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Drug for Alcohol Addiction Could Help Kleptomaniacs
Researchers found that the drug naltrexone, commonly used to treat
alcohol addiction, could also be effective in treating kleptomania, a
psychiatric disorder in which people have the urge to steal.
Research led by Dr. Jon E. Grant of the University of Minnesota School
of Medicine in Minneapolis found that naltrexone prevent kleptomania in
nine out of 10 patients over an 11-week treatment period.
Because the study involved a small number of participants, Grant said
additional research is needed to confirm the benefits of naltrexone in
patients with kleptomania, and to better understand the mechanisms
underlying these benefits.
Naltrexone blocks the pleasurable effects of heroin and other opiates
and is also used to treat alcoholism.
The study is published in the Journal of
Clinical Psychiatry.
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Pain Medication (letter from a reader)
After reading your article regarding people in real pain not being
able to receive their medication, I wanted to share my opinion.
One year
ago this week my son died from a heroin overdose. Since that time I have
been actively working with the police dept. and several organizations
to try to educate young people to the reality of drug use. My son used
pain medications, percocet, oxycontin, etc. throughout his addiction.
I
will be the first one to fight the illegal, or unnecessary use of these
medications. I am also a registered nurse, and feel when used properly
and for the right reasons these drugs are invaluable. As a nurse I
feel that there are many people suffering needlessly, especially our
elderly population.
Many nurses object to administering pain medication on
a regular basis for fear the patient wil become addicted. Yes this is
a concern, but in the case of terminally ill, or the debilitated
~Judy~
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