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These medications can help recovering alcoholics

October 9th, 2019 by Content Editor

If an addict tries to recover on their own without help, they’re likely to relapse from withdrawal symptoms. This is why treatment is necessary.

Common treatments may include:

Therapy

This helps you identify the root of your addiction, to learn healthy coping techniques and repair your relationships. Therapy could be individual therapy, group therapy or family therapy.

Residential treatment

This kind involves living at a treatment facility while undergoing intensive treatment during the day. This residency usually lasts between 30-90 days, depending on the severity of your addiction.

Partial hospitalisation

If your living condition is stable but you need to be monitored, then you may need to meet your doctor at the hospital. You would have to go in about three to five days per week for about four to six hours per day.

Intensive outpatient programs

This treatment focuses on preventing a relapse and can be scheduled around work or school.

Some treatments include medication that can help manage symptoms of withdrawal and cravings that could lead to a relapse. Medication may not be the ultimate cure for alcoholism or other addictions, but it plays a role in the long-term success of an addict’s recovery.

There are different kinds of medication that should be used at the different stages of your recovery. The medication should be taken exactly as it’s prescribed. If you take them at the wrong time or take a wrong dosage, you could experience painful side-effects.

Here are a few of the common medications used in alcohol recovery and how they may help.

Acamprosate

Once your body is free from alcohol; acamprosate is used to help fight the urge to drink. It’s easy to become addicted to alcohol because it releases feel-good hormones called endorphins. Acamprosate helps your brain to become independent of alcohol again by blocking the positive feelings that come with drinking. Although this doesn’t take away symptoms of withdrawal, it lowers the chance of a relapse.

Common side-effects include:

  • Diarrhoea.
  • Upset stomach.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Dry mouth.
  • Dizziness.
  • Itching.
  • Weakness.
  • Nausea.
  • Anxiety.
  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
  • Sweating.

Disulfiram

This medication is also prescribed only once your body has been emptied of alcohol. Disulfiram reacts to anything that contains alcohol. This includes household products like mouthwash and even paint. It causes negative reactions that will make an addict averse to alcohol.

Reactions include:

  • Chest pain.
  • Confusion.
  • Dizziness or fainting.
  • A pounding heartbeat.
  • Flushing of the face.
  • Sweating.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Throbbing headache.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Weakness.

The effects of taking Disulfiram continue for up to 14 days. This means it will continue to help an addict to quit in the long run.

Benzodiazepines

Commonly used as a sedative, benzodiazepine is an anti-anxiety medication commonly used to relieve symptoms of withdrawal. This medication affects the same parts of the brain that alcohol does. As it reduces some withdrawal symptoms like seizures and hallucinations, it allows your body to continue purging alcohol while still feeling at peace. Once the most severe withdrawal symptoms are over, you need to stop using this particular medication immediately as it can become addictive.

Naltrexone

Like acamprosate, naltrexone blocks the good feelings that come with drinking alcohol. Taking this medication regularly can also help if you relapse. Over time, naltrexone dissociates the “high feeling” with alcohol. Although this medication is not addictive, there are side-effects.

This may include:

  • Stomach pain.
  • Anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, or trouble sleeping.
  • Headache.
  • Joint or muscle pain.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Lethargy.

Good to know

If you experience other or more severe side-effects from any of these medications, talk to your doctor. He will advise you to stop or take a different treatment course. All of these medications are prescribed. Don’t take any of them without your doctor’s advice.

References:

The dark side of anti-anxiety medication

February 28th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s normal to worry and feel stressed, but if you worry to an extent where it consumes your thoughts, making you constantly anxious, you might be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a term for a group of disorders that cause nervousness, fear, and worrying. It affects how you feel and behave and you may experience physical symptoms like a pounding heart, headaches, sweating, an upset stomach and muscle tension.

Anxiety can range from mild to severe. Mild anxiety is unsettling and it’s possible to cope, but severe anxiety affects your day-to-day living, filling your life with endless worry. When anxiety reaches a severe stage, you need to get professional help. A therapist can diagnose your condition, and help you find ways to manage your anxiety better, so you can live a normal life.

One of the ways of treating anxiety is with medication. As with many other drugs though, it’s possible to become dependent on anxiety medication. If this is your only form of treatment, the anxiety medication becomes a quick fix, and you don’t develop other coping mechanisms to help get to the root of the problem. Instead, if you work through anxiety in counseling, you learn healthy coping strategies and ways to find calm amidst the storm.

Pop pills safely

It’s important to understand the possible side-effects from the most common anxiety medications.

There are two common types of anxiety medication, called Benzodiazepines and Buspirone. Benzodiazepines are stronger with more side-effects than Buspirone and are prescribed more often. In some cases, taking either drug may cause “paradoxical effects”. This means that you would experience a worsening of anxiety symptoms, rather than improving and in some cases, they could even cause your anxiety to escalate and spiral out of control.

Benzodiazepines side-effects

  • Hypotension (low blood pressure).
  • Decreased sex drive.
  • Nausea.
  • Memory loss.
  • Lack of coordination.
  • Emotional dysfunction.
  • Difficulty thinking.

Buspirone side-effects

  • Dizziness, a headache and blurred vision.
  • Drowsiness and fatigue.
  • Feeling restless or nervous.
  • Nausea, dry mouth and an upset stomach.
  • Insomnia
  • A stuffy nose.

Pass on the pills

Severe anxiety will need to be properly diagnosed and dealt with but if your anxiety is mild, there are ways to cope without medication.

Make good memories

Think of it this way; positive thoughts kick bad thoughts to the curb. For example, if you go out and try doing a new activity like visiting a museum or eating at a new restaurant and you have a good time, you’ll create good memories. In times of stress and when you’re feeling anxious, thinking of those good memories will help you to cope with stress. Choose things you’ve always wanted to try or do things you enjoy to create new good memories that you can save for a bad day.

Yes to yoga

If you’re looking for an exercise that has physical benefits and can help with your anxiety, then yoga is your best bet. It’s a slow form of exercise which isn’t too challenging. This is beneficial because if you have anxiety, slowing down your life will make your symptoms more manageable. Yoga also teaches you breathing techniques which helps calm you down when you are anxious.

Find healthy distractions

When you have anxiety, your thoughts are often your enemy. Like positive thoughts, good distractions allow you to stop focusing on the negative and give yourself a break from feeling anxious. Speak to a friend who makes you feel good and who is positive, work towards any goals you may have and read positive books and watch inspiring videos.

Write it down

You might find it silly at first, but it works!  Writing down how you feel can help you cope and beat anxiety. Writing allows you to let go of your thoughts, instead of letting them stew inside. It also allows you to put your worries down somewhere permanent, allowing you to linger on them less than you normally would.

References:

Is your heartburn medication harming you?

July 28th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s easy to turn to your trusty antacid whenever heartburn kicks in, but relying on these popular pills may be hurting your health.

Studies show that long-term use of certain heart burn medication, called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can increase your risk for:

Kidney damage

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine discovered that taking PPIs for long periods can put you at risk of serious kidney damage, even if you have no history of kidney problems.. According to Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the senior author of the study, kidney problems can develop silently and gradually over time, impairing kidney function and leading to long-term kidney damage, and ultimately, renal failure.

Bacterial infections

In a study published in Gut, PPIs were found to alter your gut microbiome (the bacteria that live in the digestive tract), and increase your risk for gastrointestinal diseases including irritable bowel syndrome, obesity and fatty liver disease. Researchers found that regular users of PPIs had a 65% increase in Clostridium difficile (C.diff), a bacteria known to cause diarrhoea. What’s more, the study found the effects of PPIs were greater than antibiotics or other commonly used drugs.

Taking PPIs for longer than a year can increase your risk for hip fractures by an alarming 260%, says Dr. Murray, author of What the Drug Companies Won’t Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn’t Know. “Evidence suggests that PPIs may disrupt bone remodelling, making bones weaker and more prone to fractures.”

Heart attack

After examining over 16 million clinical documents on 2.9 million people, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that using PPIs can increase your risk for heart attack. This was especially true for patients who had already suffered a heart attack. Results from the study found a two-fold increase in dying from heart disease in those who regularly took PPIs compared to those who did not.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

PPIs interfere with the absorption of Vitamin B12,. Vitamin B12 is important for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. A vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies found in senior citizens, and has been linked to several health conditions, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

How, then, do I beat the burn?

  1. Never go to bed with a full stomach. Eat at least three hours before you lie down. This will give your food time to digest and empty from your stomach. It will also give acid levels a chance to simmer down.
  2. If your heartburn worsens when you lie down, raise the head of your bed so your head and chest are higher than your feet. Use pillows to elevate your head at least 15cm above your feet.
  3. Don’t overeat. Eat smaller portions or try to eat four to five small meals instead of three large ones.
  4. Take your time when you eat. The faster you eat, the harder your stomach has to work and the more likely you are to suffer from heartburn. Chew your food slowly, and put down your fork between bites.
  5. Onions, tomatoes, citrus fruits, coffee, and spicy foods are known to bring on heartburn. Not sure which foods cause your symptoms? Keep a heartburn diary, and jot down when heartburn hits and the specific things you’re doing when it comes.
  6. The nicotine in cigarettes can weaken your lower oesophageal sphincter. This muscle controls the opening between your oesophagus and stomach, and prevents acid and other stomach contents from going back up the oesophagus.
  7. Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid, which can in turn, lead to heartburn.
  8. Shed some weight. Losing that spare tyre can help relieve your symptoms.
  9. Wear loose-fitting clothing. Tight clothes that constrict your abdominal area can make digestion difficult, and heartburn more likely.
  10. Constant stress can have a negative effect on your digestive system and raise acid levels in your stomach. Go for a walk, meditate or try yoga to help you relax.

References:

The cost of tuberculosis

April 18th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacterium. It destroys parts of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe, but can also spread to and attack the bones, joints and nervous system.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one percent of our population develops TB disease each year.

In South Africa the resistant strains of TB are on the increase. In fact, only five percent of TB is drug-resistant worldwide. This means that they are difficult to treat, time-consuming, and expensive.

According to WHO, it can cost several hundred times more to treat drug-resistant TB than TB that responds to standard drugs. A recent study found that drug-resistant TB can cost South Africa over R200 000 to treat (per patient).

Why so expensive?
There are two main types of drug-resistant TB: multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB). Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) occurs when the bacteria become resistant to at least the two first-line drugs, Isoniazid and Rifampin.

This type of TB may emerge if:

  • You don’t take your medication regularly.
  • You don’t complete the full six month schedule.
  • You spend time with someone who has MDR TB. Crowded places and poor ventilation can increase your risk.
  • The wrong drugs or combination of drugs are prescribed.
  • The drug supply is unreliable or of poor quality.

XDR TB is a sub-form of MDR TB with additional resistance to anti-TB medications, meaning it responds to even fewer drugs.

Both MDR-TB and XDR-TB don’t respond to the standard six months of TB treatment with first-line anti-TB drugs. Treatments options are more expensive, not always available and aren’t guaranteed to work. Less than half of those infected are ever cured.

What’s more, these drugs can be costly to your health. You may have severe side-effects like deafness and psychosis. In some cases, even more severe drug resistant strains could develop. With new MDR TB strains on the rise and additional resistance to other drugs available for treating tuberculosis, the worst case scenario is that TB will become completely untreatable.

What you can do

  • Take your TB medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
  • Don’t stop your treatment early, even if you feel better.
  • Avoid those infected with TB or MDR TB.

Reference:

All about antibiotics

August 19th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

This week I have been inundated with patients suffering from flu-like symptoms, and all wanting antibiotics to get them better quickly!!

Unfortunately, most of the time their symptoms are due to viral infections and I’ve sent them off to the pharmacy with a battery of medications, but no antibiotics. “How can you be so cruel?”, I hear you ask. Well let’s take a closer look at antibiotics before you judge me!  Continue reading “All about antibiotics”

Should I stop taking my meds?

March 15th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

If you have been prescribed medication for a chronic condition, there is a good chance that you feel great and would love to come off it. The truth is that many diseases are silent and have no symptoms until you have a serious health event like a stroke or heart attack. Here are just a few reasons why you should stay on your medication.

Continue reading “Should I stop taking my meds?”

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