Articles related to ADDICTION MEDICINE

Excessive alcohol use has continued to climb since the beginning of the COVD pandemic, and is a causal factor in one of every five deaths in the 20-to-49-year age group in the US.

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) researchers were searching a genetic database for compounds that could suppress the expression of genes previously linked to heavy alcohol use. They put apremilast to the test in two animal models with a genetic risk of binge drinking, as well as in mice from other labs. In each case, apremilast reduced alcohol consumption by increasing activity in the nucleus accumbens, the brain region involved in controlling alcohol intake. Scripps Research Institute then assessed 51 patients over 11 days of treatment and discovered that trial participants’ alcohol consumption was reduced from an average of five drinks per day to two.

There is no readily available test for xylazine and narcotic antagonists are ineffective. Overdosage is characterized by sedation and unresponsiveness. When combined with fentanyl, overdose symptoms can include blue-to-grayish skin, slowed breathing and bradycardia.

PDE4 is linked to alcohol and nicotine addiction, so the researchers prioritized apremilast, a newer PDE4 inhibitor for psoriasis, as ideal for repurposing and tested it in multiple animal strains and models, as well as a human Phase IIa study. In mouse models of genetic risk for drinking to intoxication, they discovered that apremilast reduced binge-like alcohol intake and behavioral measures of alcohol motivation.

Borgs, also known as “Black Out Rage Gallons,” are a new alcoholic drink that has been trending on TikTok. Half a gallon of vodka, mixed with water and flavoring in a gallon jug, is used to make the drink. It is unclear whether the trend has increased emergency room visits, but it highlights the importance of educating young people about alcohol serving sizes.

As originally reported in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, use of the animal tranquilizer xylazine has now been seen in more than 23 states in the US. Finding the drug in a patient sample should prompt the physician to look for early signs of tissue infection and other symptoms.