Day by day heroin becomes more and more prominent in every community big or small. In 2012, 669,000 Americans claimed to use heroin(Heroin). Heroin is made from morphine and is one of the top active opium drugs. Therefore, the first step to an effective treatment plan is understanding that every person is unique and a variety of treatment plans ensure that a person will find the best fit for their situation. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, in order for a treatment plan to be successful it “ must help the individual stop using drugs, maintain a drug free lifestyle and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society” (Drug Facts). Treatment plans may include commonly used medications such as Methadone,
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In some cases medication is the best option to help a patient overcome the addiction. With medication a doctor must examine how serious the herion habit is to determine the level of medication needed. There are three types of medication treatment options in the US: Methadone, Buprenorphine, and Naltrexone. Methadone is a level one treatment drug, the lowest level, it activates opioid receptors. Buprenorphine is a level two treatment drug, the second level, it activates opioid receptor and it also lowers the effect of the high that comes from the heroin. Finally there is Naltrexone, the drug for the most serious cases, a level three, it blocks the opioid receptor and takes away the full effect of the high from …show more content…
New medications such as Ibogaine, Probuphine and a Heroin Vaccine are starting to appear as well. Ibogaine is illegal in the US however currently clinical trial approved by the FDA are in session to test how it works. It is like a reset button and sets an addicts neurotransmitter function back to how it was before they were an addict. After a single dose a addict suffers 80-90 percent less withdrawal symptoms than an addict who stops using with no medication help (Ibogaine) because once the body metabolizes Ibogaine it is turned into Noribogaine which remains in a person’s system four to six weeks. The lasting effects after the Noribogaine linger for as little as 3 weeks or as long as a few months. Like any other drug it also has side effects including, “visual distortion, visual and auditory hallucination, ataxia(temporary loss of ability to coordinate muscular movement), nausea and mild temper”(Ibogaine). Ibogaine users experience these symptoms no longer than 48 hours. Another drug, Probuphine is not completely new, it has been seen before but it is improved. Clinical trials have shown that it is similar to Buprenorphine but it lasts longer and is looking favorable. A major difference with Probuphine is it lasts six months and is not taken orally, it is implanted into the addict’s skin which helps prevent relapse because the addict does not have to take a medication
In some cases medication is the best option to help a patient overcome the addiction. With medication a doctor must examine how serious the herion habit is to determine the level of medication needed. There are three types of medication treatment options in the US: Methadone, Buprenorphine, and Naltrexone. Methadone is a level one treatment drug, the lowest level, it activates opioid receptors. Buprenorphine is a level two treatment drug, the second level, it activates opioid receptor and it also lowers the effect of the high that comes from the heroin. Finally there is Naltrexone, the drug for the most serious cases, a level three, it blocks the opioid receptor and takes away the full effect of the high from …show more content…
New medications such as Ibogaine, Probuphine and a Heroin Vaccine are starting to appear as well. Ibogaine is illegal in the US however currently clinical trial approved by the FDA are in session to test how it works. It is like a reset button and sets an addicts neurotransmitter function back to how it was before they were an addict. After a single dose a addict suffers 80-90 percent less withdrawal symptoms than an addict who stops using with no medication help (Ibogaine) because once the body metabolizes Ibogaine it is turned into Noribogaine which remains in a person’s system four to six weeks. The lasting effects after the Noribogaine linger for as little as 3 weeks or as long as a few months. Like any other drug it also has side effects including, “visual distortion, visual and auditory hallucination, ataxia(temporary loss of ability to coordinate muscular movement), nausea and mild temper”(Ibogaine). Ibogaine users experience these symptoms no longer than 48 hours. Another drug, Probuphine is not completely new, it has been seen before but it is improved. Clinical trials have shown that it is similar to Buprenorphine but it lasts longer and is looking favorable. A major difference with Probuphine is it lasts six months and is not taken orally, it is implanted into the addict’s skin which helps prevent relapse because the addict does not have to take a medication