Florida Detox eliminates psychological craving by accurately diagnosing and effectively treating anxiety, depression, insomnia, attention deficit disorders and hormonal imbalances which usually drive opiate dependency. Neurotransmitter and hormone testing have proven and enhanced our highly accurate diagnosis, of disorders driving addiction. Florida Detox opiate treatment includes effective follow-up for three months.
Many of our patients report “the fog has lifted” or the “blinds have opened” after they experience a successful opiate detoxification with effective hormonal and neurotransmitter balancing. Accounts of this phenomenon are posted on our website. Deficient brain blood flow distribution usually normalizes, approximately one year after opiate abstinence is achieved. Until then, hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances can be effectively treated to reduce or eliminate attention deficits, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, lethargy and chronic pain. Nutritional and antifungal treatments are also helpful.
Naltrexone
Florida Detox does not use Naltrexone implants. Naltrexone implants at some centers have caused infection, producing scarring and cellulitis. Florida Detox uses Naltrexone, after anesthesia, to prevent opiates from reattaching to the opiate receptor, while the liver finishes metabolizing or breaking the opiates down. We have not found it necessary to continue Naltrexone, more than 2 to 4 weeks, in most cases. Although Naltrexone can prevent physical craving for opiates, it does not eliminate psychological craving.
Lorcet can cause hormonal deficiencies
Opiate use severely decreases testosterone, while prolactin and cortisol are often increased. Thyroxine (T4) thyroid hormone often decreases, during opiate withdrawal. We have also found deficient DHEA sulfate levels in some patients we have treated for opiates. We frequently prescribe testosterone and thyroid hormone to depleted patients. Depression has decreased when we recommended DHEA for patients who tested with lowered levels.
Opiate patients who gained excessive weight, due to opiate induced hypothyroidism, often look ten to twenty years younger, when they return for follow-up, after adequate hormonal treatment.
Since dopamine is the inhibitory hormone for prolactin release, elevated prolactin levels, frequently indicate dopamine deficiency. Dopamine deficiency also requires correction to produce a successful recovery from opiate dependence.
Lorcet dependency
Psychological dependence, physical dependence, and tolerance frequently develop with repeated use of hydrocodone. Psychological dependence is unlikely when hydrocodone is used for a short period of time.
Physical dependence occurs when continued use of the drug is needed to avoid withdrawal symptoms. This problem occurs after several (2 weeks to 2 months) of continued narcotic use.
Tolerance occurs when ever increasing doses are required to produce the same degree of pain relief. Tolerance is initially manifested by a decreased duration of pain relief, followed by decreases in the intensity of pain relief. The rate of tolerance varies among patients.
Lorcet has a pain relief potency similar to or greater than oral morphine. Generally, this drug is abused by oral rather than intravenous administration.
When taken as directed, Lorcet can produce physical dependence in a few weeks time.
Addiction is characterized by compulsive use, use for non-medical purposes, and continued use despite harm or risk of harm.
Lorcet Withdrawal
If a regular Lorcet user abruptly stops taking Lorcet, withdrawal begins in six to twelve hours. The intensity of withdrawal depends on the degree of the addiction, and symptoms are usually not life-threatening. Typically, Lorcet withdrawal symptoms may intensify for twenty-four to seventy-two hours and then gradually decline over a period of seven to fourteen days.
The symptoms of Lorcet withdrawal include, but are not limited to, rapid heart beat, high blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, muscle pain, bone pain, diarrhea, vomiting, goose bumps, involuntary leg movements, watery eyes, runny nose, loss of appetite, irritability, panic, nausea, chills, and sweating.
Lorcet can cause liver toxicity
Lorcet is a combination of the opiate hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Hydrocodone opiates causes hormonal deficiencies, prolonged constipation, impaired brain blood flow distribution and chemical dependency. Many Lorcet dependent patients also receive dangerous, potentially fatal Acetaminophen doses. The Harvard Women’s Health Watch reports Acetaminophen overdose causes 56,000 emergency room visits and 458 deaths from acute liver failure annually, in the United States. An overdose is considered to be over 4,000 mg daily. Lorcet ES tablets contain 650 milligrams of Acetaminophen per tablet. Six Lorcet 650 tablets contain a total of 3,900 milligrams of Acetaminophen. Exceeding 6 Lorcet ES tablets daily would be considered an Acetaminophen overdose. Acetaminophen doses exceeding 12,000 milligrams per day, frequently increase the alanine transaminase (AST) liver enzyme. Patients using over 4,000 milligrams of Acetaminophen daily may benefit from Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C or N Acetyl Cysteine supplementation to protect their liver.
Lorcet abuse can cause hearing loss
Hydrocodone overuse or abuse can be associated with a rapidly progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Friedman R, House J, Luxford W, Gherini S, Mills D. Profound hearing loss associated with hydrocodone/acetaminophen abuse. Am J Otol. 2000 Mar;21(2):188-91.
There is controversy concerning whether hearing loss experienced by radio talk show commentator, Rush Limbaugh, was caused by Lorcet or Oxycontin abuse. By August 2001, Limbaugh's listeners had noted changes in his voice and diction,[31] changes that Limbaugh at first emphatically denied on the air.
However, on October 8, 2001, Limbaugh acknowledged that the changes in his voice were due to complete deafness in his left ear and substantial hearing loss in his right ear. He also revealed that his radio staff was helping him receive calls on his show by setting up a system where he could appear to hear his callers. The system worked remarkably well, but did not convince all listeners, some of whom noted a long delay between a caller ending his point and Limbaugh responding and occasionally speaking over a caller. At times Limbaugh asked callers to hold on momentarily, while the caller's comments were typed and shown on Limbaugh's computer monitor.
In December 2001, Limbaugh underwent cochlear implant surgery, which restored a measure of hearing in his left ear. His voice and enunciation returned to normal after the implant. According to his doctors, the deafness was caused by an autoimmune disease. Some medical experts pointed out that chronic use of opioids, such as OxyContin and particularly hydrocodone, both of which Limbaugh later admitted abusing,[32] can compromise the function of the immune system[33] and cause deafness, speculating that his use of these drugs could have caused or contributed to his problem.[34][35] Limbaugh's doctors stated that "they were unsure of the exact cause of Limbaugh's hearing loss," but said that "overuse of medication was not a factor."[36] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh#Hearing_problems
Hydrocodone-Most abused drug in America
Hydrocodone - a mix of synthetic codeine and acetaminophen - is the most abused prescription drug in the United States, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The painkiller tops the list of abused pharmaceuticals in El Paso, Texas; New York City; San Diego; St. Louis; Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; and Miami. It's known as Lorcet, Percocet, Lortab or Vicodin, and the roster of celebrities who have admitted addictions includes Green Bay Packers quarterback and three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Brett Favre, actor Matthew Perry and model Niki Taylor.
Nevada doctors in 2000 wrote prescriptions for more than 42 million doses of hydrocodone - or about 17 pills for every adult in the state. In most cases, patients receive a single prescription for eight to 12 pills after dental surgery or because of an injury, according to the task force. The so-called doctor shoppers are less common, but are believed to be a significant portion of the hydrocodone prescriptions. For people with chronic, debilitating pain, hydrocodone can mean the difference between being able to function and being bedridden, doctors say. "There's no question hydrocodone is effective, when properly prescribed, and can provide immediate relief," said Dr. Godwin Maduka, a pain-management specialist and anesthesiologist at University Medical Center. "But we also know there's a tremendous level of abuse occurring."
There's a difference between developing a tolerance for a drug and physical addiction, Maduka said. Tolerance occurs when a medication is no longer effective at reducing pain, even when a patient increases the dosage. Physical addiction occurs when a patient has been on a certain medication for such a lengthy period that they go through symptoms of withdrawal if they stop taking it. Maduka, also a pharmacist, said by the time most patients arrive at his Las Vegas Pain Institute, they've visited a long list of primary-care doctors. Most pain patients are not abusers, but have simply developed a tolerance for medications and need additional help, he said. It's the doctor shoppers who are at the greatest risk, Maduka said. "We have no real way of knowing how many doctors a patient has seen before us, how many other prescriptions they have in their pocket," Maduka said. One solution would be a centralized database in which doctors and pharmacists could look up a patient's history before writing or filling new prescriptions, Maduka said. The state task force's reports are helpful, but are only triggered after a patient has visited numerous physicians, Maduka said.
Helene was introduced to prescription painkillers through legitimate means. After dental surgery in the mid-1980s, her dentist prescribed a painkiller. She discovered the pills numbed her physical pain and gave her a sense of well-being. For the next 15 years, she struggled to get out of the drug's grasp. When her husband said he worried about how many pain pills she was taking, Helene cut back. She even tried quitting, but the night sweats, nausea and chills - symptoms of her withdrawal - always won out. "You think of drug addicts as being out on street corners," Helene said. "I'm a housewife."
Tylenol is the nation's most popular over-the-counter painkiller - 8 billion to 9 billion tablets are sold each year - and the most common form of acetaminophen used in hydrocodone manufacturing. "Hydrocodone is a very good medicine if you're having pain, but no one realized it would have such a high potential for abuse," said Dr. Caroline Riely, associate medical director of the American Liver Foundation. "It's the codeine portion of the drug that's addictive, but it's the acetaminophen that's destroying peoples' livers." Experts say adults should not take more than four grams of acetaminophen each day; just 10 grams can cause lifelong liver problems or even death. Most hydrocodone pills come in either 2.5, 5 or 7.5 milligrams of synthetic codeine, each mixed with 500 milligrams of acetaminophen.
At the height of her addiction, Helene took up to 30 hydrocodone pills each day - nearly four times the recommended limit for acetaminophen. "I know how lucky I am to still have a liver that works," Helene said. "Given everything I've done to myself, I shouldn't still be here at all." The state prescription-drug task force wants the pharmaceutical companies to reduce the amount of acetaminophen in each hydrocodone pill, a request echoed by medical professionals across the nation. In response, at least one pharmaceutical company is now making a hydrocodone pill with 250 milligrams of acetaminophen. McNeil Consumer Products Co., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the company that manufactures Tylenol, has added new warning labels about acetaminophen's potential for damaging the liver, especially when the drug is mixed with alcohol.
The DEA's prescription-drug classification system is based on the potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs include heroin and Ecstasy, which are both illegal in the United States. Schedule II drugs include powerful painkillers, such as codeine, morphine and Demerol. Cocaine is a Schedule II drug because it has some legitimate medical applications in hospital settings. Schedule III drugs include hydrocodone and anabolic steroids. Schedule III drugs are easier to prescribe and ultimately easier to get. A doctor is permitted to phone in a Schedule III prescription refill to a pharmacy. Schedule II refills may only be written after the doctor re-examines the patient. The DEA also requires more stringent record-keeping of Schedule II prescriptions, and it tracks how many each doctor writes.
Florida, another state battling the hydrocodone epidemic, tried last year to reclassify the drug as a Schedule II. But the new rules were quickly derailed by protests from pharmacists, physicians and patients who said it would make it unreasonably difficult for people to manage day-to-day pain. Florida's attorney general took the unusual step of passing an emergency ordinance, restoring hydrocodone's status as a Schedule III drug.
Nine years ago the Nevada Board of Pharmacy considered moving hydrocodone to Schedule II, but ended up voting against the plan, according to its attorney, Louis Ling. The argument that "carried the day" for the board was doctors' testimony that moving hydrocodone to Schedule II would make it unreasonably difficult for patients in rural areas to get refills, Ling said.
They call it the Las Vegas Cocktail, but you won't find it served at hotel bars or table-side in the casinos. A potent mix of hydrocodone and the muscle relaxer Soma gives the user a heroin-like euphoria without needle marks. It's also one of the most popular recreational drug combinations in the United States. The street value of the cocktail's ingredients is high. One former Las Vegas physician-turned-dealer made as much as $1 million selling the drugs on the black market, according to federal prosecutors. Luisito Evangelista, banned from practicing medicine in Nevada, used his Illinois DEA registration to buy more than 500,000 hydrocodone pills. Evangelista, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 1999, died in a federal prison last year.
Soma is the nation's most abused noncontrolled substance, according to the DEA. Nevada's pharmacy board is considering reclassifying it, making it more difficult for addicts to gather the cocktail's ingredients. Because Soma isn't a scheduled narcotic, Nevada officials aren't sure how many prescriptions are being written each year. "If we do schedule Soma and start to track it, we expect the numbers to match those for hydrocodone," Ling said. "And we know the two being used together can be a hallmark of abuse." www.opioids.com/hydrocodone/hydrohyst.html.
