“All Scientific Hands on Deck” to End the Opioid Crisis

I'm a drug court judge and a member of our state's drug and mental health court coordinating committee. Currently we are working on drafting standards and guidelines for the use of medication assisted treatment in our adult felony drug courts. We encounter resistance to the use of MAT from some law enforcement and treatment members. This blogspot will help persuade some of the skeptics that the scope of the opioid epidemic requires an unbiased assessment of the value of MAT. Thank you for your leadership on this issue.

I've been trained to administer naloxone and we have a good Samaritan law in Washington so I need not worry about liability, but my primary care physician will not write me a prescription for naloxone as he believes that HE wouldn't be immune from suit if he prescribes naloxone to me knowing that it would be administered to a third party. It would be good to either make the drug available through law enforcement without a prescription or amend liability laws so that physicians can prescribe the drug cannot be held liable for the administration of the drug by the patient or others.

My observation in working with the large and growing homeless population in Portland, Oregon (and very likely other cities), where opioids have been eliminated or removed from street trade, as they have to some degree, heroin is taking the place of opioids. Is this being observed elsewhere?

Is there any research being done on this as a cure for addiction? Why is considered safe in some countries and when will it be available here.

I am the parent of a recovering heroin addict and I'm looking for an effective, direct, and meaningful way to get involved in addiction prevention and recovery. What do you suggest?

In an effort to combat the opioid epidemic, state governments like Maryland, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont are taking the lead in proposing ibogaine treatment pilot programs for opioid-dependent individuals who do not benefit from conventional treatment methods and interventions for opiate dependence, including opioid replacement therapy; and in evaluating the effectiveness of ibogaine treatment when compared to conventional treatment methods and interventions, including opioid replacement therapy.

Can we expect action and support from NIDA and the federal government in investigating this incredibly promising substance?

Fascinating read. This is the first time I have heard of vaccinations being used. Do those vaccinations target only synthetic opioids, and exclude the natural opioids our brain makes? I live in Utah, and there has been a campaign to help make the general public aware of the availability of Naloxone Rescue Kits, which pharmacists can dispense without a prescription, in an attempt to tackle overdose deaths.

I think the World is doing a fine job at it. Make a drug for this, make a drug to counter-act that. Make some additional money to study it. Doing very well. If your back hurts... You'd be better off if you could grow your own poppy. But they don't want you doing that. There's a lot of products on the market someone would rather you buy instead. That's the truth.

My name is Holly and I'm Alcohol dependent. I have been sober since 2013 but have attended many court ordered programs including going to prison for drinking. I used to work in the Fed gov as GS 14 before going down. From what I learned in rehab, AA, co-Occuring group, Matrix, and Therapeutic Community is that my disease was progressive and spiraled out of control. But I did not grow up and say gosh I can't wait to be an addict. I can't wait to lose my job, my house, my freedom and have everyone look at me and say change. Like I could just snap my fingers. Getting sober was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. Using was the most disgusting, deplorable act I ever did and I wished every day that I would just not wake up. I came pretty close but a cop arrested me and I collapsed in jail 20 days later. I had two surgeries and was in ICU. My husband and kids had no idea. They came to visit me at the jail and were told I was in class. They would not have been told anything unless I died. But we are someone's children and there is something missing in us. I'm scared to death because I've messed up my body so much and broken so many bones that I have opioids. No NSAIDS because stomach damage and no steroids because of bone damage all from alcohol.

I have recently discovered NAD IV therapy as a means of treating opioid withdrawal symptoms. The slow drip 10 to 15 day protocol shows anecdotal evidence (80% success rate) among a patient population of 50 opioid addicts. Is there any research supporting this or is it another unfortunate attempt by snake oil salesmen to capitalize on our national tragedy?

Hi, Holly. It sounds like you have been strong enough to survive a lot, but are still suffering. I'd suggest that you see if you can get into a multidisciplinary chronic pain program that includes PT, OT, medical supervision, and a psychologist who can teach you self-hypnosis and cognitive/behavioral approaches. Patients usually get about a 40% improvement in pain with those kinds of programs. Good luck!