as well as adults are addicted to both prescription and street drugs. Most common street drugs which can cause addiction are cocaine, meth, crack, or heroin. Prescription drugs which are commonly abused by the people are oxycontin, vicodin and morphine.


The person who is addicted to drugs should be treated physically as well as psychologically. The physical treatment starts with drug detoxification. Drug detox process washes out the entire harmful chemical from the body. The patient`s organism functions better after this detoxification process. The second step after the detoxification is psychological treatment.

One of the most important parts of a treatment process is psychological therapy. The counselor tries to find the cause of the addiction problem. The patient goes under the psychological treatment on a regular basis. There are two types of sessions which are used by the counselors. The first is group session and second is one-on-one session.
Nowadays lots of rehab centers are being opened. According to recent studies and research the rehab centers are very helpful for the people fighting with addiction.

There are many people who need drug rehab program but not every addict is aware of his problem of addiction. Nowadays more and more people are finding information about drug rehabilitation programs and centers.

There are lots of sources which can give enough information about drug treatment centers. One of them is internet. Internet is an extensive source of information. There are lots of websites devoted to this topic. It is a good idea to read some articles providing important information on this topic. I have gone through many article directories which provide free cost articles related to drug addiction and other health and fitness related topics.

Nowadays every reputed rehab center has a website. These rehab centers provide a lot of information about the treatment of addiction. Most of them offer free counseling sessions. It is a good idea to visit these counseling sessions. There are different counseling sessions for the patient and the family members. As you go through the website you should read not only about the treatment technique but also about the staff members. Proper rehab center should recruit professional staff members. You should also know about the emergency care system of the center. The person suffering from addiction needs professional support and emergency care 24 hours a day.
by : Roberta Groche
Drug Rehab Clinic

Common Symptoms of Prescription Drug Addiction

12:12 AM , Posted in

Common Symptoms of Prescription Drug Addiction

There are many common signs that people addicted to prescription drugs often exhibit. Prescription drug addiction symptoms are pretty universal, occurring in most addicts, such as an increased tolerance for the drug, and physical dependence on the drug. Treatment can begin once the symptoms are recognized and the addict realizes that he or she has a problem. Kicking a prescription drug addiction can be difficult and painful, but it is infinitely better than a lifetime wasted on drugs.

One of the main signs of a prescription drug addiction is that the user develops an increased tolerance for the drug. This means that the user needs an increased amount of the drug to get the same effects that used to result from a smaller amount of the drug. When a person increases their tolerance for a prescription drug, more and more of the drug is required to get the desired effects. For example a person may need to take four times as much of a drug to get the same effect. This is a problem for a number of reasons. It can lead to death or hospitalization due to an overdose, it can cause the tolerance to continue to rise, and it can cause serious financial problems if an addicted person needs to buy a significantly larger amount of the drug.



Physical dependence is another prescription drug addiction symptom. Physical dependence is when a person needs a certain amount of the prescription drug in their system in order to function normally. The body adapts to the drug and needs it to perform. Withdrawal symptoms often occur when an addict quits using the drug. Some withdrawal symptoms include feeling physically ill, temporary loss of memory, and wild mood swings, which can sometimes culminate in physical aggression.

The main sign that a person is addicted to a prescription drug is if they are unable to quit using it, even if they try to go without. It is important for people showing prescription drug addiction symptoms to seek help with their addictions. It often takes a doctor’s advice to manage withdrawal symptoms in a healthy way. It is important that addicts do not complicate their health any further.

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