Drug Addiction

Why Females Are More Sensitive to Cocaine

August 03, 2017

This research:

• Examined why females are more sensitive than males to the rewarding and motivational effects of stimulant drugs.
• Demonstrated that the female hormone estradiol is responsible for the increased sensitivity.
• Identified two signaling pathways—mGluR5 and the cannabinoid CB1R pathways—through which estradiol mediates enhanced escalation of drug administration and greater euphoria in females.

Women report more intense highs from cocaine than men do, and they become addicted to the drug more rapidly. Studies have shown that the female hormone estradiol contributes to these differences, but not how. New NIDA-supported research supplies a possible answer.

Drs. Paul Mermelstein and Robert Meisel and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, propose that the key is estradiol’s ability to activate a particular receptor, called mGluR5, on neurons. This activation causes the neurons to release more endocannabinoid neurotransmitters into the brain’s reward system, an effect that prior research has linked to stronger responses to cocaine and other stimulant drugs.

Prince death: Singer died of fentanyl painkiller overdose

3 June 2016
 

US singer Prince died from an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl, medical examiners have found.

The report, from the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Minnesota, comes more than a month after the singer was found slumped in a lift at his home.

Detectives have already questioned a doctor who saw the 57-year-old twice in the weeks before he died.

Prescription painkillers were in the singer's possession following his death, officials told US media in May.

A police warrant has also revealed that Dr Michael Schulenberg prescribed medication to the singer on 20 April - the day before he died.

The warrant does not say what was prescribed or whether Prince took the drugs.

According to the autopsy report, Prince self-administered fentanyl, an opioid many times more powerful than heroin.

In March last year, the US Drug and Enforcement Administration warned the drug, which it said was often laced in heroin, was a "threat to health and public safety".

It said even small doses of fentanyl could be lethal and that "incidents" and overdoses related to the drug were "occurring at an alarming rate".

Prince was found unresponsive in a lift at his Paisley Park Studios on the morning of 21 April, local officials said. First responders tried to revive him with CPR but he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

He is believed to have suffered from knee and hip pain from years of performing, the Associated Press news agency reports, citing a friend.

Prince was cremated in a private ceremony on 24 April. The singer's family are understood to be planning to stage a public memorial in August.

He was a prolific writer and performer from a young age, reportedly writing his first song when he was seven.

A singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, Prince recorded more than 30 albums. His best known hits include Let's Go Crazy and When Doves Cry.

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is an extremely strong painkiller, prescribed for severe chronic pain, or breakthrough pain which doesn't respond to regular painkillers.

It is an opioid painkiller which means it works by mimicking the body's natural painkillers, called endorphins, which block pain messages to the brain.

It can cause dangerous side effects, including severe breathing problems.

The risk of harm is higher if the wrong dose or strength is used.

Why is there an opioid crisis in America?

Almost 100 people are dying every day across America from opioid overdoses – more than car crashes and shootings combined. The majority of these fatalities reveal widespread addiction to powerful prescription painkillers. The crisis unfolded in the mid-90s when the US pharmaceutical industry began marketing legal narcotics, particularly OxyContin, to treat everyday pain. This slow-release opioid was vigorously promoted to doctors and, amid lax regulation and slick sales tactics, people were assured it was safe. But the drug was akin to luxury morphine, doled out like super aspirin, and highly addictive. What resulted was a commercial triumph and a public health tragedy. Belated efforts to rein in distribution fueled a resurgence of heroin and the emergence of a deadly, black market version of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The crisis is so deep because it affects all races, regions and incomes

Addictions are harder to kick when you're poor.

Here's why.

Maia Szalavitz
Wed 1 Jun 2016,

Addiction does discriminate: it hits hardest those who are already down or feel that they will never be able to rise.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, crack cocaine, which was prevalent and visible in poor black communities, was said to be a great threat to the white middle class. In many black communities, before crack took off, unemployment rates had been high and rising, driven by the decline in manufacturing jobs and biased hiring and firing practices.

But where jobs had more stability, and where drug users weren’t victims of the “war on drugs” policing push, the long-predicted spread to the leafy suburbs never happened. While white youth took plenty of cocaine, addiction rates didn’t skyrocket. And when middle-class youths did get hooked, their recoveries were quicker.

Now, another drug epidemic is afoot, and white America looks economically a lot more like black America in the 1990s: stable, well-paying jobs are disappearing, replaced by lower-wage positions with far more uncertainty. And criminalizing drug use, while proven not to work, remains the default.

But our response to today’s opioid crisis cannot be effective if it ignores the socioeconomic aspects of the problem. Though advocates like to claim that addiction is an equal opportunity destroyer, in reality, it is far less likely to hit people who have stable, structured lives and decent employment than it is those whose lives are marked by uncertainty and lack of work.

Warning signs of alcoholism

There are various warning signs to help detect potential alcohol abuse. While many signs are recognizable, others may be more difficult to identify. Also, the severity of alcohol abuse may play a role in the warning signs a person exhibits. For example, some people try to cover their alcohol abuse by drinking in private and isolating themselves from others. This makes it challenging for family members or friends to intervene and help their loved one.

Mild alcohol abuse can be easily overlooked. However, what may appear as a minor issue can turn dangerous over time. These early warning signs should not be ignored. Seeking treatment sooner rather than later will allow you to get back to the things you enjoy most in life.

Common Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse

If left untreated, alcohol abuse can spiral out of control quickly. When alcohol abuse begins to negatively impact a person’s life and causes harm, it is diagnosed as alcohol use disorder (AUD). Recognizing the warning signs of alcohol abuse and getting proper treatment can make a significant difference in someone’s recovery process.

While there is no exact formula to determining whether or not someone is an alcoholic, symptoms often co-occur. One symptom may snowball into another, fueling additional problems down the road.

Some of the most common symptoms of alcohol abuse are:

• Experiencing temporary blackouts or short-term memory loss
• Exhibiting signs of irritability and extreme mood swings
• Making excuses for drinking such as to relax, deal with stress or feel normal
• Choosing drinking over other responsibilities and obligations
• Becoming isolated and distant from friends and family members
• Drinking alone or in secrecy
• Feeling hungover when not drinking
• Changing appearance and group of acquaintances you hang out with

No matter how minor a drinking problem may seem, alcohol abuse symptoms should not be ignored. If you or a loved one is struggling with alcoholism, we’re here to help. Give us a call now to find alcohol treatment facilities nearby.

James Garbutt, MD