Patient Testimonials

I am doing very well in my newfound sobriety. The hydrocodone addiction was completely broken by the detox procedure and the follow-up counseling with Chief Nurse Michael Alcalde (now completed) was very insightful. Kicking the hydrocodone made ceasing the use of lorazapam and alcohol a snap. A clear mind, emotions under control, and a decisive mind are three things I never want to lose again.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give your program a perfect score. I will always be grateful for the VIP treatment that inpatients receive. You have my lifelong thanks, you have given my Life back!

Cody

Hydrocodone Patient



Suboxone Detox Patient Testimonial

Because they helped me get through w/ minimal pain just like they promised.

They got me off Suboxone! Yay! Thank you to all of the team at V.i.P. for getting me through one of the hardest times in my life.


L.L.


Heroin Detox Patient Testimonial

V.I.P. Rapid Detox,

Just a note to thank you all for the wonderful work you do. My son is now almost 4 years clean from heroin, after going through your program. You saved his life.

Mother of Heroin Detox Patient


Methadone Detox, Heroin Detox, Lortab Detox, Lorcet Detox, Oxycontin Detox, and Norco Detox Patient Testimonial

My name is Ciara and I am a grateful recovering opiate addict. I'm writing this letter for the simple fact that I want the person reading this to know the VIP RAPID DETOX changed my life. I am 27 years old and the mother of the beautiful children you see with me in the picture. I want to give you a little history because if you're an opiate addict. I have been in the situation you are in and my heart goes out to you. You wouldn't know from looking at this picture that just a couple of years ago I was strong out on heroin, pregnant with my son and having the drug dealers look at me and say "your about to have a baby and I really don't want to deal to you anymore". I never seriously thought about those words until a couple of months ago.

My journey thru hell started at the age of 19 with a toothache and I got a prescription for Vicodin. Let's just say that within 3 months I was taking up to 60 Loratab, Lorcet, Oxycontin or Norco a day. I became a doctor shopper of the worst kind and would do anything for those pastel colored pills that I drooled over. When I was on them I could do everything, get anything accomplished and felt like the queen of the world. As you know, when you run out you're screwed. The worms crawling underneath your skin, the sweats, the chills, no appetite, stomach cramping, no sleep, moaning in pain, panic attacks, and at times thoughts of suicide. I tried every hospital detox all over the state of California. By the young age of 23 I had been to 7 treatment centers from the farthest north to the farthest south of California. Nothing I mean nothing was working. I would pick up again as soon as I got released from rehabilitation. I almost lost my children, but my mother and husband were my rocks. In July of 2002, I was desperate and out of doctors. I had gone through the phone books in six different counties and had been black balled from every pharmacy in a 300 mile radius. I was out of options and 6 months pregnant. I hid my addiction from my husband and managed to get my prescriptions for the phentanyl lollypops from my neurologist, claiming migraine headaches. They thought they knew had bad I was but they really had no clue. With my prescribed eight Norco and eight 1000 mg Actiq lollypops per day, my body and my son sucked it up so fast I needed an even stronger fix to keep me, "well" as I called it. I remember the pharmacist saying to me, "you know your baby is going to be born addicted to opiates and you realize we have to special order those lollypops for you because, not even dying cancer patients take 400 mg Actiq phentanyl lollypops a day and especially not with Norco's." I still was unphased when this was told to me. My addiction was alive and so much stronger then me but I had no comprehension of it till now. I do not regret what the doctors did because they did no want me going into premature labor for withdrawal. The place I was taken to next was a whole new level. Shooting heroin was my next best friend. It took me to the filthiest, horrifying houses and dangerous neighborhoods and places you could ever imagine, all while very pregnant and toting around my 1 year old daughter. The places I took her to make me want to vomit now. Till the day I die I will not forget what I did to her. I hid my track marks very well and although 7 months pregnant I weighed 97 pounds. Every bone in my body jutted out from my neck bone to my spine. I was a skeleton. My neurologist, OBGYN and my drug addiction specialist came up with a plan that after my son was born they would detox me. Keep in mind they had no idea I was on heroin. I got off heroin 2 weeks before my son was born. That was the day I found out his lungs were developed 25% of what they should be, he was under weight, and would immediately after birth have to go into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. On October 25, 2002 my son was born with 3 respiratory therapists surrounding me, the head doctor of the NIC unit, my OBGYN and an uncountable amount of nurses. The incubator was sitting right there next to me and I remember at that point saying to myself, "what have I done". Someone much more powerful was watching out for my son that day because he came out pink, screaming and completely healthy. My neurologist came and visited me in the hospital that day and said we were kind of hoping he would have some minor problems to wake you up to what you are doing to yourself, your family and especially with innocent baby boy. Of course that detox didn't work I was back on heroin after a week and couldn't take my home from the hospital. He was kept on a withdrawal watch in the nursery and given Phenobarbital to combat his withdrawal symptoms. I had been told about Methadone over and over again. I knew I had hit bottom when I was arrested with my daughter in a pharmacy for 5 counts of felony prescription drug fraud for calling in my own scripts. I spent the night in jail detoxing with my mother taking care of my 5 week old and 1 year old. My bail was $10,000.00 and I managed to post that night. That was the end. It was time to do that horrible thing called methadone which they said I could live a normal life as a pretty much maintained junkie. I did it and I thought it was heaven at first. It completely consumed each and every day of my life. After a year on it I was tired of driving back and forth everyday just to get a fix that didn't get me high but I was able to maintain some normalcy. For two years I tried dosing down but even at 180 mg of Methadone I was irritable angry and extremely overweight. (It tends to make women gain weight)

The changing point in my life came in June 2005 when I realized I was going to be a, "lifer" as they call it with Methadone. Going in the clinic, carrying my little metal lock box, standing in line with a bunch of other junkies several times a week and never being able to leave my hometown unless they had a place for me to courtesy dose. On top of all this I realized looking at the people who had been on Methadone for 20 years or more that my life would never amount to anything. My mother had heard about rapid detox and I called every place in North America. I was numb and had extreme emotional pain and scared like I was never been in my life but I knew that that was no way to live. I had two toddlers a husband and for god sakes I was only 26 years old. I took a sigh of relief when in June I spoke with Dr Yee from the VIP Rapid Detox. He actually cared, he wanted to help me and I trusted him when I had never really trusted anybody else. The other rapid detox facilities had death rates, and had horror stories that reminded me of the kind of fear I had when I was at the heroin dealer's house. The Las Vegas VIP Team was done was excellent They had 24 hour a day care before and after your treatment and allowed you to stay in the hospital if you lied for a day or two afterward instead of the other places which immediately sent you on a plane home. I also was able to stay at a nice hotel for a week, with a nurse. They helped make my travel arrangements for me and met me immediately at the gate of the airport. They were also very confidential. I am not going to lie; it was a lot of money but what was more important, a years worth of rent, a new car, or MY LIFE. I chose my life, for myself and so my children can grow up knowing their mother didn't die from a Tylenol overdose from taking to many pills or to much heroin in her veins, or falling asleep driving while on Methadone.

On September 13, 2005 I went into their hospital and was met by a very chirpy, confident doctor while I didn't like very much at that point because I was so miserable and had no soul in my being left. I now love Dr. Yee and have had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas and thank him from the bottom of my heart for what he did for me. Dr. Yee & Michael saved my life. I'm not going to say I felt fabulous when I woke up, but I didn't have the worms under my skin and the withdrawal symptoms were minimal. Keep in mind my opiate addiction had been non-stop since 1998 and I had been on 180 mg of Methadone for almost three years. The success rate is 1-2% of people who try and dose down on their own at the methadone clinics and who stay clean. In my opinion I would have never come off Methadone if it wasn't for the VIP Team. I remember vividly being in the hospital the day after my procedure and Dr. Yee came to see me. I remember him saying he was on his way to his daughter's gymnastics competition and I thought to myself I want to have a smile on my face like he does. I want to be clean and free from addiction or the devil as I sometimes refer to it as. I want to be involved in my childrens lives and enjoy them growing up and get the simple pleasures out of life. I could go on and on about little things that broke the sun and daylight in to my heart that made me know I never had to be part of the ball and chain of opiate addiction again.

I wrote this letter because all of you suffering out there like I was need to see a face with a story to know this happens to upper class, middle class, and all around the board people. I owe my life to Dr Yee & Michael and want everyone who is addicted to be free of addiction like me. From one opiate addict to another my prayers are with you.

Ciara

Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353

Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com

Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.

Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction Rising During Recession

SYLMAR, CA, January 31, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Novus Medical Detox Facility of Pasco County, Florida (http://www.novusdetox.com) Director Steven L. Hayes notes that the increases in shipments of prescription painkillers don't tally with the numbers of legitimate prescriptions being written by doctors, and he states that the only solution to this influx of drugs is require Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, which are electronic databases that track prescriptions/ This will not only help doctors and pharmacists prevent doctor-shopping by victims of prescription drug addiction and abuse but also help locate these dangerous drugs that are not being accounted for today."Prescription drugs are the fastest-growing area of abuse and addiction," Hayes says. "The drug companies do not have an economic interest in solving that problem - the more sales the more profits. If this epidemic is going to be brought under control, it will be the only by the citizens demanding Congress to act."."

Kansas is one state that is experiencing this problem. "Without a doubt, there is an increase in the use of scheduled drugs in Kansas," said Jeff Brandau, a special agent at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. "Either Kansans are in a lot of pain," he told the Kansas City Star, "or something else is going on." That "something else" might be the recession driving the rise in prescription drug addiction and abuse.

Federal figures showed that shipments into Kansas of hydrocodone -- the active ingredient in Vicodin -- jumped by more than 300 percent since 2000, much of that just in the last year. Oxycodone, another commonly abused opioid and the active ingredient in OxyContin, was up more than 260 percent.

Drug Enforcement Administration officials told Congress in 2008 that prescription drug addiction and abuse is rising at "an alarming rate." More than 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the DEA, an 80 percent increase in just the past six years.

Kansas has not yet passed Prescription Drug Monitoring legislation. "The intense lobbying of the drug companies combined with the recession is making funding for such programs increasingly difficult," Hayes states. "Some of those states that have passed legislation are finding themselves unable to fund it."

For those whose lives are being ruined by prescription drug abuse or addiction, there is medical drug detox. Medical drug detox is often a necessary step in dealing with addiction, abuse or dependence. While many medical detox programs take place in a hospital, Novus Medical Detox Center specializes in handling drug dependencies in a private setting that is stress-free, comfortable and safe. The facility, set on 3.2 wooded acres 45 minutes north of Tampa, Florida, offers private rooms with TV, DVD players and high speed internet access. Detoxification programs at Novus provide detox services for people wishing to withdraw from drugs including opiate detox, heroin detox, psychotropic detox, alcohol detox, benzodiazepine detox and prescription drug detox. They can be reached at 877-250-8267

Steven L. Hayes is Director of Novus Medical Detox Center in Pasco County, FL, 45 minutes north of Tampa (http://www.novusdetox.com). Steven hopes to become part of the solution for the millions of people who have become addicted to or dependent on prescription drugs; by educating them and their doctors; by insisting that pharmaceutical companies do honest, open and scientifically sound testing; and by providing a facility for medical detox that is comfortable, private and caring.

Using OxyContin Settlement Money to Battle Drug Abuse

More than $650,000 that Virginia received in a civil settlement with the maker of the painkiller OxyContin will go toward prescription drug abuse recovery and prevention in southwest Virginia.

State Attorney General Bob McDonnell and several state legislators announced in Abingdon on Friday that the money will go to agency programs in the region.

McDonnell says more than $450,000 will go for treatment of residents dependent on opiate-based drugs such as OxyContin. Of that, $150,000 will be designated for miners.

Another $200,000 will be used for a drug abuse prevention campaign.

The funds are part of a $19.5 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by 26 states and the District of Columbia claiming Purdue Pharma L.P. encouraged physicians to over prescribe OxyContin.

Doctors find little humor in TV's handling of painkillers

In a heavily promoted live episode of "Will & Grace" that NBC recently broadcast, the title characters opened a linen closet in the palatial bathroom belonging to their wealthy friend Karen Walker. Out gushed hundreds and hundreds of pill bottles, a river of amber-colored plastic.

The studio audience went wild. Karen's fondness for booze and prescription painkillers such as Vicodin, which she apparently goes through like Tic Tacs, is one of the show's most reliable running jokes, a laugh-getter as surefire as Kramer's entrances or Frasier Crane's pomposity.

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Dr. David Crausman thinks Karen's drug use is about as funny as food poisoning, which is what he says her withdrawal symptoms would resemble if they were ever shown forthrightly.

"It's not a joke at all," said Crausman, director of the Center for Healthful Living, an outpatient counseling facility in Beverly Hills, Calif. "It depicts a woman who's held hostage to her addiction. They're not showing her when she doesn't get her pain pill, when she doesn't have the alcohol. How she gets diarrhea, how she starts vomiting, how her skin will crawl, her legs will cramp. They don't show that, because that's not cute."

This is a pretty heavy guilt load to lay on a popular, Emmy-winning sitcom that aspires only to impertinent farce and an occasional heartstring tug. In fairness, the show's comic references to Karen's dependency on prescription painkillers are only an exaggerated example of what concerns addiction specialists about entertainment TV in general when it comes to portraying the use such medications: minimizing the downside.

Laid-back attitude

Prescription pain medications "are often discussed in a real casual manner, almost as if there's real acceptance, whether it's prescribed or not," said Dr. Marvin Seppala, a physician and chief medical officer at The Hazelden Foundation, an alcohol and drug treatment center near Minneapolis.

It's so casual at times, Crausman said, it's as if Vicodin and other prescription painkillers were "glorified aspirin."

There are notable exceptions. While TV networks these days rarely order "lesson" movies as they did in the 1970s with the likes of "Go Ask Alice" (anti-LSD) or "The Morning After" (alcoholism), some episodic dramas integrate social issues into their story lines. This approach is probably wiser given how audiences have come to expect ambivalence and imperfect heroes.

CBS' crime series "Without a Trace," for instance, has been working its way through a subplot in which FBI agent Martin Fitzgerald (Eric Close) is wrestling with addiction to painkillers prescribed by a doctor after Fitzgerald was shot in the line of duty. A recent episode depicted him anxiously rummaging through office trash in search of a pill bottle that earlier, in a stronger moment, he had thrown away.

In Fox's "House," the addiction to painkillers of the title character (played by Hugh Laurie), a brilliant medical diagnostician with a bum leg, is, as executive producer David Shore put it, "a thread we pull on occasionally." He said he and his staff feel an obligation to depict Dr. House's drug problem honestly.

"It's not a show about addiction, but you can't throw something like this into the mix and not expect it to be noticed and commented on," Shore said. "There have been references to the amount of his consumption increasing over time. It's becoming less and less useful a tool for dealing with his pain, and it's something we're going to continue to deal with, continue to explore."

Two more examples

More commonplace, however, are such shows as ABC's new sitcom "Crumbs," in which Jane Curtin's character's recent stint in a mental institution and the medication that makes her release possible are played mostly for laughs, and NBC's recently withdrawn "The Book of Daniel," in which a pill-popping minister (Aidan Quinn) headed an ensemble of calculatedly outrageous characters.

Seppala said patients who come to Hazelden for treatment for addiction to prescription painkillers often "think it's OK, that somehow it really isn't that serious. They think: 'It was prescribed by my doctor. I'm using it for pain. How can that be bad?' I don't think the media equate addiction to prescribed pain medication with addiction to heroin. But they're the same class of medication, just as powerful. In fact, some are more powerful."

"They're downplaying the danger," said Dr. Clifford Bernstein, director of the Waismann Institute, a detox center in San Diego. "It fosters the attitude, 'How bad can these things be?' And that's one reason why so many people have gotten hooked on them."

How many is "so many"? According to a report by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, the number of Americans who abuse controlled prescription drugs has nearly doubled — from 7.8 million to 15.1 million — since 1992. Abuse of such medications among teens has more than tripled over the period.

A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse released in December said 9.5 percent of 12th-graders reported using the painkiller Vicodin and 5.5 percent reported using OxyContin.

You probably wouldn't guess that if entertainment TV was your primary window on society. You would more likely believe there was an epidemic of serial killers.

Still, in the case of prescription-drug abuse, television is mirroring its audiences' ignorance.

A realistic touch

When characters in an upscale soap such as Fox's "The O.C." drop the brand nickname "Oxy" as blithely as they might "iPod," it's actually one of the more realistic aspects of the show.

Nearly half the adults interviewed in a recent random survey funded by Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals didn't understand that prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, codeine and Demerol are as addictive as heroin.

Doctors interviewed for this article acknowledge that prescription-drug abuse is a tricky problem for TV entertainment shows. They point out that the medications have tremendous benefits as well as frightening downsides, that most people who use them don't become addicted, and that even those who do may not exhibit behaviors that we associate with heroin addicts and crackheads — at least not for a while.

Bernstein noted, for instance, that the portrayal of Karen isn't necessarily unrealistic. "Karen is popping Vicodin all the time, and she hasn't lost her wit," he said. "She hasn't lost her edge. And that's the point. You're too functional on it. It's almost too good of a drug."

Almost. If a user of a prescription painkiller gets into an addictive cycle, tolerance develops rapidly, leaving the abuser to choose between taking more and more pills or painful, debilitating withdrawal.

Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353

Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com

Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.

Opiate Dependency and Prescription Drug Addiction

There is no doubt that prescription painkiller misuse and dependency is on the rise. Open any newspaper in the world and you are likely to find stories about the fallout of addiction. Crime, accidents and deaths everywhere are being linked to opiate addiction.

A dependency to opiates is recognized as a central nervous system disorder, caused by continuous opiate intake. After prolonged opiate use, the nerve cells in the brain, which would otherwise produce endogenous opiates (natural painkillers, or endorphins), cease to function normally. The body stops producing endorphins because it is receiving opiates instead.

The degeneration of these nerve cells results in the user's physical dependency to an external supply of opiates. In order to reverse the chemical imbalance, opiate-dependent patients need to be properly assessed and medically treated.

Abrupt or sudden abstinence from opiates induces yet another traumatic disorder - withdrawal syndrome. The most commonly reported effects of opiate withdrawal are flu-like symptoms:

* nausea
* tremors
* confusion
* anxiety
* agitation
* insomnia.

In the last 40 years, addiction doctors at nationally-recognized treatment centers have accepted as "normal" the painful and dangerous physiological stress that comes with drug and alcohol withdrawal. Without extensive knowledge of brain chemistry and appropriate medical training, these "rehab doctors" wrongly assume that stressful and harmful withdrawal syndrome cannot be prevented.

During withdrawal, unchecked surges of adrenaline (norepinephrine ) can squeeze the coronary and peripheral blood vessels, producing dangerously high blood pressure. Severe cases of withdrawal can result in seizures and disturbances to the respiratory and central nervous systems. Our question at The Waismann Method is:

“Why suffer anymore than you already have?” We challenge those who say that withdrawal is a necessary and inevitable part of detoxing. The V.I.P. Way of rapid detox has perfected advanced anesthesia and neuro-regulation techniques for over 10 years.

With minimum time under anesthesia, our doctors achieve opiate detoxification and craving management while preventing dangerous blood pressure and pulse increases. This allows patients to detox in a safe, humane and successful manner.

With the addition of our aftercare chief nurse, we are able to offer our patients a full-service safe haven, and top-notch professional to guide them through the transition to an opiate-free life.

Our intention is to empower our patients, not to break them down. The field of rapid drug detox has received quite a bit of attention in recent years, though not all programs are the same. Our scientific and humane approach to treatment is what sets us apart from other drug detox and rehab centers. Our record speaks for itself.

Pharmacy burglaries continue

Possible burglars struck a local pharmacy for the fourth time in recent months.

Davis City Pharmacy was broken into sometime between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

Workers boarded up the store’s front glass Thursday.

Nelda Chane, Davis lead pharmacy technician, confirmed the store has been forcefully entered for the second time since Dec. 9.

“This time they busted the front window out,” Chane said. “And the last time we got broke into, Willow Park was broken into the following night.”

In the first break-in suspects apparently entered the store through the roof. Burglars made off with thousands of dollars worth of stolen prescription drugs including highly-potent pain killers Methadone, Oxycontin and Morphine. Authorities said Methadone is commonly used as a heroin replacement for addicts.

Police said the culprits did not leave things openly out of place, so employees did not notice the December burglary right away.

Thieves also stole a large amount of drugs in the Willow Park burglary at Tackett’s Pharmacy along with about $200 in cash. A store alarm was triggered and police immediately responded, but by the time they arrived, the burglars had fled the scene.

Video surveillance was taken from the Willow Park crime, which authorities are currently investigating in the case.

Hall’s Pharmacy was also broken into in December. The store was closed at the time of the break-in and an alarm alerted police.

Police reports state the culprits made entry through a rear door to the building.

Officials said it appeared in the Hall burglary, the thieves completed their crime in less than five minutes. Halls’ burglary had an estimated loss of about a $25,000.

In the recent break-in at Davis, Chane said employees immediately knew something was wrong when they arrived to work Thursday morning and saw broken glass.

A complete store inventory must be taken before officials and store owners know what and how much merchandise and drugs were taken in the crime, if any.

Chane did say store owners are planning to boost security measures immediately.

Weatherford Police Lt. Chris Crawford said the recent incident could be a vandalism. He added Wanda’s on Fort Worth Highway and Dixie House at Interstate 20 and Tin Top Road also made reports of having windows busted out sometime Wednesday evening.

Currently, all of the cases are being investigated by local authorities who are working with area departments.

Corrections officer charged in jail smuggling

A corrections officer has been arrested and charged with smuggling drugs and cigarettes to inmates inside the Nassau County jail, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced Friday.

The district attorney said the officer, Luke Holland, 42, of Levittown, was arraigned last week in First District Court in Hempstead, where he pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. He is scheduled to appear again on Feb. 27.

He has been suspended without pay by the Nassau County Sheriffs Department, Rice said.

The corrections officer was one of four people -- a jail visitor and two inmates also were arrested -- charged in two separate probes into smuggling operations at the facility. Officials said drugs, cigarettes and a cell phone were among the items smuggled into the jail between December 2006 and August 2007.

"I find these allegations against the corrections officer appalling," Rice said in a prepared statement released Friday. "He's a public servant sworn to protect us all.

"He violated the public trust and he put making a buck for himself ahead of the public."

Neither Holland nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.

Rice said Holland was paid directly, in cash, as well as by the transferring of commissary funds to others who then wired payments to him, for smuggling marijuana, the painkiller OxyContin and cigarettes to inmates.

The district attorney alleged Holland received "in excess of $9,000" over a nine-month period for the goods.

He was charged with second-degree receiving reward for official misconduct, a Class E felony carrying a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

A separate probe also led to the arrest of former inmates John Thompson, 25, of Roosevelt, and Michael Price, 28, of Brentwood, Rice said.

A Roosevelt woman, identified as Sherri Martin, 22, the girlfriend of Thompson, also was arrested in the probe.

All were charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband, a Class D felony carrying a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison.

Officials said Martin smuggled a cell phone into the Nassau County Correctional Facility, giving it to Thompson as he awaited sentencing on a drug possession conviction.

Before being sent to upstate Franklyn Correctional Institute to serve a 42-month sentence, Rice said Thompson gave the cell phone to Price -- a federal prisoner who was awaiting sentencing on a felony weapons possession charge. The phone was discovered before Price was transferred to Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institute in Pennsylvania last April.

He is serving an 80-month sentence.

Thompson was arrested in jail on Monday, Rice said, and was scheduled to be arraigned Friday. Price was arrested Jan. 9 and is scheduled to be transferred to Nassau County on Feb. 5, officials said.

Martin surrendered Friday.

Springfield Police Arrest High-Ranking Latin Kings Member

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (abc40) -- The Springfield Police Department's Street Crime Unit arrested a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings gang on Thursday.

Sgt. John Delaney said police found Joseph N. Belliveau, 21, of 54 Silver Street Springfield hiding out at 249 Garnett Street

Belliveau, known as "King Joe", was recently released from Ludlow Jail and had already committed crimes and had warrants for his arrest. Police received information on where he was hiding and responded. The officers found him carrying Oxycontin, which he admitted that he chews daily.

Belliveau also had default warrants for assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of heroin, possession of cocaine and possession of Oxycontin.

Confidence

Want to feel good about your work, your family . . . yourself? Try picking up that chin and pulling back those shoulders.

That's right -- carry yourself with confidence. Studies have found that people who consciously improve their posture actually end up improving their self-esteem. And it's one of the keys to

Confidence Carry-Over
When you carry yourself with confidence, not only do you feel better about yourself, but you make a better impression on other people, too. You know, like that new boss you're dying to impress.

The Surround-Sound Life
Another key to standing tall on life's tilt-a-wheel ride? Living a balanced, 360° life, says Cathie Black, president of Hearst Magazines and mom of two. That means maintaining equilibrium between work and everything else. Sure, you can constantly pull 80-hour work weeks, but you won't produce your best stuff if you do. Spending time with family, meeting new people, taking trips -- having a life outside the office -- is necessary in order to fuel your creative energies and recharge yourself.

You also need to ask yourself what you want most out of life, says Black -- not once, but often, because the person you are at 21 is very different from the person you are at 35, 47, or 61. Priorities, dreams, and goals change. Refocus and go after yours!



RealAge Benefit: Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge up to 16 years younger.

Opiate Treatment

Opiate Treatment:

Freedom from addiction and dependence is the goal of any opiate treatment. A wide range of in-patient and out-patient programs, services and treatments are available for people who are addicted to opioids including heroin and prescription painkillers such as morphine, OxyContin, Fentanyl, Lorcet and Lortab.

New advancements in the field of addiction are always on the horizon, as researchers, doctors and detox programs try to find solutions to the growing problem. Because of their addictive nature, opiates can lead to dependence, tolerance and addiction if used persistently. Opiates are considered the most effective in terms of pain relief. Oftentimes, people can take them safely in the prescribed amount. Prolonged, persistent use can lead to tolerance, dependence and addiction. Because opiates have a high rate of relapse, medically-supervised treatment is often necessary.
Drug Detox

Opiates can have severe withdrawal symptoms for those who use continuously. Because of this, most patients need to undergo detoxification to rid the system of opiates. Often the first step in a drug rehab program, detox could include any number of intervention strategies aimed at ridding users of addictive substances. Whatever detox process is used, the goal is to lessen the drugs’ physical effects on users.

Detox itself isn’t designed to target the other complex aspects of addiction, including psychological, social and behavioral health. Detox is often paired with other therapies to address these issues. Most detox programs begin by evaluating the patient to see if the drug is present in the body and whether there are other medical or psychological issues to address.

In some cases, stabilizing the patient requires medication to ease the physical and mental symptoms common with many drugs. Many programs offer “substitution therapy,” where opiate addiction is treated by other opiate-based drugs including Suboxone and Subutex. Because some of these replacement opiates can be addictive, patients often need to be weaned a second time.
Rapid Drug Detox

Researchers are always looking for a new way to treat an old problem. Programs that offer rapid detox do so in the hopes that quickly treating the addiction will have a better outcome in terms of patient abstinence. Not all rapid detox programs are designed the same or offer the same results. The Waismann Method of Accelerated Neuro-Regulation launched in 1997 and has treated thousands of patients world-wide with much success. Patients sleep comfortably under light anesthesia while special medications cleanse the drugs from their opiate receptors. With this in-hospital procedure, patients can return to a normal life within days.

Accelerated withdrawal symptoms occur within hours instead of days, as with traditional methods. Once patients wake up, they are no longer physically dependent on opiates and they are unaware of the withdrawal that occurred during the procedure. After-care is closely monitored and patients are prescribed a daily dose of non-addictive Naltrexone, an opiate inhibitor to eliminate physical cravings for opiates. The procedure helps patients detox from opiates including Vicodin, Norco, heroin, LAAM, Dilaudid, Darvocet, Percocet, Percodan, MS Contin, Stadol, Suboxone, Buprenorphine and Tramadol.
Get Help Now

Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Team can free you from your dependency and get your life back.

* Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353

Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com

Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.

McDowell authorities arrest three, confiscate quantity of oxycodone

CARETTA — A strike force made up of deputies of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department, the Southern Regional Drug & Violent Crime Task Force and officers of the Appalachian HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) executed a search warrant on a McDowell County residence and recovered illegal drugs, cash and made three arrests.

“We started at about 1:30 a.m. Friday morning,” Chief Field Deputy Mark Shelton of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Department said. “We had investigated the group and their operations for a while, obtained a search warrant for a residence at No. 5 Hollow in Caretta, and executed the warrant.

“We found a large quantity of oxyContin, about 700 pills,” Shelton said. “We also recovered $5,500 in cash and made three arrests including two people from Miami, Fla. Through the investigation, we believe that the people from Miami set up shop at the Caretta residence.”

Police arrested Eddie Kennedy, 38, of Caretta, Jeremias Johnson, 33, and Katricia Cravatt, 20, both of Miami and charged each suspect with conspiracy and possession of illegal drugs with the intent to deliver.

All three suspects appeared before McDowell County Magistrate Steve Cox who set bond for each at $100,000 per person. The three were being held in McDowell County Friday morning, awaiting transport to Southwest Regional Jail, according to Shelton.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

Police: White Jetta seen at robberies

The robber responsible for at least two of the armed robberies carried out at pharmacies in the Rutland area may have been driving a white Volkswagen Jetta, State Police said Wednesday.

In robberies at the Rite Aid in Rutland on Dec. 31, and drug stores in West Rutland and Whitehall, N.Y. on Jan. 5, witnesses reported that a lone gunman in his early 20s entered the stores and demanded OxyContin and oxycodone — powerful painkillers — before fleeing on foot.

But police investigators have long suspected that the gunman relied on more than fancy footwork to get away.

On Wednesday, State Police reported that the gunmen may have been driven away from the CVS drugstore robbed in that community by another man behind the wheel of a white Jetta circa 1993 to 1998.

State Police in Vermont reported that a man who was in the area of the Whitehall robbery saw a white Jetta with two men in the vehicle parked "suspiciously" on a street directly next to the pharmacy in a loading dock area.

Police believe the gunman responsible for robbing the CVS in Whitehall is the same assailant who later held up the Rite Aid pharmacy in West Rutland on the same night.

State Police said the Jetta seen at the Whitehall robbery was square shaped with no aftermarket body add-ons and no outstanding marks or rust.

The man behind the wheel of the Jetta was tanned with dark mid-length hair that curled at the ends, clean shaven and possibly in his early to mid 20s.

The gunman involved in the Whitehall and West Rutland robberies is described as roughly 18 to 20 years old, clean shaven with a baby face. Witnesses told police the gunman is between 5 feet 11 inches and 6 feet 3 inches tall with closely cropped dirty blond to brown hair.

Anyone with information about the car or the suspects is asked to call Detective Sgt. Albert Abdelnour at 773-9101.

Task force taking group approach to opiate problem

With the abuse of prescription drugs like oxycontin on the rise, a community task force has been established to address the problems arising from the increasing amount of opiate addiction in Rainy River District and First Nations’ communities.
OPP Insp. Dave Lucas, who last week was appointed as the new detachment commander of the Kenora OPP, informed delegates at the Ontario Association of Police Service Boards Zone 1 semi-annual meeting here in Fort Frances that representatives from pharmacies, aboriginal agencies, counselling services, dental offices, prevention programs, police services, and health care have come together to discuss the problem—and are trying to find both short-term and long-term solutions.

Inspector Lucas admitted he didn’t know much about this kind of opiate abuse until two years ago, when it became very clear it was a problem in Rainy River District.
“I asked myself, ‘Why didn’t I know about this if it is such a huge issue?’” he remarked, adding it quickly became evident there are no regulations to control how these drugs are prescribed.

“I was very dismayed when I saw hundreds of communities in North America where there had been epidemics, and here we are, we finally catch up, and we really haven’t learned anything from what has already happened,” added Insp. Lucas. “I was pretty disappointed with that.

“So we asked ourselves, ‘At what point do you say we have a problem?’
“Every community has a drug problem, there’s drugs in every community,” he stressed. “But at what point do you say, ‘This has become such an epidemic that we have to have community integrated response?’”

Inspector Lucas said that in early 2008, he met with Lori Maki, vice-president of clinical services at Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc., and they decided to get together community partners to see if everyone was experiencing strong indicators of opiate addiction here.

From a law enforcement perspective, police saw a rash of break-and-enters, both real and staged by people who were prescribed drugs, sold them, and then reported their drugs stolen so they could get more.

They also had problems with prisoners who claimed to be on oxycontin for a real medical condition, but if given the chance would crush and snort it like an addict.
Pharmacies have reported problems with stolen prescriptions, forgery, and people trying to get a prescription filled at one pharmacy and then trying to get it filled at another, as well.

Pharmacists also have had to deal with the question of whether their customers are taking their drugs—or selling them.

Police also have been called to pharmacies when suspicious people have been reported there around closing time, potentially endangering staff.

Insp. Lucas said the emergency department at the hospital has seen “pregnant women, addicted newborns, and a lot of trauma related to the use of this drug,” adding that because of this, emergency physicians no longer will administer oxycontin because of the desperate antics of addicts.

He noted doctors and dentists also have seen a rise in the number of patients asking for oxycontin prescriptions, and the number of people seeking methadone treatment continues to increase here—with the latest numbers estimated at nearly 100.

Inspector Lucas also said there has been a marked increase in the demand for drug counselling, especially for those under 18 years of age. One counsellor indicated 80 percent of their clients were opiate addicts.

Inspector Lucas said the problem also has prompted the formation of Parents Against Illicit Narcotics (PAIN), a group lobbying for drug treatment for youths.

Meanwhile, social services have reported child neglect issues associated with opiate abuse while the Canadian Mental Health Association has reported clients, who are legitimately on medications, being harassed by drug dealers.

With opiate abuse clearly identified as a problem here, Insp. Lucas said the task force has since come together and currently consists of about 30 members working together for an integrated community response, with room for growth.

The task force currently is focusing its attention on four “pillars,” including law enforcement, prevention, education, and treatment, with various community members assigned to each pillar.

For example, goals under law enforcement include education of the judiciary and police, revamping court case management to “red flag” drug offenders causing the most harm to the community, work with probation and parole services, getting a member of the OPP drug enforcement section to join the pillar, and contributing to an opiates task force pamphlet.

The task force’s next meeting is in February, at which time the various pillars will report what they think needs to be done.

“[The task force] is kind of in its inception, but I feel it is going to be very successful once we start working together,” said Inspector Lucas, adding he feels it is possible to make a difference.

Kim Metke, owner of Pharmasave and the Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary, agreed opiate abuse is a big problem here, adding he’s aware of at least one dealer in his own neighborhood.

“It is right here, right now,” he stressed.

As reported in last week’s Times, Metke still is planning to open a methadone treatment centre in Fort Frances this spring (it will be located at the former Home Suite Home furniture store on Scott Street).

He explained that methadone treatment is essentially replacing one opiate with another, but the difference is methadone is a slow release opiate and the patient does not get high off it.

The purpose of the treatment is not so much to cure the addict as it is about reduction of harm, noted Metke, adding addicts have described withdrawal as having the worst case of the ’flu multiplied by a hundred and they will stop at nothing to get their next fix.

“We are trying to stop these people from going into withdrawal and therefore not have to involve themselves in these drug-seeking activities, which are mostly break-and-enters,” he noted.

“Will they do muggings? Will they do purse snatchings? Will they do just about anything you could name of?

“Yeah, and some I couldn’t even think of,” remarked Metke.

As such, he’s putting in a methadone clinic not so much as a treatment facility but to help protect the community at large.

While many asked why doctors continue to write prescriptions for oxycontin when it is so addictive and prone to abuse, Metke said one of the problems is there currently are no strong guidelines to monitor who is getting these drugs.

He suggested communities get together and lobby the Ontario Medical Association to make changes.
On the same note, Insp. Lucas said that while the police continue to investigate other types of drug trafficking here, what makes oxycontin and the like so frustrating to deal with is it is a prescription drug.
“We should be able to control this,” he noted.
Held at La Place Rendez-Vous, 40-50 delegates from police services boards from Marathon to the Manitoba border met for registration and a mix-and-mingle last Wednesday evening, then attended workshops and underwent training all day Thursday and Friday morning.
These included a presentation by U.S. Customs regarding the Department of Homeland Security, one on Safe Communities Rainy River District, another on Treaty #3 police operations, and how the Treaty #3 Police Service interacts with other police service boards and the OPP.
Other presentations included one on dealing with students by local OPP community services officer Cst. Anne McCoy, one regarding the relationship between police services boards and municipal councils, and another covering parents taking an active role in their children’s online safety.

Pre-Teen Menstration

When you first get your period, you may feel happy about entering womanhood, scared about how to deal with it, relieved or worried about the timing, or all of the above. This is perfectly normal. Usually, girls start getting their period (menstruating) between ages 10 and 13, or at the same age their mom or other relatives got theirs, though it can also be younger or older than this. If you have an older sister, it can give you a clue about when you'll get yours. If you are worried about when you got your period or when you'll get it, you should talk to your mom and/or your doctor.

* Menstrual Cycle
* PMS
* Feminine Products
* Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
* Conclusion

Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual cycle usually lasts about 28 days, give or take a few. This means that you should get your period about every 3 1/2 or 4 weeks. When you first get your period it can be a little wacky, like skipping a month or coming after only 21 days. After a while, your cycle will probably become more predictable.

Your menstrual cycle:

* Your cycle technically begins on the day you start bleeding
* This "bleeding" is your body shedding the lining of the uterus, which was not needed because you were not pregnant.
* The bleeding (your period) lasts on average two to seven days.
* The second day is sometimes heaviest.
* You only lose about 1/4 cup blood during your period (although it can seem like more).
* During your cycle, between your periods, your ovaries release an egg. If the egg isn't fertilized (pregnancy), it is released during your period and your cycle starts all over again.
* About 28 days after you got your period, you'll get it again

You may notice that before your period you are cranky or achy, or just feel sick. This is because of the changing levels of hormones in your body and is called premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
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PMS

PMS can include:

* Cramps in your lower stomach and or back
* Feeling nauseous
* Migraines or headaches
* Oilier skin or more acne
* Feeling moody or irritable
* Bloating -- feeling puffier or heavier than usual (because your body retains more water before your period)

How to deal with PMS:

* Exercise -- you'll feel better, even if you have cramps or don't feel like exercising
* Eat fewer foods with salt, caffeine or sugar (salt makes you retain more water; sugar and caffeine just give you more highs and lows, which can make mood swings worse)
* Try yoga, stretching or massage
* Take a warm shower or bath, or just rest and relax
* If you feel really bad and the tips above don't help much or at all, talk with a parent about taking painkillers

If you miss your period it could just be because your cycle is irregular. A missed period could also be caused by moderate weight loss, an eating disorder, over-exercise or pregnancy. If you miss your period, talk to your parents, another trusted adult or your doctor.
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Feminine Products

FlowersWhile you have your period, you want to absorb the flow of blood in order to stay clean. There are different options, and your mom, sister or other older female friend/relative can help you decide what's best for you.

Pads
Pads (sometimes called sanitary napkins) stick to your underwear and absorb the flow of blood once it leaves your body. The come in many sizes, thicknesses and widths, so you may have to experiment to find the best one for you. Dried menstrual blood can start to smell after a while and after it has dried, so depending on how strong your flow is, you should change your pad every few hours (just use a thicker one at night and it should last you all night).

Tampons
Tampons are inserted into the vagina with a plastic or cardboard applicator or with a finger. They absorb the blood before it leaves the body. Tampons have a string attached so they can be pulled out. When you insert a tampon, you shouldn't be able to feel that it's there. If it's uncomfortable, you probably inserted it incorrectly. It usually takes a few tries, but it's okay to ask your sister, mom or older female friend/relative for help.
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Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)

Tampons have a few advantages over pads -- you can swim with them in, they are less messy and there's less odor. It is very important to change tampons often, meaning every few hours, or when they are full. You shouldn't sleep in a tampon. Leaving a tampon in for too long can cause bacteria to grow inside your body and lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), an infection that can feel like the flu but become dangerous. It can be deadly if you don't get treated right away.

The symptoms of TSS include:

* Peeling skin
* Fever
* Feeling like you have the flu (nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, feeling confused or disoriented)
* Body aches (muscle pain, headaches)
* Sore throat
* Pale skin

Talk to your parents or your doctor if you have these symptoms and have been wearing a tampon.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, your period will probably come when your body is ready, which is different for everybody. You can know when to expect it and how to deal with it when it comes by talking with your friend(s), parent(s), sister(s), relatives or doctor. It is important to ask someone if you are worried or concerned.
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Girls in a boat
By Katie Ransohoff, High School Student Writer


Sources:
"Periods: Menstrual Cycle," PAMF.

Caring for your Aging Parent

What is healthy aging?

Getting older is a natural part of life. How you will feel as you get older depends on many things, including what health problems run in your family and the choices you make. If you take good care of your body and learn positive ways to deal with stress now, you can slow down or even prevent problems that often come with getting older.

It’s never too early or too late to change bad habits and start good ones. No matter when you start, a healthy lifestyle can make a difference in how you feel and what you can do.
What determines how healthy you will be as you get older?

The changes you'll go through as you get older depend on a number of things. One is your family history (genetics). If your family members have diseases or ongoing (chronic) health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes, then you may have a greater chance of having those problems yourself. But just because your risk is higher, it doesn't mean you will definitely have the same problems. In fact, the lifestyle choices you make can help reduce your chances of getting illnesses that run in your family. And even if you do get a family illness, choosing to exercise, eat right, and learning to deal with stress can keep the illness from destroying your ability to enjoy your golden years.
What kinds of changes should you expect as you age?

Changes as you get older are usually gradual. Certain physical changes are common. Your metabolism (how fast your body can burn calories) slows over time, which means that your body needs less food energy than before. Also, most people start needing reading glasses between ages 40 and 50, and many have some hearing loss later in life. Starting in your 50s, bone aging increases. Also starting around age 50, you may notice changes in sexual function—it's normal to have a slower sexual response.

Most vital organs gradually become less efficient with age. The kidneys are less able to keep enough water in your body. And the heart can start to show signs of wear and tear caused by years of eating the wrong foods and not exercising. So as you get older, it’s important to exercise, drink plenty of water, and eat the right foods. Doing these things will help your body work well for a longer period of time.
What do you need to do to feel your best as you age?

One of the most important things you can do for your health at any age is exercise. Exercise keeps your body strong, and it helps with how you feel. People who stay active are less likely to get depressed. Exercise can be anything from walking to gardening to working out at the gym. The important thing is to be active almost every day. No matter what your age or condition, there is a type of exercise that's right for you. Always ask your doctor whether it is safe for you to start an exercise program.

Your mental and emotional health are also important. Protect or improve your emotional health by staying in touch with friends, family, and the community. People who feel connected to others are more likely to thrive than those who are not. And try to keep stress at a minimum. In addition to getting regular exercise, you can take charge of how stress affects you by taking 20 minutes a day to just relax.

Protect or improve your memory and mental sharpness by keeping your brain active through learning, doing crossword puzzles, or playing cards or strategy games. Depression can be a serious problem for older adults. If you think you may be depressed, seek help—antidepressant medicine and counseling can help treat depression.

Other good health habits can help you stay at your best:

* Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid salty foods and foods with a lot of fat in them, such as fried foods.

* Remember that sexually transmitted diseases can affect anyone at any age, so safe sex is a must.

* If you smoke, try to quit.

* Don't abuse alcohol or drugs.

Memory Exercises

Memory loss is a fact of life for people with Alzheimer's disease. It's also quite common in people who've had traumatic brain injuries. Some of the memory training techniques used with brain-injured people are also proving helpful to people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a disorder that often precedes Alzheimer's disease.

What types of memory training techniques are you studying?

We're using monthly pocket calendars, small enough to fit in a man's pocket or a woman's purse. Each day on the calendar is divided into scheduled events, things to be done today but at no particular time, and then notes on anything — like the weather forecast or the fact that grapes are on sale at the supermarket.

This type of memory training system has been successful with people who have had memory loss from brain injuries. We're testing it with people who have mild cognitive impairment. While the physical causes of their memory problems are different, the practical outcome is the same. And the system seems to work for both.
What's the difference between mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's?

Mild cognitive impairment is a transition stage between the cognitive changes of normal aging and the more serious problems caused by Alzheimer's disease. It often includes the memory loss problems common to Alzheimer's, but doesn't meet the qualifications for full-blown dementia.

While many people who have mild cognitive impairment go on to develop Alzheimer's, others don't. So a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment doesn't necessarily mean you will certainly develop Alzheimer's.

Because the cognitive problems are less severe in MCI, there is greater opportunity to use non-memory skills to compensate for memory problems.
How do people with memory problems remember to use the calendar?

We work with them for six weeks, so that it becomes a habit. It's kind of like driving a stick shift or typing on a computer keyboard. You don't think about all the motions involved in the process. You don't say to yourself, "OK, now I'm going to depress the clutch with my left foot and move the shifter with my right hand." You just do it. One of our participants compared it to golfing. He doesn't think about how to position his head or his hips. He just does it.

In addition to writing things in the calendar, we also ask our participants to look at their calendars at least twice a day. Three times is even better. At breakfast, they can look over what they're supposed to do that day. They need to check the day before, too, to see if there are any unfinished tasks that need to be carried forward.

We also tell them to check things off right when they do it. So even if they don't remember doing something — if it's checked off, they must have done it.
Does just writing things down help people remember?

Writing it down helps it stick in your memory. Saying it out loud as you're writing it down also can help cement it in your memory. I tell people to use all their senses to help jog their memory. I had a big test to study for recently, and I said things out loud and had color-coded reminder notes. I even drew pictures. The good thing about this calendar is that it can encompass whatever works for you.
This sounds helpful even for people who don't have memory loss problems.

This can benefit all sorts of people. I personally never kept a calendar until this. I got a planner and followed right along with the study participants. Lots of people need something like this. For example, they'll get a phone call and then jot a phone number on the newspaper and then throw the paper away.

One of our participants came in with a big stack of Post-it notes and scraps of paper, all bound together with a rubber band. We've just translated that into one system, so people can find what they need easily when they need it.
Is it working for the people in your study?

Almost every person in the study has said that it has helped them. That has been very satisfying. Some people are still at it after more than a year. That's really something, to have people change the way they do things and have it stick.

Every person who participates in this study is accompanied by a support person, usually a spouse or child. And these support people often say, "It's so nice not to have to answer the same question over and over."
Are there other benefits?

It helps make our participants feel a little bit more independent — that they don't have to rely on other people to remember things for them.

This system also gives them a way of feeling they are doing something pro-active. Many people feel the control slipping out of their fingers. By giving them back some personal responsibility and control, it's really making a difference in that individual. It's hitting both needs at the same time.
How long does this technique hold off the types of memory lapses that lead to loss of independence?

We don't know yet. In my mind, it's a "use it or lose it" scenario. You need to keep your brain engaged in attending to these things, or they're gone.

This is basically a holding maneuver. Some people may think they don't need it now, that they're functioning OK. But it's like muscle memory. If they get it to become a habit, it will help them be prepared for that day when they really do need it.

The Art of Sex

For those of you Gentlemen in a long-term relationship, you may think dating is behind you.

Not so fast. I think dating is an erotic art that would be a part of your love life as long as you are alive.

Keeping your sex life fresh and vibrant is really about remaining open to new experiences and new sensations.

Making a date with your wife or girlfriend, you will not only experience a great sexual stimulation

- which of course is a big part of it, but also engage in activities that can increase

the romantic quotient on our date like lets say moonlit walks and touring art museums.

I have personally toured many art galleries and museums with my girlfriend. It is a nice way to spend the afternoon before a romantic dinner. I am of an opinion that art arouses your senses and awakens you to thoughts and feelings out of the ordinary realm of your day-to-day life.

If you share these thoughts and feelings with another, you can both open up your senses and perceptions to new possibilities. It also gives you a chance to see each other in a different light.

Sharing your likes and dislikes in art is another way to bond and increase your intimacy.

Another way of spending our time could be a walk in local gardens or parks.
I have spent more then one date wandering parklike settings of gardens open to public.

I think connecting with nature is a natural prelude to romance and sex.

A memorable date could of course involve a long luxurious dinner at fine restaurant
where all your senses are engaged. Your sense of sight is stimulated by the arrangement of the food, the table, the restaurant. Your sense of smell is aroused by the aroma of the food and perhaps a light smell of her perfume emanating from your dinner partner.

Your sense of touch is also involved. Some foods are juicy, others are dry and
still others are soft and warm. And last, but not least, your sense of hearing comes into play in the form of your partners voice and stimulating conversation.

Ready to play

I think sex is an extremely important event worthy of all the anticipation, planning and effort most people expend for other special occasions such as birthdays or holidays.

Although I am not an expert in relationships, this is just my own opinion, I make every effort to honor sex as a special and sacred event. I take the time to find out something about her likes and dislikes, I do not approach this like I am taking her order for a meal. Instead, I am subtle and a little mysterious. I use my intuition to fill in the gaps between what she says.

If she mentions a lot of stress at work, I know it is the best for me to create a relaxing and soothing atmosphere. But if she complains about being bored, I would ensure lots of excitement during our time together.

If she is stressed out, I would create a soothing and healing atmosphere.

I would let her talk about the troubles of the day and then give her for a relaxing massage.

Sex would flow slowly and easily from this place.

Sex and Mind

I am of an opinion that great sex is not only about body and psychical sensations.

I think truly great sex engages the intellect as well. In fact intellectual stimulation has limitless potential and can be accessed regardless of physical limitations such as age or health. It would be verbal fencing, humor, active listening and sharing secrets.

Most Women are aroused by a Man who is intelligent and assertive.

Humor is also important. When we laugh, we release many endorphins that are the same
chemicals present when they have orgasms. Endorphins create a sense of well-being.
Endorphins also bond us to others, so laughter can be a wonderful precursor to sex !

A little bit of humor...I call it "The 7 minute secret"

You are on business travel. You had a long day full of meetings with angry clients.

You have a couple of drinks at the bar and head to relax in the privacy of your hotel room.

You turn on the TV and within seconds you gravitate towards the adult entertainment channel.

You enjoyed the preview, you've seen that blonde before, and decide to order the movie using the hotel's digital system supplied by a large entertainment conglomerate...

Well, a very reliable source shared something hilarious with me:

in today's digital world the length of time you watch porn is measured, anatomized,
and becomes part of a statistical distribution.

Ever wondered what the average time watching hotel porn is?
You guessed right, it's about 7 minutes :)

To Chronic pain patients

A note from Dr. Yee to our chronic pain patients:

Opiate dependence is a disease, a chemical imbalance of the central nervous system, not unlike depression.

In other words if a patient does not get the opiates they need, they get very sick. Chronic pain patients will get "hooked" or become dependent on opiates given enough time. They will develop tolerance and not really understand if they are treating their underlying pain problem or physical dependence.The real problem with chronic opiate therapy in treating non-malignant pain is that it just does not work that well and unfortunately doctor's end up creating a second iatrogenic disease.
There is a growing body of literature that shows high dose opiates actually cause hyperalgesia.

Most pain doctors have seen this, but it is often not recognized.During the day when an opiate dependent patient takes their medication, there is a high likelihood that they are really treating their withdrawal rather than the underlying pain. It is very easy to confuse the general body aches and low back pain symptoms of early onset withdrawal with the original underlying condition. The same phenomenon occurs with chronic headache patients. If a patient takes a pill and it makes them feel better, they assume the pill is good, as does their doctor. Here in lies the problem with chronic opiate use, and understanding what is really being treated.
Anesthesia Assisted Medical Opiate Detoxification, commonly known as Rapid Opiate Detoxification, reverses the chemical imbalance of opiate dependence. This is a medical treatment, it is humane and effective.

The hyper sympathetic response to withdrawal is blocked with alpha-2 agonists, patients are induced and maintained under heavy ICU sedation, intubated, and an accelerated withdrawal is precipitated with an opiate antagonist. Patients are asleep for 1-2 hours and stay in the hospital for about 3 or 4 days. Chronic pain patients can be humanely and effectively detoxified from their opiate medication with out the long drawn out withdrawal syndrome that can last from weeks to months. This gives the patient the opportunity to see what life is like without drugs.

Patients are expected to be in no more pain after treatment than they are, on all the opiate medications. Often time's patients actually report having less pain off the drugs, supporting the hyper-algesic literature.

Respectfully,

Thomas Yee, M.D.

Get Help Now

Call us today to discuss how the VI.P. Las Vegas Way can free you from your dependency and get your life back.

* Call Call (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 during business hours. for more information about rapid detox treatment for prescription drug addiction
* Call After-hours and weekends, please call (702) 813-3888.
* Email send us a confidential email.

Ways to Build Endorphins Naturally

Build Endorphins Naturally:

Learn to laugh with someone, not necessarily at them. Laughter is good medicine and food for the body, soul and spirit. Science has shown that endorphins are naturally produced within our brains.

They are more than neurotransmitters that serve as a built-in pain control system. Some scientists claim that endorphins enhance our immune system and have anti-aging effects.

Endorphins are produced when we share love, eat a great meal, take a walk, and for me, singing a song even when we learn something new. One of the easiest ways to release endorphins is to laugh. Laughing with a family, friends, etc... is like experiencing a physical and mental workout.

Exercise benefits:

Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system.

Frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help prevent or treat serious and life-threatening chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression. Strength training appears to have continuous energy-burning effects that persist for about 24 hours after the training, though they do not offer the same cardiovascular benefits as aerobic exercises do.

There is conflicting evidence as to whether vigorous exercise (more than 70% of VO2 Max) is more or less beneficial than moderate exercise (40 to 70% of VO2 Max). Some studies have shown that vigorous exercise executed by healthy individuals can effectively increase opioid peptides (aka endorphins, a naturally occurring opiate that in conjunction with other neurotransmitters is responsible for exercise induced euphoria and has been shown to be addictive), positively influence hormone production (i.e., increase testosterone and growth hormone), benefits that are not as fully realized with moderate exercise.

Sex, also produces Endorphins, so go for it...it's exercise, feels good and produces endorphins.

Opiate Detox

The phrase “opiate detox” refers to the process used to rid opiates from the bodies of patients who have developed dependency or addiction. Often the first step in a drug rehab program, detoxification could include any number of intervention strategies. Because of their addictive nature, opiates can lead to dependence, tolerance and addiction if used persistently. Opiates are considered most effective in terms of pain relief.

Oftentimes, people can take them safely in the prescribed amount. Detox from opiates like heroin, OxyContin, Lortab and Vicodin requires close supervision. Many programs provide both detoxification and rehabilitation services to help patients deal with sober living and the consequences of withdrawal. Many users delay seeking help for a drug problem because of the intense cravings and physical and mental withdrawal that sets in. Depending on the drug and severity of the problem, withdrawal symptoms vary widely.

They can include tremors, sleeplessness, anxiousness, flu-like symptoms, tremors, hallucination, delirium, sweating, muscle and bone pain, confusion, extreme irritability and muscle spasms.
Treatment Options For Opiate Addiction

Opiates are powerful painkillers that cause sedation and euphoria and are commonly abused. Opiate addiction is caused by persistent use of opiates and is thought to be a disorder of the central nervous system.

Once addicted, many opiate users feel completely powerless and continue to use despite potentially dangerous or life-threatening consequences. With traditional programs, the detoxification process can last a few days, depending on the drug and the length and frequency of use. It could be very dangerous for users to attempt to detox on their own.

Serious medical issues could arise that require medical attention such as high blood pressure, seizure, hallucinations and convulsions. Many detox centers provide clients with a safe, secure facility where their physical discomfort can be managed. Detox and rehabilitation are not easy, but finding the right place can make all the difference. Many programs offer “substitution therapy,” where opiate addiction is treated by other opiate-based drugs including Suboxone, Metadone, and Subutex.

Because some of these replacement opiates can be addictive, patients often need to be weaned a second time.
Rapid Opiate Detox

Programs that offer rapid detox do so in the hopes that quickly treating the addiction will have a better outcome in terms of patient abstinence. Not all rapid detox programs are designed the same or offer the same results.

The Las Vegas V.I.P. Way of Accelerated Neuro-Regulation launched in 2000 and has treated thousands of patients world-wide with much success. Patients sleep comfortably under light anesthesia while special medications cleanse the drugs from their opiate receptors. With this in-hospital procedure, patients can return to a normal life within days. Accelerated withdrawal symptoms occur within hours instead of days, as with traditional methods.

Once patients wake up, they are no longer physically dependent on opiates and they are unaware of the withdrawal that occurred during the procedure. After-care is closely monitored and patients are prescribed a daily dose of non-addictive Naltrexone, an opiate inhibitor to eliminate physical cravings for opiates. The procedure helps patients detox from opiates including Vicodin, Norco, heroin, LAAM, Dilaudid, Darvocet, Percocet, Percodan, MS Contin, Stadol, Suboxone, Buprenorphine and Tramadol.
Get Help Now

Call us today to discuss how the Las Vegas V.I.P. Way can free you from your dependency and get your life back.

* Call Call (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 during business hours. for more information about rapid detox treatment for prescription drug addiction
* Call After-hours and weekends, please call (702) 813-3888.
* Email send us a confidential email.

Florida man guilty of selling drugs in Whitley

Man could face $1M fine along with prison sentence

By Brad Hicks / Staff Writer

A Florida man is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of possessing and distributing oxycodone in Whitley County.

Michael Bruce Walters, of Lecanto, Fla., pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in London to one count of possession of a quantity of pills containing oxycodone with intent to distribute. He was indicted on the charge by a federal grand jury in August 2008.

According to the affidavit filed in U.S. District Court, a confidential source contacted Walters on July 30, 2008 and on Aug. 6, 2008 to arrange the purchase of oxycodone. The affidavit states these phone conversations were recorded by law enforcement officials.

On Aug. 8, 2008, the confidential source purchased more than 50 pills for approximately $1,900 from Walters and Natasha Barton from a Whitley County residence, according to court documents. This transaction was video and audio recorded.

That same day, officials executed a search warrant on the Woodbine home of Donnie Barton, where Walters and Natasha Barton had sold pills to the confidential source earlier, documents state.

A search of Walters’ Dodge Dakota was also performed, where police found more than 170 OxyContin pills, 29 pills containing oxycodone and 122 tablets containing methadone, as well as 40 dosage units of alprazolam. Officials also located the money used by the confidential source to make the earlier transaction.

With his plea, Walters also faces a fine of up to $1 million and at least three years supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Walters for May 14 in U.S. District Court in London.

Opiate Withdrawal Syndrome and Opiate Detox

Life hurts. Withdrawal hurts more.

Withdrawal is a long and painful process, which can cause permanent damage to your heart lungs, and brain. For health compromised patients, untreated and unmonitored withdrawal can lead to death.

Opiate dependency treatment requires safe and responsible medical care. In the past, opiate dependents had no choice but to undergo conventional detoxification procedures. It caused them to suffer a debilitating and dangerous withdrawal syndrome:

Opiate deprivation triggered unbearable pain and a cascade of bodily reactions:

* Cold sweating
* Uncontrollable diarrhea
* Nausea and vomiting
* Aching limbs
* Severe depression
* Mounting panic

Today, the V.I.P. Las Vegas Team recognizes opiate addiction as a reversible medical disorder, treatable in an effective, dignified, safe and humane manner. Common medications that patients seek to detoxify include: hydrocodone, oxycodone, and hydromorphone.

* Call Call (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 during business hours. for more information about rapid detox treatment for prescription drug addiction
* Call After-hours and weekends, please call (702) 813-3888.
* Email send us a confidential Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com

FDA Panel Says Some Asthma Inhalers are Risky and are not Worth Taking

A FDA Panel said Thursday that the risks of death and serious injury associated with certain of asthma inhalers are greater than the benefits of the drugs. The drugs discussed by panel were: Serevent, Advair, Foradil, and Symbicort.

Asthma is a chronic condition which affects about 22 million Americans, including 6.5 million children and is marked by narrowing of the airways, which causes sudden difficulty breathing. The inhalers are known as long-acting beta-agonists, or LABAs, and are designed to reduce tightening of the muscles around the airway caused by asthma.

It is estimated that six million asthma patients have been prescribed these types of medications. The FDA asked the panel expert panel for advice on whether to allow certain drugs to continue to be marketed for the treatment of asthma in children and adults. There have been concerns that the products increase the risk of asthma-related side effects.
Free Lawsuit Consultation

If you or a loved one has suffered due to an asthma inhaler you may have valuable legal rights. Please complete the inquiry form on the right side of this page to have your case further reviewed.

Lawsuit Info. Here!

OxyContinLawsuit

Did You Become Addicted To OXYCONTIN after being Prescribed?

OxyContin Lawsuit: Legal Help for Victims of Oxycontin Addiction

OxyContin has emerged as one of the most addictive narcotic prescription painkillers ever approved by the FDA. Oxycontin is very similar to morphine, and is used to treat moderate to severe pain. Unfortunately, many patients who are prescribed OxyContin for legitimate reasons become severely addicted to the drug, many of which require rehabilitation to free themselves of the addiction.

In January 2004, congressional investigators stated that Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, delivered promotional videos to physicians making unsupported claims that minimized the dangers of the medication. In May 2007, Purdue Pharma, L.P., pleaded guilty to a federal felony of intentionally, knowingly, and fraudulently misbranding OxyContin in order to persuade health care providers to specifically prescribe its painkiller to their patients. As a result of these actions, OxyContin became one of the best selling pain medications of all time.Legal Help Only Available for OxyContin Victims who were Prescribed the Medication

Unfortunately, OxyContin has become a popular drug sold on the streets. In fact, there have been numerous pharmacies have been robbed for OxyContin. However, at this time legal consultations are only available to those who became addicted to OxyContin after the drug was prescribed to them by a doctor.Free Lawsuit Consultation

If you or a loved one has suffered due to an Oxycontin addiction you may have valuable legal rights. Please complete the inquiry form by clicking on picture below to have your case further reviewed.

Lawsuit Info

Hernia Mesh Patch Recall

Was a Mesh Hernia Patch used in your Hernia surgery?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Devol, Inc., a subsidiary of C.R. Bard initiated a recall on December 5th 2005 for its Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Large Oval and Large Circle Patch which were designed to treat ventricle hernias.

The patch is inserted through a small incision and is placed behind the hernia. A "memory recoil ring" is used to keep the patch closed until after it has been inserted in the body.

The purpose of the patch is to prevent the hernia from pushing through weakened tissue walls, specifically in cases when stomach muscles are too weak for surgery to repair the hernia. However, the "memory recoil ring" can break under the stress of placement in the body, resulting in bowel perforations and chronic intestinal fistula.

Some of them are, but not limited to;
• Tenderness at the implant area
• Unexplained pain
• Redness at the implanted area
• Fever
• Any unusual symptoms

If you or a loved one have experienced problems with the implanted Bard Composix Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch, which may consist of bowel perforations and chronic intestinal fistula, please contact an attorney.

Hernia Mesh Patch Recall!

Health Warning for Heart Surgery Patients and their Families

If you've undergone or watched someone else undergo major surgery, you realize the seriousness of the situation. One slight error and the consequences could be permanent for the patient. A huge problem for those on the operating table has been the possibility of enormous blood loss; thus, Trasylol was developed and introduced.

Watch The Trasylol Alert From The FDA!

Created from a cow lung extract, Trasylol is an amino acid that stops blood from coagulating.

During surgery, many patients are given Trasylol to prevent substantial blood loss. Trasylol slows down fibrinolysis, which can lead to the separation of blood clots. And ideally, Trasylol additionally reduces the need for blood transfusions. However, the drug has recently been linked to such dire side effects as heart attack, stroke, and acute renal failure in patients who had been given Trasylol in good faith by their physicians.

In fact, concerns over Trasylol's possible defectiveness (and rush to the market without being sufficiently studied) have led a number of individuals to file lawsuits on behalf of themselves or others.

If you or someone you care about was given Trasylol and experienced any of the following side effects, you may be entitled to monetary compensation from Bayer (Trasylol's maker) for your suffering:

* Kidney problems
* Heart attack
* Stroke
* Thrombosis
* Myocardial infarction
* Encephalopathy (Note: Italy withdrew Trasylol from the market over fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy potential, likely from its cow lung extract connection as noted above)
Trasylol doubles the risk of renal failure and stroke and also increases the risk of heart failure or heart attack by 55%

The Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory on February 9, 2006 to alert doctors to limit the use of Trasylol in patients during coronary artery bypass surgery due to the risk of potentially-fatal kidney trauma. There are a number of less expensive and dangerous generic drugs that could prevent renal failure in 9,000 to 11,000, but Bayer AG maintains that the findings of the FDA and the NEJM do not reflect the 15 years of data collected from their own studies.

If you or someone you love was injured by the severe side effects of Trasylol, you may be entitled to pursue financial compensation for your pain and suffering, but if you wait too long laws called statutes of limitations could prevent you from pressing your case. Let a dedicated and experienced defective drug attorney help you get you the restitution you deserve. Contact a Trasylol lawyer today.

you may be entitled to compensation!

AVANDIA Lawsuit Info

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aware of a potential safety issue related to Avandia (rosiglitazone), a drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes.

Safety data from controlled clinical trials have shown that there is a potentially significant increase in the risk of heart attack and heart-related deaths in patients taking Avandia.

Avandia (rosiglitazone) is manufactured by drug maker GlaxoSmithKline,
and is one of the most popular pharmaceuticals for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

If you or someone you know has taken Avandia
you or that someone or their family may be entitled to monetary damages.

AVANDIA LAWSUIT INFO

What Are Opiate Receptors?

Opiate receptors are a type of protein found in the brain, spinal cord and gastrointestinal tract. Opiates activate receptors once they reach the brain. They produce effects that directly correlate with the area of the brain involved. Opiates facilitate pain relief and stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain that signal reward. When a person injects, sniffs or orally ingests heroin or morphine, the drugs travel quickly through the bloodstream to the brain.

Once heroin gets to the brain, it converts rapidly to morphine, which activates the receptors. In the reward system, the drugs activate these areas of the brain: ventral tegmental area (VTA), cerebral cortex and nucleus accumbens. Research shows that stimulation of the opiate receptors by heroin, morphine and other opiates results in feelings of reward. It also activates pleasure circuits by causing a larger amount of dopamine to be released in the nucleus accumbens. This causes a rush, or intense feelings of euphoria, which subside quickly and are followed by relaxation and contentment. The calm typically lasts a few hours. Excessive release of dopamine and activation of the reward system can lead to addiction.
Types of Opiate Receptors

The four major subgroups of opiate receptors are delta, kappa, mu and Nociceptin, and each is involved in controlling different functions of the brain. As an example, opiates and endorphins block pain signals by binding to the mu receptor site. The delta receptor in the brain is involved in pain relief, antidepressant effects and physical dependence. Kappa receptors in the brain and spinal cord are linked with sedation, spinal analgesia and pupil constriction.

The functions of the mu receptors in the brain and spinal cord are physical dependence, respiratory depression, euphoria, pupil constriction and supraspinal analgesia. Nociceptin receptors in the brain and spinal cord are involved with appetite, depression, anxiety and the development of tolerance to mu agonists.
Opiates and Addiction

Research involving opiate drugs and opiate receptors is a high priority because of problems associated with them. Because of the euphoric state associated with opiates, they are a class of drug often misused and abused. They can also be highly addicting. In particular, prescription opiates can be problematic because they can be obtained legally from a doctor.

The availability of opiate painkillers – through prescription and sale on the black market – has resulted in unforeseen cases of dependence. Natural opiates are contained in the resin of the opium poppy plant and include morphine and codeine. Semi-synthetic opiates are created from natural opioids and include buprenorphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone and oxymorphone. Fully synthetic opioids include Fentanyl, Tramadol and Methadone.

Endogenous opioid peptides are produced naturally by the body and include endorphins and dynorphins. Once the body’s opioid receptors have been desensitized because of prolonged use, users can build up a tolerance and require a higher dose to achieve the same effect. Physical and/or psychological addiction can occur with regular use.
Get Vicodin Help Now

Call us today to discuss how the V.i.P. Team can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back.

* Call Call (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 during business hours. for more information about rapid detox treatment for prescription drug addiction
* Call After-hours and weekends, please call (702) 813-3888.
* Email send us a confidential email. info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com

Opiates in the Human Body

Opiates elicit their powerful effects by activating opiate receptors that are widely distributed throughout the brain and body. Once an opiate reaches the brain, it quickly activates the opiate receptors that are found in many brain regions and produces an effect that correlates with the area of the brain involved.

Two important effects produced by opiates, such as morphine, are pleasure (or reward) and pain relief. The brain itself also produces substances known as endorphins that activate the opiate receptors. Research indicates that endorphins are involved in many things, including respiration, nausea, vomiting, pain modulation, and hormonal regulation.
When opiates are prescribed by a physician for the treatment of pain and are taken in the prescribed dosage, they are safe and there is little chance of addiction.

However, when opiates are abused and taken in excessive doses, addiction can result.

Opiate: Reward System

Findings from animal research indicate that, like cocaine and other abused drugs, opiates can also activate the brain's reward system. When a person injects, sniffs, or orally ingests heroin (or morphine), the drug travels quickly to the brain through the bloodstream.

Once in the brain, the heroin is rapidly converted to morphine, which then activates opiate receptors located throughout the brain, including within the reward system.

Because of its chemical structure, heroin penetrates the brain more quickly than other opiates, which is probably why many addicts prefer heroin.

Within the reward system, the morphine activates opiate receptors in the VTA, nucleus accumbens, and cerebral cortex (refer to the Introduction for information on the reward system). Research suggests that stimulation of opiate receptors by morphine results in feelings of reward and activates the pleasure circuit by causing greater amounts of dopamine to be released within the nucleus accumbens. This causes an intense euphoria, or rush, that lasts only briefly and is followed by a few hours of a relaxed, contented state. This excessive release of dopamine and stimulation of the reward system can lead to addiction.

Opiates also act directly on the respiratory center in the brainstem, where they cause a slowdown in activity. This results in a decrease in breathing rate. Excessive amounts of an opiate, like heroin, can cause the respiratory centers to shut down breathing altogether. When someone overdoses on heroin, it is the action of heroin in the brainstem respiratory centers that can cause the person to stop breathing and die.
Opiate, Brain and Endorphin

As mentioned earlier, the brain itself produces endorphins that have an important role in the relief or modulation of pain. Sometimes, though, particularly when pain is severe, the brain does not produce enough endorphins to provide pain relief. Fortunately, opiates, such as morphine are very powerful pain relieving medications. When used properly under the care of a physician, opiates can relieve severe pain without causing addiction.

Although endorphins are not always adequate to relieve pain, they are very important for survival. If an animal or person is injured and needs to escape a harmful situation, it would be difficult to do so while experiencing severe pain. However, endorphins that are released immediately following an injury can provide enough pain relief to allow escape from a harmful situation. Later, when it is safe, the endorphin levels decrease and intense pain may be felt. This also is important for survival. If the endorphins continued to blunt the pain, it would be easy to ignore an injury and then not seek medical care.

There are several types of opiate receptors, including the delta, mu, and kappa receptors. Each of these three receptors is involved in controlling different brain functions. For example, opiates and endorphins are able to block pain signals by binding to the mu receptor site. The powerful new technology of cloning has enabled scientists to copy the genes that make each of these receptors. This in turn is allowing researchers to conduct laboratory studies to better understand how opiates act in the brain and, more specifically, how opiates interact with each opiate receptor to produce their effects. This information may eventually lead to more effective treatments for pain and opiate addiction.
Opiates: Pain Relief

Feelings of pain are produced when specialized nerves are activated by trauma to some part of the body, either through injury or illness. These specialized nerves, which are located throughout the body, carry the pain message to the spinal cord. After reaching the spinal cord, the message is relayed to other neurons, some of which carry it to the brain. Opiates help to relieve pain by acting in both the spinal cord and brain. At the level of the spinal cord, opiates interfere with the transmission of the pain messages between neurons and therefore prevent them from reaching the brain. This blockade of pain messages protects a person from experiencing too much pain. This is known as analgesia.

Opiates also act in the brain to help relieve pain, but the way in which they accomplish this is different than in the spinal cord.

There are several areas in the brain that are involved in interpreting pain messages and in subjective responses to pain. These brain regions are what allow a person to know he or she is experiencing pain and that it is unpleasant. Opiates also act in these brain regions, but they don't block the pain messages themselves. Rather, they change the subjective experience of the pain. This is why a person receiving morphine for pain may say that they still feel the pain but that it doesn't bother them anymore.
Get Help Now

Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Las Vegas Rapid Detox can free you from your dependency and get your life back.