Tag: withdrawal symptoms

Medical Treatments for Bad Habits

Can bad habits be cured through medical treatments? Some say yes; they have succeeded in overcoming their addictions through science. There are many medical treatments for smokers and others who want to block their cravings.

For smokers, there is a variety of nicotine replacement options. Nicotine patches are probably the most popular for bad smoking habits. They can be adhered to the skin and forgotten until the end of the day. Or, if you are a person who suffers morning cravings, you can wear the patch all night. In any case, you do not have to be constantly thinking about your smoking.

Nicotine gum is also used by many people with these bad habits. It is handy for those who like to do something with their mouths. It cuts their urge to smoke at the same time. You just chew it for awhile, and then place it in between your cheek and gum. The nicotine will enter your bloodstream. Nicotine lozenges work much the same way.

You can get nicotine nasal sprays and nicotine inhalers through your doctor by prescription. The spray delivers an instant burst of nicotine to the system. The inhaler gives users an experience somewhat like smoking. It helps to wean you from your bad habits.

The downside of nicotine replacement is that you cannot cheat when you are using it. If you smoke when you are wearing a nicotine patch, for instance, you can trigger an episode of very high blood pressure at the very least. Your health will be in danger if you keep your bad habits up.

Many people now use prescription medications for relieving the destruction of these bad habits. Zyban has been used for several years now as a stop-smoking aid. This medication is also an anti-depressant. It helps to eliminate the urge to smoke.

It does not hurt your health (any more than smoking ever did) to smoke or use nicotine patches while using Zyban. However, many people report that they just do not feel like smoking any more.

Chantrix, or varenicline, is a newer medication for those who wish to quit smoking. It eases withdrawal symptoms and makes smoking less pleasurable afterwards. It has been shown to be even more effective than Zyban. It also has been show to help with alcohol addiction. This is helpful since many people drink and smoke in the same situations.

Addictive gambling is another of the bad habits that afflicts many adults. Gamblers seem to have cognitive distortions that prompt them to keep gambling until their money is gone. There may be some physical basis for this. There is now a new medication being studied that is supposed to curb those urges.

For some serious bad habits of opiate addiction, methadone has been used for over thirty years. It controls withdrawal symptoms that come on after quitting heroin, morphine, or similar drugs. It has a well-documented history of success.

While drug treatments of bad habits have their problems, there are some advantages, too. It seems that many of the treatments have helped people to stop addictive behaviors. This is not automatic, but comes with the medication along with a determined effort.

The Side Effects of Drugs to Relieve Anxiety Stress

When people get sick, the first thing that comes to mind is taking a couple of pills with water then everything will be alright.

Though this works in some cases, people who experience stress due to anxiety have to be careful since these medication may have certain side effects.

One example is when the person uses the drug Paxil to treat a anxiety stress disorder. According to a test done in different parts of the world, people who have depressive disorder will often experience side effects such as sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, ejaculatory disturbance and other genital disorders after taking this drug.

People who have obsessive compulsive behavior, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety and post traumatic stress will also experience side effects but only to a certain degree.

Doctors who prescribe Xanax to patients also experience certain side effects. These include allergies, blurred vision, diarrhea, hyperventilation, difficulty in sleeping, painful menstruation, sexual dysfunction and weight gain or loss.

These will most likely happen when the person increases the dosage which is far more than that given by the doctor or when one doesn’t need the medicine anymore. Some doctors say these are the withdrawal symptoms the individual may expereince when these no longer need to be prescribed to the patient.

Another more popular drug used to treat anxiety disorder is Buspar. Some patients have reported to experience the same side effects as those of Xanax. These also include constipation, numbness, speech difficulty, rapid heart rate, twitching, nervousness and muscle cramps.

The drugs available in the market should only be used on a short term basis. Since a lot of patients have shown to have experienced certain side effects, doctors recommend that the patient comes in first for a proper examination before being prescribed these medications.

Given the side effects of these drugs, some doctors recommend the use of natural or alternative forms of treatment. These include the use of herbs which can be inhaled or ingested which has shown to produce the same or better results without the side effects.

Two of these herbs are Kava and Valerian. The person will be able to get relief and feel relaxed similar to those when taking Valium or Xanax. This can also be mixed with other ingredients if the person doesn’t like the smell or the taste when this is being ingested.

People who don’t like natural herbs can try exercising instead. The person can either sweat this off in a gym or produce the same effects by doing some breathing exercises. The individual can go to the gym and do this or buy an instructional video which can be done at home.

Those who are too tired to drive to the facility or buy one off the shelf can also relieve stress by getting a massage. The person can go to the gym and the beauty salon which have professionals and excellent facilities to treat people who suffer from anxiety stress.

The various treatments to treat anxiety stress should be able to relieve without any other pain in return. The best the doctor can do is change the prescription when this happens or try something new. The health professional should explain the pros and cons of each to the patient so the right one can be chosen.

Various Treatments for Panic Attacks

The cause of panic attacks is still not fully understood. What is known is that it can happen to anyone, without any reason, regardless of age. Meaning, a happy and healthy person has an equal chance of experiencing a panic attack with those who are depressed and unhealthy. An episode of panic attack chooses no time. It can happen while you are at home, sitting on your couch, watching television, while driving, shopping or walking, at the office, etc. It can even happen while you are asleep.

Given such circumstances, methods of treatment may vary from person to person, depending on his conditions, symptoms, lifestyle, and frequency of attacks. Typically however, treatment involves psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or medication. Other treatments that can be employed are meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and herbal treatment.

Anti-anxiety medications such as Ativan, Xanax and Klonopin provide quick relief from the symptoms panic attack. Benzodiazepines have immediate effects, usually within 30 minutes to an hour. Benzodiazepines, however, are highly addictive and have some serious withdrawal symptoms. Anti-depressant drugs (Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa) should be taken continuously before you can begin to notice the effects, usually up to 6 months to a year. You cannot take anti-depressant drugs just during an attack.

In addition, since you cannot anticipate when you will have such attack, only those who are diagnosed with panic disorder (or recurring panic attacks) can acquire these types of drug.

Panic attacks, as well as panic disorder, agoraphobia and other phobias and related conditions can be treated effectively by psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is proven as an effective way to reduce the symptoms of panic attacks or completely eliminate the condition. CBT focuses on changing the thinking pattern of the person from negative to positive thoughts as well as changing the way a person reacts or behaves when he encounters emergency or situations that can trigger an attack.

Another treatment similar to CTB that is worth mentioning is exposure therapy. This helps the person overcome his fear by letting him face those fearful situations in a controlled and safe manner. The result of this technique is that the person learns how to react positively on what he thinks are fearful situations. Moreover, through this experience, the patient learns that the situations he fears are not harmful and dangerous.

In many cases, medication alone or therapy alone is enough to completely treat the condition, but other cases require both treatment methods to effectively treat panic disorder.

Meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques have been found effective in reducing the chances of experiencing another attack. They help calm the mind and relax the muscles. Regularly practicing these exercises and techniques strengthen the body’s relaxation response.

Natural herbs such as bacopin, ginkgo biloba, passion flower, St. John Wort, hyperforin, 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), chamomile, rhodiola, are equally effective since they have natural anti-stress properties. In some cases, using these herbs is sufficient enough to combat panic attacks. Many people also react positively using this kind of treatment.

Fresh leaves can be made as tea. Some are also available over-the-counter in oil, tincture, capsule, powder and tea. The best thing about these natural herbs is that they do not carry any side effects as compared to mainstream anti-anxiety and anti depressant prescription medications.

Various Treatments for Panic Attacks

The cause of panic attacks is still not fully understood. What is known is that it can happen to anyone, without any reason, regardless of age. Meaning, a happy and healthy person has an equal chance of experiencing a panic attack with those who are depressed and unhealthy. An episode of panic attack chooses no time. It can happen while you are at home, sitting on your couch, watching television, while driving, shopping or walking, at the office, etc. It can even happen while you are asleep.

Given such circumstances, methods of treatment may vary from person to person, depending on his conditions, symptoms, lifestyle, and frequency of attacks. Typically however, treatment involves psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and/or medication. Other treatments that can be employed are meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and herbal treatment.

Anti-anxiety medications such as Ativan, Xanax and Klonopin provide quick relief from the symptoms panic attack. Benzodiazepines have immediate effects, usually within 30 minutes to an hour. Benzodiazepines, however, are highly addictive and have some serious withdrawal symptoms. Anti-depressant drugs (Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Celexa) should be taken continuously before you can begin to notice the effects, usually up to 6 months to a year. You cannot take anti-depressant drugs just during an attack.

In addition, since you cannot anticipate when you will have such attack, only those who are diagnosed with panic disorder (or recurring panic attacks) can acquire these types of drug.

Panic attacks, as well as panic disorder, agoraphobia and other phobias and related conditions can be treated effectively by psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is proven as an effective way to reduce the symptoms of panic attacks or completely eliminate the condition. CBT focuses on changing the thinking pattern of the person from negative to positive thoughts as well as changing the way a person reacts or behaves when he encounters emergency or situations that can trigger an attack.

Another treatment similar to CTB that is worth mentioning is exposure therapy. This helps the person overcome his fear by letting him face those fearful situations in a controlled and safe manner. The result of this technique is that the person learns how to react positively on what he thinks are fearful situations. Moreover, through this experience, the patient learns that the situations he fears are not harmful and dangerous.

In many cases, medication alone or therapy alone is enough to completely treat the condition, but other cases require both treatment methods to effectively treat panic disorder.

Meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques have been found effective in reducing the chances of experiencing another attack. They help calm the mind and relax the muscles. Regularly practicing these exercises and techniques strengthen the body’s relaxation response.

Natural herbs such as bacopin, ginkgo biloba, passion flower, St. John Wort, hyperforin, 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), chamomile, rhodiola, are equally effective since they have natural anti-stress properties. In some cases, using these herbs is sufficient enough to combat panic attacks. Many people also react positively using this kind of treatment.

Fresh leaves can be made as tea. Some are also available over-the-counter in oil, tincture, capsule, powder and tea. The best thing about these natural herbs is that they do not carry any side effects as compared to mainstream anti-anxiety and anti depressant prescription medications.