Heroin and Opioids

The President recently proposed $1.1 billion in additional funding for opioid use disorder treatment. Part of this plan involves expanding access to treatment; for example, buprenorphine-prescribing physicians were previously limited to seeing 100 patients, but are now allowed to see 200 patients in order to extend care to more of those who need it. The…

Teen athletes are frequently prescribed narcotics for sports-related injuries, making them prime candidates for opioid addiction and abuse. One study indicated that this demographic is 50% more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than their non-athletic peers. This shocking statistic can be attributed in part to their desire to get back to the sport as soon…

After an extensive literature review, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) concluded that deaths occur during methadone induction primarily because of high or rapidly increasing dosing and/or adverse drug interactions. The Methadone Action Group has since developed treatment recommendations to minimize risk through clinical caution and awareness, along with general patient education. Download the…

The CDC’s new pain guidelines are changing the lives of millions of people struggling with chronic pain. If you need help getting off of opioids please call 504-510-2331 Read More Here (NY Times)

The CDC recently released their guidelines regarding opioid prescriptions for individuals with chronic pain. The opioid endemic is, of course, concerning and requires immediate attention, but not in the form of restricting access to treatment. Individuals with chronic pain need and deserve appropriate care; they should not be forced to jump through hoops for their…

Addictive drugs directly activate the brain’s reward pathway, a system involved in behavior reinforcement and memory production. Activation of the reward system can be so intense that normal activities, like eating and sleeping, may be forgotten and/or neglected. Drugs of abuse characteristically enhance dopamine signaling in an area of the reward pathway called the nucleus…

A new study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that co-prescribing benzodiazepines with opioids increases the patient’s risk of overdose by four times that of opioids alone. Even patients on low doses of opioid analgesics have this increased chance of fatality. Researching physicians suggest that prescribers should thoroughly consider their options and weigh the…

Over 250,000 people in the United States have died from opioid overdoses in the past 15 years. An average of 43,982 people die annually because of opioids, which amounts to a shocking 120 deaths per day. These deaths are largely preventable, but our nation has done little in the way of intervention. The American Medical…

Dream Journal Volume XXXV / December 2015 Note from Dr. B. The holidays can be a difficult time for individuals in recovery: frustrating family members, crazy Christmas parties, stressful shopping trips, etc. You don’t have to let the season get you down though! There are plenty of ways to stay centered and sober during the…

Dream Journal Volume XXXIV / NOV 2015 Note from Dr. B. The ongoing opioid overdose crisis has prompted the CDC to take action in the form of developing new guidelines for qualified prescribers. First and foremost, the CDC stresses that opioid therapy should be utilized only if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Opioids can…