re: Second student found dead in a dorm at Loyola (NO)

It's an opiate. You've got all these people who were legitimately (or illegitimately) prescribed opioid pain pills and became addicted to them. Then the government cracks down on prescription pain pills. They're still addicted, even if they can't get their OxyContin, or whatever. Herion feeds their opiate addiction and is more readily available, and cheaper, on the street than opioid pills. But because herion isn't regulated, the addict doesn't always know what they're getting, which can lead to a rash of overdoses, if the heroin is stronger than what they're used to.

Thanks all for the tutorial.

So are there more people looking for opiates as opposed to the other drugs? Are am I interpreting it wrong? I mean didn't crack have this same rep years ago as well as coke? Or is the opiate attraction a whole new level of addiction ( more powerful than other drugs?)

drug patterns come in waves and are often related to social groupings

Sounds like heroin is playing the role of Darwin's mighty sword

Thanks guys. I'm not trying to be obtuse, but it seems like we go thru this every so often with some sort of drug. Coke, crack, meth. There always seems to be something that gets everyone all jazzed up. Then it seems to die out.

quote:

---

No heroin or oxy addicts went to the hospital while I was there. They for sure felt worse detoxing, but I don't think they had as much of a chance of dying as the alcoholics

---

alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawals can kill you... opiate withdrawals will not, though you will feel like death would be a welcomed reprieve...

the Thomas recipes helps, but it's not a cure all... i've detoxed a ton of times, but my last time i detoxed i use gabapentin and it helped a lot... i mean, you are still going through opiate withdrawals, but it's much less severe.... been almost 4 and 1/2 years ago

You'd be surprised at the people who get addicted to Oxy. Most of the people I know haven't made the switch to heroin because they have enough money, but they aren't who you'd expect to be injecting pills into their arms.

I know one lurker here had it happen after a back injury. Doesn't have an addictive personality at all. He did inpatient for a month, and then outpatient for three months. Basically hit the reset button and hasn't done it since. I can tell you that he gets extremely uncomfortable around people who are on downers now. He'll get sick to his stomach and leave

quote:

---

Crow Pie

---

From what I gathered through the staff at rehab, that guy had major organ failure after that week. He was always sweating like a mf'er and slept all of the damn time. Supposedly his kidneys quit and his liver shut down, followed by some other organs. He died a few hours after getting to the hospital....before his family had time to get to him

quote:

---

How do you treat pain?

---

Mostly by teaching the person with pain that pain is a normal thing that is OK to live with.


In a nutshell:
1) address source
2) give expectations early
3) add analgesics if unnecessary
4) add atypical medication known to stop chronic pain
5) consider chronic opiates.


Usually #2 doesn't happen and 3 and 4 are skipped. There are national initiatives to reduce the use of chronic opiates/opioids. They're rarely indicated but frequently used.

Mr. Mackey was not lying. Drugs are bad, mmkay

Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.