NetWellness Addiction and Substance Abuse

Swollen Ankle

Edna Jones MD, MRO — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:10:00 EST

Question: my friend is 55 yrs. old and his one ankle is twice as big as the other one. it also has little red dots all over it. he says he feels no pain. he drinks everyday and cant stop. I was told that this is caused by his organs shutting down. is this true?

Answer: Ankle swelling in just one ankle is most concerning for a blood clot in the swollen leg. He should see a doctor ASAP as a blood clot can break loose and go to the lungs and kill him. If his organs were shutting down, he should have swelling in both ankles and abdomen and all over. His drinking can a . . .

Ask an Expert: Edna Jones MD, MRO, Addiction and Substance Abuse

Medical Effects of Second Hand Crack Smoke

Christina Delos Reyes MD — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:10:00 EST

Question:

My former son in law was taking my grandaughter to the crack house where he smoked for two years from age 3 to age 5 when we discovered his problem. She sat in the room adjacent to the crack users which was not closed off from the smoking. What should we be concerned about as far as my grandaug . . .

Answer: Most of the studies in the area of second-hand crack smoke focus on infants who are less than 1 year old. In these studies the infants had a higher risk of upper respiratory and lower respiratory infections.

It is difficult to answer your question without knowing exactly how much exposur . . .

Ask an Expert: Christina Delos Reyes MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

After an Dilaudid Addiction.

Christina Delos Reyes MD — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:09:00 EST

Question: If someone needed a serious/ strong pain med after recoverying from a dilaudid addiction about a year ago, what would you be recommending? No pain meds, something weaker?

Thanks.

Answer: Sometimes it is impossible to go with "no pain meds." Where possible, I would recommend non-addictive pain meds such as Non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and others. Tylenol is another option.

If you must use an addictive pain medication, I would recommend a con . . .

Ask an Expert: Christina Delos Reyes MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

Cocaine Side Effects

Ted Parran MD — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:09:00 EST

Question: I have been using cocaine for about 13 years, experiencing many different side effects. The inside of my nose is destroyed. I have holes in my nose, so when I snort, cocaine gets stuck in them holes and get hard like a sores. I have to daily take a q-tip and go in my nose, moving these sores around . . .

Answer: Thank you for your question. You are certainly in a very difficult spot having suffered from cocaine addiction for 13 years. Cocaine addiction is a relentless addiction that routinely strips people of their self concept, close family relations, finances, and sometimes even their physical health.
Ask an Expert: Ted Parran MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

Dilaudid Addition/Abuse

Ted Parran MD — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:08:00 EST

Question: I HAVE SEVERE BACK PAIN AND MY DOCTOR PERSCRIBED DILAUDID, NOW TAKING AS MUCH AS 15 - 8 MILIGRAM TABS A DAY, THE PROBLEM IS THIS , DUE TO BAD ADVISE I ABBUSED THEM BY CRUSHING 3-8 MILIGRAM TABS AND THEN DISOLVED THEM IN WATER UNDER HEAT AND INJECTED THEM, I OF COUSE HAVE FOUND NOW THAT I AM OF COURS . . .

Answer: Thank you for your good questions. You are clearly in a very difficult position. Your increase in drug dose indicates an addiction problem in addition to a back pain problem. The fact that you have changed your route of administration from the intended one (taking it by mouth) to crushing and inject . . .

Ask an Expert: Ted Parran MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

Blood alcohol level over .400

Christina Delos Reyes MD — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:06:00 EST

Question: What happens to a person who drinks daily and very possibly maintains a blood alcohol level of over .400 (not .04, but .40). I know this to be a fact cause when he has been taken to the hospital, he`s had levels of 423 and 440 and dr. said that`s usually a lethal limit, but since he`s alcohol tolera . . .

Answer: Every person is going to have different consequences related to alcohol. However, in general, drinking to levels of over .400 mg/dl on a daily basis has the potential to cause severe damage to all body organs, including the brain. Damage can include heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, . . .

Ask an Expert: Christina Delos Reyes MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

How will hubby`s alcoholism affect his health

Ted Parran MD — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:06:00 EST

Question: My husband is a 54 yo alcoholic. He got sober in 1989 and remained sober till 2001. Since then, his alcoholism has progressed steadily to where I feel he is end stage alcoholic. In any event, three years ago he was diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease by biopsy, had severe microvesicular and macro . . .

Answer: Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough letter. It certainly sounds as if there has been a lot of heartache over the years from the alcoholism ... but also some successful remissions. As many people say in meetings, "where there is life there is hope", even though it can seem not to be the case w . . .

Ask an Expert: Ted Parran MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

One night of heavy drinking...

Christina Delos Reyes MD — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:06:00 EST

Question: I drank heavily a few days ago with liquor and became quite drunk. (Important to note, I do not usually drink alcohol in large quantities. Maybe a few times a month at the most, like a half glass of wine. I used to drink a bit more but not in the last few years). I went home and fell asleep at 4:30 . . .

Answer:

I can only speak in general terms, but it sounds like alcohol intoxication (that's the nausea and vomiting) that may have led to stomach or pancreas damage (that's the severe pain). Sometimes the severe vomiting can actually cause tears in the stomach lining. The other thing that may be goin . . .

Ask an Expert: Christina Delos Reyes MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

How can I help???

Ted Parran MD — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:06:00 EST

Question: A very close friend of mine has had a drinking problem for quite some time now in his life. He has just learned he has high blood pressure and anxiety issues, so he has been medicated for these problems. He wants to stop drinking, and had been doing great with withstaining from any alcohol consumpti . . .

Answer: Thanks for your questions. I have a couple of thoughts and general suggestions. First, drinking can cause many different types of pain in the stomach ... from simple acid reflux to much more serious conditions like pancreatitis (inflamation of the pancrease gland). The simple things tend to respond . . .

Ask an Expert: Ted Parran MD, Addiction and Substance Abuse

Neurotransmitters

Deborah Hoy CNS — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:05:00 EST

Question: Is it true that after quitting crack, you feel depressed for 6-8 months, because the pleasure center of the brain is all used up??? What can I do about my constant cravings and depression? I`m 5 months sober and clean!!

Answer: Treatment does not end with a successful detox from any mood-altering drug. It is normal for symptoms of depression, anxiety, restlessness and drug cravings to get worse in the months following cessation of crack use. The brain needs time to heal.

Research shows that there is persistent . . .

Ask an Expert: Deborah Hoy CNS, Addiction and Substance Abuse