Alcohol and heroin addiction are considered among the most significant health problems today. Beyond the problems faced by people who use alcohol and drugs due to the effects of these substances, there is also a risk of death from complications associated with alcohol and heroin use\u2014such as alcoholic hepatitis, hepatitis B, cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and AIDS, as well as stomach diseases, esophageal tears, and respiratory arrest\u2014all of which can result from the use of alcohol and heroin\u2014making it a significant public health issue due to the associated risk of death. <\/p>\n
As we have noted on many previous occasions, these addictions can only be treated through long-term psychotherapy, appropriate medication, and the full support and cooperation of the individual and their family in the treatment process.<\/p>\n
Alcohol and heroin addiction are types of addiction for which medication-based treatments can be quite effective compared to other forms of addiction. In recent years, many new treatment options and alternatives have emerged for both alcohol and heroin addiction. In addition to the psychotherapy patients receive to help them overcome their addiction, there is a growing number of medications designed to reduce cravings for the substance of choice and eliminate the pleasure derived from it. These include medications such as acamprosate, naltrexone, naloxone, and buprenorphine. <\/p>\n
It is also important to mention disulfiram, which is used specifically in the treatment of alcohol dependence. When taken with alcohol, disulfiram produces a substance called acetaldehyde, which causes unwanted symptoms of intoxication such as fainting, facial flushing, a drop in blood pressure, and vomiting. When patients are informed of these effects before taking the medication, it can help treat alcohol dependence by acting as a deterrent for a certain group of patients. Now, let\u2019s discuss naltrexone and disulfiram\u2014which are widely used, particularly in Turkey\u2014in a bit more detail. <\/p>\n
Naltrexone (tablet, injection, and pellet forms) For any substance to have an effect on the human brain, it must bind to a specific site; this binding site is called a \u201creceptor.\u201d For example, heroin exerts its effects by binding to a specific binding site in the brain called an opioid receptor. Naltrexone is a medication that binds to the same site where heroin binds, completely blocking heroin\u2019s effects. In other words, if we compare heroin to a key, naltrexone prevents the key from fitting into the lock, so the person cannot experience the effects of heroin. Naltrexone completely eliminates the effects of heroin; when used against alcohol, it works by significantly reducing the urge to drink. It is the only medication in the world used to treat both alcohol and heroin addiction. Although naltrexone is such an effective medication, addicts often hesitate to continue this treatment. For this reason, alternative methods have been developed in addition to the oral tablet form. For example, a long-acting, one-month injection form has begun to be sold worldwide. Forms that are implanted under the skin through a minor procedure and dissolve into the bloodstream in small amounts each day are called \u201cpellets.\u201d Pellets can last for 2, 3, or 6 months. During this period, the individual is unable to use heroin, or even if they do, they experience no sense of pleasure. If the pellet (naltrexone) is administered due to heavy alcohol use, it reduces the individual\u2019s craving for alcohol and decreases the number of episodes of uncontrolled drinking caused by a loss of control over alcohol consumption. <\/p>\n
Disulfiram (available in tablet, injection, and pellet forms) is a medication that, as previously mentioned, when taken with alcohol or when alcohol is present in the body at the same time, causes the release of a substance called acetaldehyde, which leads to unwanted side effects. In Turkey, it is also known as Antabuse. Severe side effects include nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, a feeling of faintness, dizziness, and a drop in blood pressure. For this reason, it forces the individual to abstain from alcohol. As with naltrexone, there may be difficulties and hesitations regarding continuing treatment with disulfiram. For this reason, in addition to the oral tablet form, there is also an injectable form that remains effective for about 4\u20136 weeks. There is also a pellet form that is implanted under the skin through a minor procedure; it dissolves over two months, releasing small amounts into the bloodstream daily. These alternatives provide protection for 4\u20138 weeks even if the person stops taking the medication or wishes to discontinue treatment, thereby creating new opportunities. <\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.ipe.com.tr\/tr\/icerik\/49\/alkol-ve-eroin-bagimliliginda-engelleyici-implant-ve-enjeksiyonlar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Alcohol and heroin addiction are considered among the most significant health problems today. Beyond the problems faced by people who use alcohol and drugs due to the effects of these substances, there is also a risk of death from complications associated with alcohol and heroin use\u2014such as alcoholic hepatitis, hepatitis B, cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umudder.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}