Alcohol and drug treatment centers are generally abstinence based.  While it is most popular to promote abstinence in treatment, there are many who reason that harm reduction strategies should be used more often than they currently are.  Although abstinence is the goal in treatment for those suffering from drug addiction, harm reduction is a viable, short-term solution for severe cases.

Treatment modalities usually follow the principles of recovery from 12 Step and similar programs.  They commonly believe that recovery begins with abstinence, meaning that use of all drugs stops.  The premise is that individuals must be clear-headed when they embark on the road to recovery.  Otherwise they will not be honest and thorough in times of self-evaluation.

Harm reduction strategies generally allow individuals to continue using their drug of choice, or a replacement drug like Methadone.  For heroin users, as an example, needle exchanges are meant to reduce transmission of diseases between users.  And Methadone maintenance provides them with the opiate relief the body craves at a safe level.  

Both abstinence and harm reduction have positive and negative results.  Each approach benefits the lives drug addicts whether they achieve full recovery or simply avoid disease.  Sadly, the nature of addiction leads many who enter treatment into relapse, and compels many addicts using harm reduction to further abuse.  But both approaches can lead drug addicts to recovery when they want it.

Medication Assisted Treatment is a third solution.  The use of non-narcotic medications like Vivitrol to reduce opiate cravings may be a solution for individuals who use heroin, prescription drugs, or Methadone and are unable to achieve long-term abstinence.  This form of treatment has the promise of bringing together the abstinence and harm reduction advocates.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

The finale to the holiday season includes the societal ritual of New Year’s resolutions.  Most resolutions revolve around the correction of negative behaviors such as overeating and financial habits.  At this time of renewal, those with alcohol dependence or drug addiction are looking for answers to their seemingly hopeless problems.

One plausible answer is Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).  MAT is used for medical detoxification, alcohol and opiate craving reduction, and as a harm reduction strategy.  These medications minimize physical withdrawals, improve treatment outcomes, and help to ensure long-term recovery.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides residential or outpatient medical detoxification to patients who have a physical dependence to alcohol or drugs.  MAT is important at this stage of treatment due to high risk of relapse during physical withdrawal.  Each patient is assessed prior to admission to alcohol or drug detox for the level of care they will receive.

Since opiate and alcohol cravings are major reasons for relapse, we assess patients with those addictions for Vivitrol injections.  Craving reduction removes the distraction during treatment, and makes it less likely that patients will relapse.  Patients with alcoholism have reported positive results with Vivitrol, and we expect similar results with heroin and prescription drug addiction patients.

We also offer outpatient Methadone treatment as a harm reduction strategy for individuals who have struggled with multiple relapses.  Methadone maintenance has proven to help individuals return to productive lives, without the need chase after their drugs of choice.  It is a safe and effective way to stop the use of dangerous mixtures and amounts of opiates.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help for alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Heroin addiction treatment can include Vivitrol as a form of medication assisted treatment.  It is a safe, non-narcotic solution to heroin cravings.  And it works for individuals whether they have used heroin for a short time or for many years.

Heroin detox is necessary for nearly every new patient entering heroin treatment.  Medical detoxification minimizes heroin withdrawal symptoms.  But even though the body has been safely cleansed of the opiate, cravings remain.  Whether a patient continues with residential or outpatient treatment these cravings can be a distraction and possibly lead them to relapse.

For decades the only solution to heroin cravings was to place patients on Methadone maintenance or just have them “tough it out”.  While Methadone maintenance is a good harm reduction strategy, the option is not always acceptable to the patient since they consider themselves to still be addicted.  And while it is suggested that toughing it out builds character, the risk of relapse is much too high to be acceptable.

Vivitrol is an opiate blocker that works with chemicals in the brain to reduce heroin cravings.  Patients must complete heroin detox before the first injection can be administered.  Additionally, each patient must be assessed and fully counseled on the medication and possible side effects.  If a patient uses heroin after receiving a Vivitrol injection, there will be no adverse effects but there will be no euphoria either.

Some individuals turn to heroin after they become addicted to prescription drugs, and can no longer afford them.  Others feel hopeless after many years of attempting heroin addiction treatment, only to return to the drug after short periods of abstinence.  Vivitrol can work for any of these individuals because it blocks the brain’s need for opiates, in simplified terms.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles is actively evaluating patients with opiate addiction, cases by case, and prescribing Vivitrol where appropriate.  We have already seen positive results with opiate craving reduction with patients who present with alcohol dependence and also use opiates.  As testing has shown to date, we can expect the same result with heroin dependence.

Tarzana Treatment Centers provides alcohol and drug detox as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Vivitrol, or injectable Naltrexone, has been in use for some time now as medication assisted treatment for alcohol cravings.  Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles has done so and noted the beneficial side effect of craving reduction for those with opiate addiction in addition to alcohol dependence.  So we will now prescribe Vivitrol for patients with opiate dependence.

Vivitrol has proven to be effective in alcohol craving reduction.  During internal interviews, patients have reported higher motivation for recovery with some reporting minor side effects.  Those who also suffer from heroin addiction or prescription drug addiction noted a reduction in opiate cravings as well as for alcohol.

In light of this, Tarzana Treatment Centers is actively evaluating patients with opiate addiction for the purpose of prescribing them Vivitrol.  This is being done on a case by case basis.  Between our own experience with the benefits of Vivitrol for opiate addiction, along with the successful phases of testing Alkermes has done in this area, we feel that it is now a safe, non-narcotic alternative for opiate craving reduction.

The excerpt below is from an Associated Press article about Vivitrol tests on opiate dependence.  

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Alkermes Inc. said a late stage clinical trial shows its drug Vivitrol, which is used to help alcoholics quit drinking, also helped opioid addicts stay off drugs.

Subjects who were injected with Vivitrol once per month were more likely to pass a urine test than patients who received a placebo injection, Alkermes said. The drug also met secondary goals, as subjects reported a lower craving for drugs, and half of the subjects were clean in at least 90 percent of their drug tests.

-- Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Alkermes-Vivitrol-succeeds-in-apf-4264308824.html?x=0&.v=2 –

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles uses Vivitrol for medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help for alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Those who suffer from opiate addiction may want to learn a few things about Vivitrol, or injectable Naltrexone, which reduces alcohol cravings for those with alcohol dependence.  This may be of interest because phase 3 trials have been successfully completed on Naltrexone for opiate dependence, and it is going through the process for FDA approval.

So far it appears that Alkermes has produced a drug that passes all trial phases to the point that it should be approved.  But we will not pre-determine the outcome at this time.  While remaining prudent until final FDA approval comes, the potential for this type of medication assisted treatment provides us an opportunity to discuss different scenarios where it will be of use.

Heroin cravings are a major reason that individuals remain trapped in an opiate addiction.  They can take control of the brain as early as the first use, and last for a lifetime.  But, to date, there is not a non-narcotic solution to this problem.

The opiate potency in heroin is so strong that the brain sends signals that the body needs more upon first use.  These cravings lead individuals to be more open minded to using it a second time, and are reinforced with each use.  Once heroin addiction takes hold there is seemingly no defense against them.

If treatment is sought, heroin detox is typically where it begins.  Even the best motivated patients can decide to leave treatment due to the manifestation of cravings.  Reminders of heroin use, during a conversation as an example, can take mere minutes to change the motivation from recovery to obtaining and using heroin.

Many who have made multiple treatment attempts resort to Methadone maintenance as a defense against heroin cravings.  Methadone for harm reduction works, but it is still a narcotic.  While individuals can re-enter society and stop using heroin, they are still addicted to an opiate.

In drug treatment the goal is to help patients remove drugs from their lives completely when they want it.  A non-narcotic answer to heroin cravings would be welcome as an option to meet this goal.  Not only would it be effective in relapse prevention, but also a healthy alternative to using narcotics for harm reduction.

The excerpt of an article below is from the National Institute on Drug Abuse website.  The full article describes current treatments for heroin abuse and addiction.

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A variety of effective treatments are available for heroin addiction. Treatment tends to be more effective when heroin abuse is identified early. The treatments that follow vary depending on the individual, but methadone, a synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of heroin and eliminates withdrawal symptoms, has a proven record of success for people addicted to heroin. Other pharmaceutical approaches, such as buprenorphine, and many behavioral therapies also are used for treating heroin addiction. Buprenorphine is a recent addition to the array of medications now available for treating addiction to heroin and other opiates. This medication is different from methadone in that it offers less risk of addiction and can be prescribed in the privacy of a doctor's office. Buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) is a combination drug product formulated to minimize abuse.

-- Source: http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/heroin/heroin5.html --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medical detoxification and medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one has a problem with drug addiction or alcohol dependence, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles uses Vivitrol for patients with alcohol dependence to reduce alcohol cravings during treatment.  Using this form of medication assisted treatment in alcohol treatment has proven to improve outcomes.  Alkermes, the company that produces Vivitrol, has now completed testing and is in the process of getting FDA approval on an equivalent treatment for opiate dependence.

Considering the success we’ve seen with Vivitrol in alcohol treatment, we look forward to the day we can offer the same treatment for drug addiction.  Opiate addiction covers a wide spectrum of drugs that include heroin and prescription drugs, so this new drug could help a lot of people.

Long time sufferers of heroin addiction who have trouble quitting could finally be relieved of the opiate cravings that lead them to immediate relapse after opiate detox or treatment.  For some patients in heroin treatment there is a feeling of hopelessness due to the strong draw they feel to the drug.  Cravings are the major reason for relapse with this group, leaving treatment impotent to some degree.

Methadone maintenance patients will have an alternate opportunity to finally quit drugs completely.  While this type of medication assisted treatment is effective for many opiate addicts, most of them would like to be free from the bondage of any drug.  They would welcome the chance to try a non-narcotic alternative in opiate treatment.

Those who become addicted to pain medications due to a need for relief after a tragic accident or during a bout with major illness can have this drug built into their treatment.  Once the associated pain is gone and the addiction remains, they could enter medical detoxification and continue on to drug treatment with reduced cravings.  

The scenarios above are only a few examples of the benefits that can come from a non-addictive alternative to harm reduction in opiate addiction treatment.  As we have seen success with Vivitrol, we have every reason to believe this new drug is safe and hope FDA approval comes soon.

A portion of an article posted on Drugs.com is below.  The full article gives more information about the status of the opiate craving reduction medication discussed above.  

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Alkermes, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALKS) today announced positive preliminary results from a phase 3 clinical trial of naltrexone for extended-release injectable suspension (XR-NTX) for the treatment of opioid dependence. The six-month phase 3 study met its primary efficacy endpoint and data showed that patients treated once-monthly with XR-NTX demonstrated statistically significant higher rates of clean (opioid-free) urine screens, compared to patients treated with placebo, as measured by the cumulative distribution of clean urine screens (p<0.0002). Based on the positive results of this phase 3 study, Alkermes plans to file a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first half of calendar 2010. XR-NTX, marketed by Alkermes as VIVITROL®, is an opioid antagonist administered once-monthly by intramuscular injection and is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of alcohol dependence. If approved by the FDA for the treatment of opioid dependence, XR-NTX has the potential to be the first and only non-narcotic, non-addictive drug agent available in a once-monthly formulation.

-- Source: http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials/alkermes-announces-positive-results-phase-3-clinical-study-naltrexone-extended-release-injectable-8443.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Drugscom-ClinicalTrials+%28Drugs.com+-+Clinical+Trials%29 –

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles offers medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help for alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

One aspect of the holidays is that people drink.  This can lead to alcohol cravings for those who engage in alcohol abuse, suffer from alcohol dependence, or are in recovery and want to avoid relapse.  So reducing alcohol cravings could be a part of the solution for many individuals during the holidays.

It is our purpose to not only honor the holidays with a message of good spirit, but also to keep our readers informed.  We like to use our web presence to share research that we believe will be helpful to those with whom we work.

An interesting study conducted by Dr. Sandra Lapham found value in using injectable naltrexone to decrease alcohol consumption during the holidays.  Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles has been using Vivitrol in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), and we have seen results to support this.  Please click the link below for an article about Dr. Lapham’s research.

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/2008/December/Are-Naltrexone-Injections-a-Cure-for-Holiday-Drinking-.html

Tarzana Treatment Centers held a conference on this same subject in November, 2009.  Attendees learned all about Vivitrol and how it is used in alcohol treatment, the use of Suboxone and Methadone in opiate addiction treatment, and how anti-depressants and atypical anti-psychotic medications are best used to treat mood and anxiety disorders.
 
MAT has been proven to improve outcomes for patients in alcohol and drug treatment.  During the holidays it can help those with previously unsuccessful treatment episodes, and encourage others to enter treatment for the first time.  In either case, loved ones would agree that the holidays could be more joyous without the presence of alcohol or drug abuse in the home.

For help with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

People who don’t suffer from drug addiction, and most who do, do not understand the process of this disease.  Even if they are curious, it seems like a daunting task to even begin learning about how the addicted brain works.  So it is fortunate that the potential cocaine vaccine is in the news because the information is currently widely available.

Many individuals are content with the knowledge that drug addiction is a physical and psychological disease that operates on obsessions and cravings, if that much.  When the disease hits home, though, that information just doesn’t seem enough.  By then their attention is focused on the visible problem rather than the processes that make it happen.

As interest grows among the general public, more will be written and reported about the cocaine vaccine.  Each new article reveals a piece of the puzzle that makes up the processes of the addicted brain.  This is important for those seeking understanding because the research is bringing many facts to light about the underlying disease of addiction in an easy-to-read manner.  

A basic understanding of the normal brain processes may be necessary in reading some articles.  But most articles on the subject are taking that fact into account and giving brief explanations.  So just starting to read articles about the cocaine vaccine should yield better understanding of the disease of addiction.

An article has been posted on Sciencedaily.com about computer models of cocaine addicts’ brains.  A portion is copied below.  It is a good example of an article that may seem complex, but is understandable and can encourage further reading.

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Glutamate is the major chemical released in the synaptic connections in the brain; the right amount present determines the activity of those connections. Using the computational model, MU researchers found that in an addict’s brain excessive glutamate produced in the pleasure center makes the brain’s mechanisms unable to regulate themselves and creates permanent damage, making cocaine addiction a disease that is more than just a behavioral change.

“Our model showed that the glutamate transporters, a protein present around these connections that remove glutamate, are almost 40 percent less functional after chronic cocaine usage,” Mohan said. “This damage is long lasting, and there is no way for the brain to regulate itself. Thus, the brain structure in this context actually changes in cocaine addicts.”

-- Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160104.htm --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides addiction education and medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help with drug addiction or alcohol dependence, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

The trials on a possible cocaine vaccine may lead to promising new developments in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).  One piece of good news is that this vaccine may lead to more that reduce cravings for other drugs, like heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana for example.  Also, the research to date indicates that we will learn more about how the addicted brain works.

MAT enhances outcomes in alcohol and drug treatment by reducing high-risk factors for relapse.  The potential cocaine vaccine, and possible others down the road, could help patients focus more on treatment without the distraction of cravings.  So even if this vaccine doesn’t succeed in trials, these advancements bring hope to those suffering from drug addiction.

Already, we’ve seen positive results from the use of Vivitrol for alcohol craving reduction.  While these medications should not be considered a cure for alcoholism and drug addiction, they help individuals in treatment to achieve long-term recovery.  The impact can be great in terms of having more recovering individuals participating positively to the community.

The following is a portion of an article posted on Behavioral Health Central’s website.  The full article contains some very interesting details.

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It’s important to note that much of the cocaine use that continued was to test the blockade effect. This testing showed that euphoric effects were blocked even when if a participant used 10 times the amount of cocaine they used in the past. “They were describing that they were not getting a high from it, and then they eventually just ran out of money,” said Dr. Kosten. “So the optimal treatment will require repeated booster vaccinations in order to maintain these optimal antibody levels, probably every two to three months.”
 
Dr. Kosten indicated that most patients would need about two years of treatment, some perhaps even longer because of a history long-term cocaine use. He said, in the general population, many patients don’t show up for treatment until they’ve been dependent on cocaine for 6 to 8 years.
 
“It’s at about week eight in the vaccination process that [participants] are getting a sufficient level of these blocking antibodies present. For the future, we see this as a very promising step towards an effective medication for cocaine addiction.”

-- Source: http://behavioralhealthcentral.com/index.php/2009100698964/Special-Features/lead-investigator-in-cocaine-vaccine-study-talks-about-promising-results.html --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.

Alcohol and drug treatment has seen a new promising advancement in Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).  With the successful use of opioid replacement therapy for heroin addicts and Vivitrol for alcohol cravings, there is now hope for those suffering from cocaine addiction.

MAT is not the pursuit of miracle drugs that cure alcohol dependence and drug addiction.  It is type of therapy that has proven to enhance cognitive behavioral treatment.  When patients add MAT to the alcohol and drug treatment regimen, they are less distracted by the physical and craving aspects of the disease.

Cocaine addiction is driven by strong cravings.  Physical withdrawals are not as much of a factor, as would be the case with alcohol, heroin, or prescription drugs like Vicodin and Xanax.  So reducing or eliminating those cravings can have a significant effect on a cocaine addict remaining abstinent.

The vaccine being tested has shown to reduce relapse rates in enough cocaine addicts to give it a promising grade.  The full study has been published on the Archives of General Psychiatry website at this link: http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/66/10/1116.  And while trials continue on the vaccine, this is promising news for cocaine addicts everywhere.

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A vaccine to treat cocaine dependence yielded good results in a phase-2 clinical trial and will be tested next year in a larger study, researchers reported today.

The cocaine vaccine is not intended to prevent addiction but instead is designed for use with other treatments, such as behavioral therapy, to assist people in recovery. The vaccine is among a number of research projects relying on similar technology to treat nicotine, heroin and methamphetamine addiction.

-- Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/10/cocaine-vaccine.html --

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides medication assisted treatment as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment.  If you or a loved one needs help with alcoholism or drug addiction, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.