Inhalant use is the intentional inhalation of vapors from commercial products or specific chemical agents for the purpose of achieving intoxication. Inhalants are among the most common and pernicious forms of substance use and the least studied of the major drugs. Diagnosis of inhalant dependence, according to the DSM-IV [Weintraub E, Gandhi D, Robinson C. Medical complications due to mothball ...

In this study, the effect of reversible inactivation of locus ceruleus (LC) on naloxone- induced withdrawal syndrome in paragigantocellular (PGi) neurons in morphine- dependent rats was investigated. For inactivation of LC, 1 µl of lidocaine (2%) was used and for induction of withdrawal syndrome, naloxone hydrochloride (2 mg/kg) was injected systemically. The results showed that in dependent gr...

Hyperactivity of noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) neurons following withdrawal from chronic opiates has been implicated in the opiate withdrawal syndrome. Here, we report that local withdrawal induced in vivo by microinfusion of an opiate antagonist into the LC of morphine-dependent rats marginally, but significantly, activated LC neurons above the level obtained with local naloxone microinfu...

Alcohol withdrawal is a syndrome that is the result of adaptive changes in the brain secondary to chronic alcohol use and is associated with changes in many neurotransmitter, neuropeptide, and hormonal systems. Long-term exposure to ethanol leads to an imbalance in different excitatory (especially glutamate, a major excitatory amino acid), and inhibitory neurotransmitter (especially GABA, a maj...

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are a health problem of high prevalence in most communities and such problems account for 5% of the total burden of disease worldwide. Clinical toxicologists are commonly required to treat patients having AUDs and associated drug/alcohol-related harm. There have been recent changes to some of the diagnostic criteria (notably in DSM V) relevant to AUDs, with older te...

Substance abuse withdrawal symptoms are often precipitants of relapse. Music therapy is a complementary and integrative psychosocial treatment modality that is often used in substance abuse rehabilitation settings. The purpose of this chapter is to orient readers to music therapy as a complimentary and integrative treatment and briefly summarize music therapy studies targeting substance abuse w...

BACKGROUND Naltrexone is a competitive opioid antagonist and is often used to maintain abstinence in detoxified opioid dependent patients. However, it can precipitate an accelerated withdrawal when ingested by an individual with concurrent opioid use. METHODS We report the case of a 28 year old male with opioid dependence syndrome presenting with chaotic symptoms following ingestion of naltre...

CONTEXT Drug induced pancreatitis are rare but potentially serious. Thus, drug withdrawal is warranted. CASE REPORT A 79-year-old woman who was treated with antituberculosis therapy for 5 weeks was admitted to our unit for pancreatitis. Usual etiologies of pancreatitis were eliminated. Because of vomiting, antituberculosis therapy was withdrawn and symptoms disappeared. Eight days later, the ...

Over the years, animal studies have revealed a role for the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of multiple aspects of opiate addiction. The current review provides an overview of this literature in regards to opiate withdrawal. The opiate withdrawal syndrome, hypothesized to act as a negative reinforcer in mediating continued drug use, can be characterized by the emergence of spontaneous ...