Medications In Addiction To Nicotine: A Case Study

With the possibility of drugs capable of suppressing the urge to consume alcohol in addicts, many people who normally would not be helped by a simple 12 step program, could use such drugs in combination with standard treatment in the future to help combat their addiction.

Client reported alcohol as his drug of choice with the last use date of March, 2017. No acute intoxication or withdrawal symptoms were reported. No treatment plan was developed in this dimension. Client appears to be stable at this time.

Alcoholism is a prominent substance abuse issue in Western society. The treatment method of controlled drinking as opposed to abstinence is a continuing cause of controversy in alcohol research to this day. The US is different from Europe in its acceptance of controlled drinking as a goal of treatment: “in the US alcohol dependence is typically depicted as a ‘recurring disease’ and the ‘successful abstainer’ as a ‘recovering’ though never ‘recovered’ alcoholic” (Coldwell, 2005). Depending on the alcohol abuse patient’s individual characteristics, either controlled drinking or abstinence is chosen as a treatment.

Alcoholism is a long standing health issue, and there has been ongoing research to seek out drugs that could effectively help to treat alcoholism, acute and long-term. According to an article by Johnson, Swift, Addolorato, Ciraulo, and Myrick (2005), a challenge has been to identify medications that not only reduce the rewarding effects of alcohol, but the dependence, post cessation craving, and the withdrawal craving.

The principle of treatment therapy is to helping the patients to reduce problematic drinking, deterring relapse back to heavy drinking and achieving and maintaining abstinence from alcohol (Edmunds, 2014). An oral naltrexone (ReVia) or injectable Vivitrol, Acamprosate and Disulfiram are used for the treatment of alcohol abuse (Edmunds, 2014). Disulfiram are used more often if unpleasant physical symptoms when alcohol is ingested but is reported to be more expensive and have reported to have adverse reaction to the patients (Edmunds, 2014). Benzodiazepines such as Lorazepam and Diazepam are also widely used for treatment of alcohol withdrawal. With the side effects and overdosing of benzodiazepines remains controversial in treating alcohol withdrawal and is always in need to monitor the patient for abuse (SAMHSA, 2013). Additionally, social detoxification and lifestyle management would benefit the whole treatment process such as referring the patient to social support groups and encouraging the family to support the patient during the treatment

Even the most severely addicted individuals can participate in treatment; in the hopes of reducing their drug and alcohol use. Treatment programs with the higher success rates offer a combination of treatments. I will explore substance abuse prevention programs in this paper. I will summarize their goals, funding, and effectiveness.

Campral: Generic name is acamprosate. This oral medication works with behavioral changes and counseling to reinstate the chemical balance in the brain of an alcohol-reliant individual. However, it is not expected to be beneficial if the individual has not stopped drinking or experienced detoxification as well as addiction to other substances (Procyshyn, 2015). Campral does not go through hepatic metabolism but is excreted as unaffected drug through the kidneys. As a result, its half-life is about 20-33 hours with a negligible protein binding. When taken with food, Campral Cmax and AUC are decreased by about 42% and 23%, respectively; nonetheless, no dose adjustment is necessary and the drug may be given with meals (Drugs, 2017).

Nicotine replacements and patches are always in advertisements and pushed in stores. While the ads may make it seem easy to quit with a nicotine replacement, they are not actually effective. Recent studies show that smoking cessation drugs like patches and gums do not effectively stop nicotine cravings.

In “Warning: Vaping Teens Becoming a New Generation of Nicotine Addicts” an author from USAToday.com describes the new way teenagres are becoming hooked to nicotie. More specifically he argues that Teenagers are becoming addicted to nicotine through e-cigarettes. He writes “Nicotine, contained in varying amounts in e-cigarettes, can rival the addictiveness of

Haynes, personal communication, May 2018). There are three projects that the rats are being used for such as the effects of alcohol and eventually how to help with that addiction, the effects of nicotine use and how to help with that addiction, and also spontaneous recovery for the last set (A. Galizio, personal communication, April 2018). These are important things to study in order to understand addiction and addiction recovery. It is important to continue researching how to help people with addiction problems and successful therapies that work. Rats behaviors can be applicable in this area of research. Rats were taught to self-administer the nicotine intravenously through an incision site which is common in research such as this (Liu, 2013). Rats in the alcohol addiction

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)” works to reduce nicotine withdrawal systems. It releases a small amount of nicotine, but not the same chemicals found in cigarette. NRT products slowly cut down on nicotine craving and ease withdrawal symptoms (Government of British Columbia, 2015). There are different types of NTR products such as “nicotine gum, lozenges, patch and inhaler”. You can get most of these without seeing a doctor, however, before using any of these products, it is important to talk to your doctor if you are “taking any other medication, including those over-the-counter, pregnancy or nursing a baby, or if you have a health condition” (Government of British Columbia, 2015). To enroll into the cessation program, the eligible B.C.

The main function of acamprosate is re-balancing the chemicals in the brain. Before alcohol consumption, human brain retains a balance of chemicals called neurotransmitters. When the intake of alcohol is repeated, the brain alters the balance and turns to adapt to that chemical changes, and finally, this will be lead to tolerance and addiction of alcohol. By modulating and normalizing the alcohol-related

Tobacco is thought to be one of the most widely abused addictive substances worldwide and while tobacco usage in the United States has appeared to have lessened in recent years, “it is still [noted as] one of the most common addictions” to cause a myriad of known health risks (Tyler, 2014). According to reports from the United States Census Bureau over the last 50 years, since the year 1964, smoking has led to the estimated deaths of over 19 million people, apprised to be around the size equivalent to that of the population of Florida, the third largest state (United States Census Bureau, 2004). The nicotine in tobacco products contains chemical agents that cause people to get hooked on smoking, creating an addiction that can negatively affect

Physicians have several options for treating alcohol use disorders. Behavioral therapy can help alcoholics recognize and avoid high-risk situations, and referral to programs that provide peer support, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, can increase a person’s chance of recovery. Therapists can also prescribe medications that decrease the appeal of alcohol. Studies show disulfiram, acamprosate and naltrexone help most people abstain from alcohol. Disulfiram causes unpleasant side effects such as sweating, nausea, headache, vomiting and chest pain when patients consume alcohol. The severity of the effects differs among patients, and is correlated with the amount of alcohol consumed. Naltrexone inhibits euphoric effects or feelings of intoxication

This research paper will focus on the concept of dual addiction specifically, that of alcohol addiction and simultaneous nicotine addiction. I should make note at this point of my personal interest in the addictive process is a result of the existence of addiction in my family. I have experienced and observed the chaos, hardships and tragedies in my family as a result of the progressive nature of the addiction process. First, I would like to provide a general definition of addiction. Addiction is the repetition of a behavior or behaviors in a habitual or obsessive manner in the face of continued or progressively worsening consequences. Twelve step programs have labeled it as a disease of the mind, body