Dr. Chavoustie, Master Implant Physician and Principal Investigator from Segal Institute for Clinical Research, was featured in a recent WIRED magazine article addressing America’s horrific opioid epidemic. “I’ve watched people get their lives back together,” said Dr. Chavoustie. This references Probuphine, an implant that releases buprenorphine into the body. The implant, FDA approved in May …
The misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers in the U.S. has dramatically increased over the past decade. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) found that the number of Americans misusing prescription opioid pain relievers has more than doubled in the past decade. This alarming …
As a parent, do you ever worry if your teenager is using opioids illegally? Almost half of all teenagers believe that prescription drugs are much safer than illegal street drugs. Teenagers do not usually get them in a way that you would expect. The medicine cabinet in your home is actually the main source of …
Frequent use of opioids causes long-lasting changes to the structure and biochemistry of the brain. Many of these changes are the reason why opioids are so addictive. In particular, opioids target what is called the “reward pathway.” Our brains are hardwired to reward activities that are beneficial, such as drinking water or eating, with feelings …
In 2010, over 12 million people in the United States reportedly used prescription painkillers, also known as opioid pain relievers, for non-medical use. Opiate abuse can lead to rough withdrawal symptoms and even alternative drug abuse once a person stops using the drug. Abuse: Many people who abuse opiate pain relievers tend to become dependent on …
Over the past decade, the rate of opioid prescriptions has risen significantly, leading many doctors to fear growing levels of dependence and abuse. In order to identify some of the factors that influence a person’s risk of becoming dependent, a team of researchers combed over patient data from the electronic records of the Geisinger Health …
