Drug addicts and sugar

regularRN · Mar 17, 2009

In all seriousness, I have found that a big pitcher full of sprite, OJ and cranberry juice mixed is much appreciated by pts withdrawing from whatever... I guess the sugar content satisfies them for previously mentioned reasons and the quantity of liquid helps with re-hydration. I have also found that such pts require a lot of assistance - even feeding - because the withdrawal symptoms (physical and mental) make it extremely difficult to get it together to perform ADLs. In the acute stages of withdrawal, these pts need a lot of attention.

mochabean · Mar 17, 2009

I heard some where that sugar has the same molecule make-up as heroin. Makes sense to me sense I eat a lot of junk. I can polish a bag of chocolate Twizzlers in one day. I can't help myself, that's why I stopped buying them last year.

I_LOVE_TRAUMA, RN · Mar 17, 2009

Our protocol calls for no sugar or caffine for anyone going through withdraw, thank goodness for vitamin A!

ERNurse752, RN · Mar 17, 2009

This thread is actually pretty interesting. With my background, withdrawal treatment is pretty much banana bags and benzos, benzos, benzos. (Well, for EtOH withdrawal or benzo withdrawal, anyway.)

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 17, 2009

Holy cow, when we get a new postpartum mom who is also withdrawing - sheesh, literally, we have run out of food feeding them!

I really feel sorry for them more than anything - who knows when the last time was they got decent food.

CrazyMommy, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2009

Sry I forgot to mention that he broke his right arm. Really interesting about the dopamine part, and it makes a lot of sense now. He would always call and ask for ice cream and juice.

Thx for the infos!!!

ERNurse752, RN · Mar 17, 2009

So he really did have a broken bone!

Now I am craving an orange julius...

feralnostalgia · Mar 17, 2009

caliotter3 said:
My doctor told me that people self-medicate with carbs, to include sugar. Makes sense to me.

the most common form of clinical depression (oddly called "atypical") has carb cravings as one of its symptoms. when I was dealing with it, I ate huge amounts of potatoes, all the time.

flygirl43 · Mar 17, 2009

Addiction is. Be it sugar, carbs, ETOH, food, soda, whatever. We all get increased dopmaine from it. If you think you better than an ETHO or Meth junky when your over 100lbs weight, think again. Cost on our health system and society at large. As health professionals we all have to health teach. Being over weight and health teaching is the same as being an acholic and doing substance counselling. We need to know where we come from and back up our knowledge with expetrise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

flygirl43 · Mar 17, 2009

Iv worked joint replacements for years, and don't understand why they pour thousands of dollars into a pt that wont take care of themselves. Smokers get denied surgery until they quit, all the time. Yet we still provide joint replacements to pts > 100 lbs over weight without nutritional counselling and weight mgmt.In a universal health care system, think about what this is taking away from the poor medical and ALC pts with no funding. Everyone else has to live up to their poor choices in life. I think a holistic approach would deal with funding in a much appropriate manner. Own your choices like drug, food and tobacco and alcohol addicts, require intervention preoperatively, and then think about the chances of recovery. You know what Im talking about...walker, walker, walker....PE...PE...PE

Aneroo, LPN · Mar 17, 2009

flygirl43 said:
Iv worked joint replacements for years, and don't understand why they pour thousands of dollars into a pt that wont take care of themselves. Smokers get denied surgery until they quit, all the time. Yet we still provide joint replacements to pts > 100 lbs over weight without nutritional counselling and weight mgmt.In a universal health care system, think about what this is taking away from the poor medical and ALC pts with no funding. Everyone else has to live up to their poor choices in life. I think a holistic approach would deal with funding in a much appropriate manner. Own your choices like drug, food and tobacco and alcohol addicts, require intervention preoperatively, and then think about the chances of recovery. You know what Im talking about...walker, walker, walker....PE...PE...PE

Because it's really hard to start exercising when you can't walk because of the pain... I didn't realize we merged this thread with the obese people thread...