Modern treatment to overcome addiction
For the last few decades, most countries including Bangladesh have been in the grip of the epidemic of addiction. Increasing illicit drug-trade, lack of awareness, improper treatment and rehabilitation — all are responsible for the spate. Till date, very little medical support is available to the addicts to get out of the clutches of this vicious habit. The course of the treatment typically includes detoxification in rehabilitation centres followed by relapse over and over again. In most cases it is not treated properly. As a result recurrence occurs frequently. Rehabilitation for the addicted people is still far behind from the standard and urgent modification is needed to make it effective. Chemical dependency to Drugs such as Opiates (including Heroin, Smack or Brown Sugar, Opium, Cough Syrups, Proxyvon, Spasmoproxyvon, Fortwin, Morphine and Buprenorphine injections), Cocaine, Ecstasy, Amphetamines and other stimulants and Alcohol intoxication are dreaded problems. It is virtually impossible to overcome an addiction merely by locking the addict in a rehab centre for weeks to months against one's will. The biggest fear that would prevent an addict from giving up a drug or alcohol is that of the intense discomfort experienced during withdrawal. The conventional procedures of detoxification have only reinforced these fears further. This is a major reason for people drop out treatment midway. Earlier, the failure rate of treatment was about 90 to 95 percent. It means, a relapse was almost inevitable within a few days to a few weeks after detoxification. Naltrexone implant
At every specialised centers in the world, opiate addiction is being treated very successfully by the use of ultra rapid opiate detoxification along with implantable Naltrexone pellets. Naltrexone is a chemical that blocks the effect of heroin and others opoid taken in any form. It does not directly stop a person wanting to use heroin, although it may reduce or prevent cravings in some people. The implant is usually inserted under local anaesthesia at lower abdomen or at back of the upper arm after detoxification is over. Disulfiram implant
Disulfiram is a drug that produces sensitivity to alcohol. It results in a highly unpleasant reaction when the patient under treatment ingests even small amounts of alcohol. Disulfiram blocks the oxidation of alcohol to acetaldehyde during metabolism and produces highly unpleasant symptoms called disulfiram-alcohol reaction. Now a days, specialists prefer Disulfiram implant rather than ingestion, which appears to give effective blood levels for twelve weeks on an average. Advantages of using modern implants
- Makes relapse almost impossible while the implants are effective
- Avoids the need to supervise and the arguments they can cause
- Implants probably reduce craving even more than oral preparation because there is no points in craving for what you cant have
- Involves (minor) surgery and a small scar with temporary tenderness and bruising
- Occasional local infection or inflammation of implant site, usually responding to antibiotics
- Initially more expensive than oral preparation
- Disulfiram implant has the risk of turning to other drugs as a substitute.
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