Drug abuse •

Anti-diarrhea Drug for Drug Abuse?

May 6, 2016 By Sebastian Mc’Mannen Leave a Comment

"Anti-diarrhea Drug Linked to Drug Abuse"

“How can an anti-diarrhea drug be linked to drug abuse?”

STATES CHRONICLE – Does the link of an anti-diarrhea drug to drug addiction and abuse sounds like a joke? Believe you me, it is not! It’s being compared with the use of cough syrup to cause hallucinogenic trips.

Apparently Imodium, a drug prescribed for diarrhea problems is being potentially used as a substitute for other powerful opiates. Serious cases related with the drug have fallen under the investigation.

High doses of the Lopiramide ingredient in Imodium have been linked to death cases, and doctors recommend parents of teens buying large over the counter Lopiramide doses to be advised and investigate. The drug can be lethal.

Imodium is being sold all over across the country, and the over the counter doses sold for intestinal slowdown do not present problems. However, higher doses can enter the brain and act like an opioid.

These high doses of the anti-diarrhea drug seem to cause blood pressure and heart rate decreases or arrhythmias.

The Carolina Poison Center has received a number of questions from law enforcement agents and EMS providers concerning the frequency of use and opioid effects of the drug. Because the anti-diarrhea drug can also be used to ease the withdrawal symptoms from opioids.

Specialists believe that the sales of Imodium should be restricted because the availability, low cost, and legal status make it the latest drug of choice for desperate opioid pills and heroin users.

In one of the cases investigated, a 39-year-old man self-treating his addiction problem with the anti-diarrhea drug was found collapsed in his home and did not make it to the hospital.

It is not yet clear how often this anti-diarrhea drug is being misused, but as the trend seems to expand, we expect to see more similar cases. Yet, by continuing to reduce the stigma around drug addicts seeking help and looking into the limitation of these powerful drugs, the U.S. could kill two birds with one stone.

So there you have it. As you can see an anti-diarrhea drug can be, and it is being used in other serious drug related problems. It’s no joke. But we keep wondering why don’t the side effects of these weird drugs make users stop using. Can you image being constantly constipated using an anti-diarrhea drug just for a mere rush? We can’t!

Image source: Pixabay

Lack of Sufficient Sleep in Teens Leads to Risky Behavior, New Study Shows

January 20, 2015 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

According to a recent scientific study, a poor sleep schedule in teenagers can lead to dangerous behaviors like unprotected sexual relations, binge drinking and illegal substance abuse.

The new study revealed that teens who reported having trouble sleeping at least once a week were found to be more likely to consume alcohol, drugs and engage in risky sexual endeavors.

The researchers found that the teenagers who did not get sufficient sleep at night had a 33% higher risk of engaging in dangerous behaviors.

Maria Wong, from the Idaho State University and the author of the scientific study, explained that the national statistics show that approximately 27% of pre-teens and 45% of teenagers do not get as much sleep as they should.
Other reports revealed that one in ten adolescents encounter difficulties in falling asleep or staying asleep almost on a daily basis.

The new study showing that lack of sufficient sleep in teens leads to risky behavior was based on data gathered from 6,504 teenagers between 1994 and 2002.

Wong gave details about the study saying that teenagers who had sleep-related problems were more prone to have interpersonal issues related to alcohol, including binge drinking, driving under alcohol influence, sexual relations after consuming too much alcohol which they later regretted and drug consumption.

Wong explained that driving after consuming alcohol, having unprotected sexual relations and binge drinking are some of the most serious side effects of lack of sleep, according to the new study.
On the other hand, the teenagers who get extra sleep are more likely to avoid dangerous behaviors like reckless drinking.

Professor Wong said that most people don’t realize how important sleep is for avoiding later problems in life, especially for young people. She explained that parents need to talk to their children not only about their grades and extracurricular activities, but also about the importance of sufficient sleep.

She advises the teenagers who have problems falling asleep or staying asleep to get professional help.

Teenagers who have troubles sleeping need to avoid spending too much time in front of electronic devices before sleeping hours, as it has been proved that this can cause sleep deprivation.
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Cocaine use may up HIV infection risk

October 1, 2013 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

With the spread of deadly AIDS viruses, HIV increasing unabated, use of cocaine may increase one’s vulnerability to the infection, a new study has warned.

According to the scientists, cocaine alters immune cells, called “quiescent CD4 T cells,” to render them more susceptible to the virus, and at the same time, to allow for increased proliferation of the virus.

“Such discovery can significantly improve the quality of life of drug users,” Vatakis said.

Study

For the study, scientists collected blood from healthy human donors and isolated quiescent CD4 T cells, and exposed them to cocaine and subsequently infected them with HIV.

After the blood got infected, researchers monitored the progression of HIV’s life cycle and carried a comparative study of this progression against that of untreated cells.

They found that cocaine rendered this subset of CD4 T cells susceptible to HIV, resulting in significant infection and new virus production.

“The co-epidemics of illicit drug use and infectious disease are well documented, though typically this connection is thought to occur through lifestyle choices and increased exposure,” said John Wherry, Deputy Editor of the

Study was published in Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

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