Substance Use Research Charleston, SC

05/25/2022

Do you smoke pot, but want to smoke less? Cutting down or quitting ma*****na may improve your learning and memory. A research study at MUSC may help you give your brain a break. Call 843-792-5695. Click to leave contact information: https://redcap.musc.edu/surveys/?s=HAHDXLCEYN

11/15/2021

Research study to explore the effects of ma*****na use on memory and (MUSC)
The Medical University of South Carolina is conducting a research study to explore the effects of ma*****na use on memory and thinking. We are looking for adults aged 50-80 who regularly smoke/ingest ma*****na. Click the link below or call 843-792-5573 to learn more about the PUMA Study.

https://redcap.link/PUMA

The Addiction Sciences Division at MUSC conducts treatment and non-treatment studies in the field of

10/18/2021

Do you smoke ma*****na? Research Study at MUSC

We are looking to recruit women that use ma*****na and live in the greater Charleston area for a study at MUSC. Our study is looking at how regular ma*****na use can affect the endocannabinoid system. Our study involves no medications, participants will be compensated, and the study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

This study is listed on SCresearch.org under "Endocannabinoid Dysregulation in Cannabis Dependence and Acute Cannabis Withdrawal" (you can find it by searching for "cannabis" on the front page). If you are interested in learning more about the study, please call me (Erin) at 843-876-3528.

Thanks!

01/07/2021

Smoke a lot of w**d? Wish you smoked less? An MUSC research study may help. Call Emma at 843-901-0360 if interested. Again, that’s Emma at 901-0369. Compensation up to $1210 is available.

07/01/2020

"I think it's important that I sit here on this stage and tell you at home... that if you do go through this, you yourself can get through it. You can get to the other side, and it may be bumpy, but you are a 10 out of 10. Don't forget it. As long as you take the responsibility, you can move past it and learn to love yourself the way you deserve to be loved." -Demi Lovato⠀
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Citation:⠀
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Sanchez, Chelsey. “Demi Lovato Talks Candidly About Her Relapse and Getting Sober.” Harper's BAZAAR, Harper's BAZAAR, 5 Mar. 2020, www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a31246825/demi-lovato-talks-relapse-sober/⠀
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06/22/2020

We are currently running treatment & non-treatment research studies on ma*****na, co***ne, as well as opiates (for any patients on a stable dose of m**hadone or subuxone). Interested in participating? DM us your phone number and we’ll reach out to you! All participation is CONFIDENTIAL & PAID.

*****na

06/11/2020

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What is co***ne?⠀
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Co***ne is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the coca plant leaves native to South America. Although it can be used for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, recreational co***ne use is illegal. As a street drug, co***ne appears like a fine, white, crystal powder. Street dealers often mix it with things like flour, cornstarch, or talcum powder to increase profits. They may also mix it with other drugs such as the stimulant known as amphetamine, or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Adding synthetic opioids to co***ne is particularly risky when people using co***ne don’t realize it contains this dangerous additive. Increasing numbers of overdose deaths among co***ne users might be related to this tampered co***ne.⠀
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Popular nicknames for co***ne include:⠀
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• Blow⠀
• Coke⠀
• Crack⠀
• Rock⠀
• Snow⠀
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06/05/2020

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Common medications used to treat drug addiction and withdrawal:⠀
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■ Opioid⠀
• Methadone⠀
• Buprenorphine⠀
• Extended-release naltrexone⠀
• Lofexidine⠀
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■ Ni****ne⠀
• Ni****ne replacement therapies (available as a patch, inhaler, or gum)⠀
• Bupropion⠀
• Varenicline⠀
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■ Alcohol⠀
• Naltrexone⠀
• Disulfiram⠀
• Acamprosate⠀
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06/05/2020

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What medications and devices help treat drug addiction?⠀
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Different types of medications may be useful at different stages of treatment to help a patient stop abusing drugs, stay in treatment, and avoid relapse.⠀
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• Treating withdrawal. When patients first stop using drugs, they can experience various physical and emotional symptoms, including restlessness or sleeplessness, as well as depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Certain treatment medications and devices reduce these symptoms, which makes it easier to stop the drug use.⠀
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• Staying in treatment. Some treatment medications and mobile applications are used to help the brain adapt gradually to the absence of the drug. These treatments act slowly to help prevent drug cravings and have a calming effect on body systems. They can help patients focus on counseling and other psychotherapies related to their drug treatment.⠀
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• Preventing relapse. Science has taught us that stress cues linked to the drug use (such as people, places, things, and moods), and contact with drugs are the most common triggers for relapse. Scientists have been developing therapies to interfere with these triggers to help patients stay in recovery.⠀
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05/26/2020

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Topic: Treatment & Recovery⠀
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Can addiction be treated successfully?⠀
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Yes, addiction is a treatable disorder. Research on the science of addiction and the treatment of substance use disorders has led to the development of research-based m**hods that help people to stop using drugs and resume productive lives, also known as being in recovery.⠀
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Can addiction be cured?⠀
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Like other chronic diseases such as heart disease or asthma, treatment for drug addiction usually isn't a cure. But addiction can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction's disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.⠀

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05/20/2020

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How can addiction harm other people?⠀
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The Impact of Addiction Can Be Far-Reaching⠀
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❗️Cardiovascular disease⠀
❗️Stroke⠀
❗️Cancer⠀
❗️HIV/AIDS⠀
❗️Hepatitis B and C⠀
❗️Lung disease⠀
❗️Mental disorders⠀
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Beyond the harmful consequences for the person with the addiction, drug use can cause serious health problems for others. Some of the more severe consequences of addiction are:⠀
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❗️Negative effects of drug use while pregnant or breastfeeding: A mother's substance or medication use during pregnancy can cause her baby to go into withdrawal after it's born, which is called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Symptoms will differ depending on the substance used, but may include tremors, problems with sleeping and feeding, and even seizures. Some drug-exposed children will have developmental problems with behavior, attention, and thinking.⠀
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❗️ Negative effects of secondhand smoke: Secondhand to***co smoke exposes bystanders to at least 250 chemicals that are known to be harmful, particularly to children. Involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risks of heart disease and lung cancer in people who have never smoked.⠀
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❗️Increased spread of infectious diseases: Injection of drugs accounts for 1 in 10 of cases of HIV. Injection drug use is also a major factor in the spread of hepatitis C,and can be the cause of endocarditis and cellulitis. Injection drug use is not the only way that drug use contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. Drugs that are misused can cause intoxication, which hinders judgment and increases the chance of risky sexual behaviors.⠀
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❗️Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents: Use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs can make driving a car unsafe—just like driving after drinking alcohol. Drugged driving puts the driver, passengers, and others who share the road at risk. After alcohol, ma*****na is the drug most often linked to impaired driving. Research studies have shown negative effects of ma*****na on drivers, including an increase in lane weaving, poor reaction time, and altered attention to the road.⠀
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05/19/2020

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Topic: Addiction & Health⠀
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What are the other health consequences of drug addiction?⠀
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People with addiction often have 1 or more health issues, which could include cancer, heart or lung disease, stroke, or mental health conditions. Imaging scans, blood tests, and chest X-rays can show the damaging effects of long term drug use throughout the human body.⠀
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For example, it‘s now well-known that to***co smoke can cause many cancers, m**hamphetamine can cause severe dental problems, known as "m**h mouth," and that can lead to overdose and even death. Additionally, some drugs, such as inhalants, may damage or destroy nerve cells, either in the brain or the peripheral nervous system (the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord).⠀
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Drug use can also increase the risk of contracting infections. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C (a serious liver disease) infection can occur from sharing injection equipment as well as from impaired judgment leading to unsafe sexual activity. Infection of the heart and its valves known as endocarditis and skin infection cellulitis can occur after exposure to bacteria by injection drug use.⠀
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Note: Addiction and HIV/AIDS are intertwined epidemics.⠀
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Does drug use cause mental disorders, or vice versa?⠀
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Drug use and mental illness often co-exist. In some cases, mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia may come before addiction; in other cases, drug use may trigger or worsen those mental health conditions, particularly in people with specific vulnerabilities.⠀
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Some people with conditions like anxiety or depression may use drugs in an attempt to alleviate psychiatric symptoms, which may exacerbate their mental disorder in the long run, as well as increase the risk of developing addiction. Treatment for all conditions should happen concurrently.⠀
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