“The group of meditators reported lower levels of anxiety and stress after practicing transcendental meditation for 3 months, and these changes in perceived psychological well-being were associated with modifications in brain functional connectivity,” first author Giulia Avvenuti, PhD student in the Molecular Mind Laboratory (MoMiLab) of IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy, told Medscape Medical News.

Transcendental meditation “may effectively counteract dysfunctional brain changes associated with increased anxiety and stress,” the researchers note.

Increased Cross-Talk
Transcendental meditation is defined as a mental process of transcending using silent repetition of a sound or “mantra” to aid concentration. transcendental meditation has been associated with improved psychological well-being, particularly depression, anxiety, and stress, but the brain correlates to transcendental meditation effects remain unknown.

To investigate, Avvenuti and colleagues enrolled 34 healthy young volunteers and divided them into two groups — 19 practiced transcendental meditation for 20 minutes twice daily for 3 months, while 15 control subjects made no changes to their daily routine.

At baseline, all participants completed psychometric questionnaires to gauge anxiety and stress levels as well as their ability to manage stress. They also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity at rest and changes in the functional connectivity among different brain regions. The same tests were repeated after 3 months, at the end of the study period.

The investigators found that only the meditators showed a decrease in perceived anxiety and stress and these increased feelings of well-being were associated with specific changes in connectivity between different brain regions.

Specifically, the psychological benefits of transcendental meditation correlated with an increase in default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity, involving the precuneus and the left superior parietal lobule. This finding is consistent with other work indicating a role of DMN in anxiety and stress modulation.

New Perspectives
Transcendental meditation was also associated with increased functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the right insula, “in line with potential meditation-induced changes in the balance between interoceptive and external awareness,” they investigators note.

“Even if we were not able to verify a direct correlation between improvements in perceived well-being and the functional connectivity changes, we found that both these effects were associated with transcendental meditation practice. Indeed, in the control group (no meditation) we did not find any modification,” said Avvenuti.

“The fact that transcendental meditation has measurable effects on the ‘dialogue’ between brain structures involved in the modulation of affective states opens new perspectives for the understanding of brain–mind relationships,” study coordinator Pietro Pietrini, PhD, director of IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, added in a statement.

The researchers note longer follow-up would be required to determine whether psychological and functional changes remain stable or recede after interruption of the 3-month practice period.
Commenting on the findings for Medscape Medical News, Sara Lazar, PhD, who has done extensive research on the effects of meditation on the brain, said the main finding of increased connectivity in the default mode network has “been reported many times before.”

“The only bit that is novel is the posterior cingulate cortex -insula finding,” but it’s unclear what that means, said Lazar, from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Lazar, who was not involved with the current research, also cautioned that the study sample was small.

At Botanica Medica our Naturopaths come across lots of interesting studies and are always updating their knowledge. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

References
The study was published online January 13 in the journal Brain and Cognition.

Positive Effects of Meditation Show Up onBrain Imaging – Medscape Medical News – Feb 28, 2020. Megan Brooks

Brain Cognition. Published online January 13, 2020.

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A vegetarian diet rich in nuts, vegetables, and soy has been linked to a lower risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, new research suggests.

In two large cohorts of more than 13,000 individuals, investigators found a vegetarian diet was associated with a 60% to 74% decreased risk of ischemic stroke and 65% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

“The take-home message is that lifestyle, especially healthful diets such as vegetarian diets, are important in the prevention and management of stroke,” senior author Chin-Lon Lin, MD, chief executive officer, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan told Medscape Medical News.

The study was published online February 26 in Neurology.

Role of B-12

Vegetarian diets and other dietary patterns emphasizing plant foods have previously been linked to a lower risk of incident stroke, the investigators note.

On the other hand, many vegetarians have a low intake of vitamin B12, which might be responsible for raising homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood, thereby increasing the risk of stroke. In addition, some studies suggest animal protein may be beneficial for the prevention of hemorrhagic stroke.

“The combined effect of the supposed harm of high homocysteine and the supposed benefits of low blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol (unique aspect of vegetarian diets) on stroke disease incidence is unclear,” they add.

The researchers examined the incidence of overall, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke in vegetarians as well as nonvegetarians in two prospective cohorts in Taiwan and analyzed whether any association between vegetarian diet and stroke risk might be modified by vitamin B12 intake.

Participants in both cohorts were Tzu Chi Buddhists, about 30% of whom were full-time vegetarians (defined as avoidance of fish and meat).

Tables 1 and 2. Salient baseline differences between the cohorts  

Cohort 1 (n = 5050)

At Botanica Medica our Naturopaths are well aware of the importance of  a good diet and the effect it can have on your life both physically and mentally. They come across lots of interesting studies and are always updating their knowledge. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

References

Medscape Medical News © 2020 

Cite this: Vegetarian Diet Linked to Lower Ischemic, Hemorrhagic Stroke Risk – Medscape – Mar 03, 2020.

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW

The study was published online February 26 in Neurology.

Lower levels of a specific gut bacteria in infants are associated with the development of anxiety in toddlers, new research shows.

In one of the first human studies to compare the composition of a baby’s gut bacteria with brain development, investigators found that levels of Prevotella  in fecal samples at 12 months of age were linked to anxiety-like behaviors at age 2 years.

Interestingly, the biggest predictor of having decreased levels of Prevotella was recent exposure to antibiotic use.

“Growing evidence supports the idea that antibiotics, poor diet, and other factors in the modern world are leading to the loss of our traditional gut bacteria, and in turn, health problems,” investigator Prof Peter Vuillermin, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, said in a press release.

Lead author Amy Loughman, PhD, from the Food and Mood Center at Deakin, added that the findings show that the microbiome plays an important role in brain development.

“This study and previous research suggest that the early-life gut microbiota may be important for health outcomes in later life,” Loughman said.

The findings were published online February 18 in EBioMedicine.

Does Antibiotic Use Play a Role?

“Despite intense interest in the relationship between gut microbiota and brain development, longitudinal data from human studies are lacking,” the investigators write.

For the current analysis, the researchers assessed data from 201 participants (52.7% boys) in the Barwon Infant Study, an Australian birth cohort study that included 1074 infants.

Stool samples were collected when the children were 1, 6, and 12 months of age, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed.

The 99-item Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was completed by parents when their offspring were 2 years of age. The CBCL includes Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems subscales.

Twenty-two participants were classified as “behavior cases” on the basis of CBCL scores. Among these 22, 14 had elevated scores (≥60) on the Externalizing subscale, nine had elevated scores on the Internalizing subscale, and 10 had elevated scores on the Total Problems subscale.

At 1 and 6 months, there were no significant associations between microbiota levels and subsequent behavioral outcomes. However, associations were found with stool samples collected at 12 months.

Prevotella was detected in only 4% of the case infants, vs 44% of the infants who had normal scores on the CBCL (P < .001).

After adjusting for a wide range of variables, including mode of birth, household pet ownership, breastfeeding at 4 weeks, and maternal depressive symptoms, the association between decreased Prevotella levels and subsequent behavioral problems persisted.

At Botanica Medica Herbal Centre we always seek to address the underlying cause of your health condition and you can be sure we will always treat you as an individual.

If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

 References

Specific Gut Bacteria in Infants Linked to Future Anxiety Deborah Brauser February 21, 2020

Lead author Amy Loughman, PhD, from the Food and Mood Center at Deakin

investigator Prof Peter Vuillermin, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia

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In a small clinical study, investigators from Marshall University School of Medicine found that the consumption of 60 grams of walnuts per day for about two weeks significantly changed gene expression in confirmed breast cancers. The findings from the study were published recently in Nutrition Research through an article titled “Dietary walnut altered gene expressions related to tumor growth, survival, and metastasis in breast cancer patients: A pilot clinical trial.”

“Consumption of walnuts has slowed breast cancer growth and/or reduced the risk of mammary cancer in mice,” explained lead study investigator W. Elaine Hardman, PhD, professor in the department of biomedical sciences at Marshall University.  “Building on this research, our team hypothesized that walnut consumption would alter gene expression in pathologically-confirmed breast cancers of women in a direction that would decrease breast cancer growth and survival.”

This pilot, a two-arm clinical trial, is the latest in a series of related studies at Marshall University related to dietary walnut links to tumor growth, survival, and metastasis in breast cancer. In this first clinical trial, women with breast lumps large enough for research and pathology biopsies were recruited and randomized to walnut consuming or control groups. Immediately following biopsy collection, women in the walnut group began to consume two ounces of walnuts per day until follow-up surgery. Pathological studies confirmed that lumps were breast cancer in all women who remained in the trial. At surgery, about two weeks after biopsy, additional specimens were taken from the breast cancers.

The researchers reported that the changes in gene expression in the surgical specimen compared to baseline were determined in each individual woman in walnut-consuming (n = 5) and control (n = 5) groups. RNA sequencing expression profiling revealed that expression of 456 identified genes was significantly changed in the tumor due to walnut consumption. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed activation of pathways that promote apoptosis and cell adhesion and inhibition of pathways that promote cell proliferation and migration.

“RNA-Seq Expression Profiling analyses from a pilot clinical trial in which women with breast cancer consumed two ounces of walnuts per day for two to three weeks between the diagnostic biopsy and subsequent surgery showed that gene expression in the tumor was modified in ways expected to slow proliferation, reduce inflammation, reduce metastasis, and to increase cancer cell death,” the authors wrote. “It seems likely that if gene expression was modified in the tumor due to consumption of walnuts, then gene expression of any metastatic cells should also be modified thus decreasing risk for cancer recurrence.”

“These results support the hypothesis that, in humans, walnut consumption could suppress growth and survival of breast cancers,” Hardman concluded. “Additional research through a larger-scale study would be needed to clinically confirm that walnut consumption actually does reduce the risk of breast cancer or breast cancer recurrence.”

At Botanica Medica our Naturopaths are well aware of the importance of  a good diet and the effect it can have on your life both physically and mentally. They come across lots of interesting studies and are always updating their knowledge. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

Refrences:
Marshall University School of Medicine
W. Elaine Hardman, PhD
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Omega-3s Recommended as Adjunctive Therapy for Major Depression

A clinical practice guideline from the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) recommends omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as adjunctive therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD).

The value of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in depression is “overlooked,” even though accumulating evidence supports it. This therapy “needs to be on the radar” of physicians, Kuan-Pin Su, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of General Psychiatry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, told Medscape Medical News.

Su, a founding member of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research  and a strong proponent of “nutritional psychiatry,” organized a subcommittee of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and invited the top 10 most-cited authors in the use of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for depression to review the literature and develop the practice guideline on appropriate prescribing of omega-3 fatty acids for major depressive disorder.

The consensus guideline was published online September 3 in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

Prophylaxis, Maintenance

The guideline emphasizes the importance of accurate clinical diagnosis and measurement-based psychopathologic assessments in the therapeutic setting when recommending omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for depression.

The guideline notes that there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as an adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder. The guideline authors also note that omega-3s are safe and effective for accelerating the effect of antidepressants at treatment initiation and for augmenting existing antidepressant therapy when efficacy is inadequate.

With respect to formulation and dosage, the guideline recommends pure eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or a combination of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, with net EPA starting from at least 1 g/day up to 2 g/day for at least 8 weeks as adjunctive treatment. Importantly, the authors note that the quality of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may affect therapeutic activity.

The guideline also endorses n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as a potential prophylactic treatment for high-risk populations, in addition to standard medical care. The duration of acute n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids treatment may be extended to include maintenance treatment to prevent recurrence.

Potential side effects, such as gastrointestinal and dermatologic conditions, should be monitored, and comprehensive metabolic panels should be obtained during treatment, the guideline authors note.

They call for further research into personalizing the clinical application of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in subgroups of patients with major depressive disorder whose omega-3 index is low or who have high levels of inflammatory markers.

The panel acknowledges in the guideline that there is ongoing debate on the benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids for major depressive disorder. Meta-analyses have shown “only small but statistically significant effects,” the authors write.

They note that in three meta-analyses, the estimated effect sizes (standardized mean differences between n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and placebo) ranged from 0.23 to 0.56, with wide confidence intervals (CIs).

 At Botanica Medica our Naturopaths are well aware of the importance of  exercise, a good diet and the effect it can have on your life both physically and mentally. They come across lots of interesting studies and are always updating their knowledge. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

References

Omega-3s Recommended as Adjunctive Therapy for Major Depression Megan Brooks

Kuan-Pin Su, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of General Psychiatry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, told Medscape Medical News.

The consensus guideline was published online  September 3 in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

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Lavender may have a role in treating anxiety but no firm conclusions can be drawn without higher quality, less biased studies, a large systematic review and meta-analysis suggests.

“Oral lavender in the form of a standardized essential oil titrated in linalool and linalyl acetate may be helpful as an add-on therapy, or in reducing the dosages, and, therefore, the side effects of common anxiety drugs like benzodiazepines,” study investigator Davide Donelli, MD, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, told Medscape Medical News.

“It would be premature to consider lavender essential oil inhalation as a treatment for anxiety on the basis of our findings,” Donelli added.

The study is published in the December issue of Phytomedicine.

High Anxiety in America

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults, or 18% of the US population, every year, making such disorders the most common mental illnesses nationwide.

Lavender is often suggested as an ancillary treatment for anxiety largely because of its storied past as a natural anxiolytic (reduces anxiety).

To assess its efficacy, the researchers examined studies that included lavender (in any form or method of administration) and its effect on anxiety and anxiety-related conditions.

The analysis included 65 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a total of 7993 participants and 25 nonrandomized studies (NRSs) with 1200 participants in a qualitative synthesis; in addition, the researchers analyzed 37 randomized controlled trials with 3964 participants in a quantitative synthesis.

In the qualitative analysis, 54 randomized controlled trials reported “at least a significant result” in favor of lavender for anxiety, either as a significant improvement from baseline within intervention groups, or as a significant post-test amelioration of anxiety levels in intervention groups compared with control groups.

In the qualitative analysis of nonrandomized studies, 17 studies indicated a significant improvement in at least one anxiety measure within intervention groups, or a significant post-test difference between intervention and control groups, when present, in favor of lavender.

In the quantitative analysis, oral lavender (80 mg per day for at least 6 weeks) had a significant effect in diminishing anxiety levels based on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (mean difference, −2.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], −4.86 to −0.95; P= .004) and the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (mean difference,  −2.62; 95% CI, −4.84 to −0.39; P< .05).

High Risk of Bias

Massage with lavender oil also appeared helpful for reducing anxiety (Hedges’ g = −0.66; 95% CI, −0.97 to −0.35; P< .0001). However, the studies are not sufficient to determine with certainty whether the benefit is because of a specific effect of lavender, thus impeding from clearly differentiating it from the beneficial effect of massage, the authors note.

At Botanica Medica Herbal Centre we always seek to address the underlying cause of your health condition and you can be sure we will always treat you as an individual.

If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

References

Lavender Promising for Anxiety but Evidence Base Needs to Grow, Megan Brooks

study investigator Davide Donelli, MD, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy, Medscape Medical News.

The study is published in the December issue of Phytomedicine.

SAN FRANCISCO ―Massage therapy can provide symptomatic relief for chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a new study suggests.

The number of weekly massage sessions that a patient received made a difference in symptom control.

A statistically and clinically significant improvement in scores on the Pain Quality Assessment Scale was seen among patients who received massage therapy three times a week as opposed to those who received it twice a week.

A sustained improvement in.  chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy was observed at 10 weeks in the group that received the most intensive regimen.

“This study builds upon integrative oncology methods to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors, and there are currently limited options for the relief of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy pain,” said study author Gabriel Lopez, MD, associate professor and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

“These findings introduce oncology massage as an additional option to help with symptom control and offer new insight into which massage treatment schedule may provide patients with the greatest benefit,” he added.

Lopez presented the study results here at the Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium (SCOS) 2019.

This meeting, which was organized by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), was previously known as the Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium.

In 2017, the name was changed to Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium to be more inclusive, inasmuch as palliative care still tends to be associated only with end-of-life care. The name has now been shortened to reflect the wide range of supportive care services, an American Society of Clinical Oncology spokesperson explained to Medscape Medical News.

Common Side Effect of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of both short- and long-term treatment with platinum compounds and taxanes and can have a profound impact on quality of life, Lopez noted.

As there is an increased interest in the role that complementary approaches may play for symptom control, his team decided to investigate the effects of massage for symptomatic relief of chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Their pilot study examined the optimum treatment schedule and initial efficacy of a standardized Swedish massage technique in treating symptoms associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The cohort included 71 patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy that developed following exposure to oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, or docetaxel. The patients self-reported a neuropathy score ≥3 on a scale of 0–10, and their last chemotherapy treatment occurred at least 6 months before the study period.

References

Massage Therapy Gives Relief From Chemo-Related Neuropathy,Roxanne Nelson, RN, BSN

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Results of a new large-scale study published in JAMA Internal Medicine show an association between plant protein intake and lower total, cancer-related and cardiovascular disease related mortality.

The study from Japan (Japan Public Health Centre-based Prospective Cohort) undertaken on over 70,000 participants, followed-up for 18 years found that while intake of animal protein showed no clear association with total or cause-specific mortality, intake of plant protein did.

“In this large prospective study, plant protein intake was associated with lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality. Moreover, substitution of plant protein for animal protein was associated with lower risk of total, cancer-related, and cardiovascular disease-related mortality. Our study suggests that plant protein may provide beneficial health effects and that replacement of red and processed meat protein with plant or fish protein may increase longevity”, the authors reported.

Noting there are very few studies evaluating animal and plant protein intake separately in relation to overall risk or cause specific mortality and no studies in Asian populations, the researcher’s study design sought to address these issues.

“Earlier ecologic studies reported a positive correlation between overall animal protein intake and mortality due to cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, only a few epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between protein intake in association with mortality outcomes.”

“No reports on this issue have yet appeared from an Asian population, despite the differences in dietary habits between Asian and western populations. The higher fish and soy product consumption in Japan than in western populations suggests that their sources of animal and plant proteins may differ. Herein, we evaluated the association between animal and plant protein intake and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a Japanese population within the Japan Public Health Centre-based Prospective Cohort Study,” the authors explained.

Results showed plant protein intake was significantly inversely associated with the risk of overall mortality (Hazard Ratio (HR) for quintile 2, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.83-0.95]; Hazard Ratio for quintile 3, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.82-0.95]; Hazard Ratio for quintile 4, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.77- 0.92]; Hazard Ratio for quintile 5, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.78-0.96] with quintile 1 as the reference category (P = .01 for trend).

“Among cause-specific mortality, this inverse association with plant protein intake was evident for cardiovascular disease mortality (Hazard Ratio for quintile 5, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59-0.91) and its subdivisions of heart disease (Hazard Ratio for quintile 5, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54-0.97) and cerebrovascular disease mortality (Hazard Ratio for quintile 5, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.51-1.00), but not with cancer mortality (overall or site-specific).

“Furthermore, our study showed that substitution of three percent energy of plant protein instead of red meat protein would result in an absolute risk reduction of overall mortality at 15 years of 3.60 percent (95% CI, 2.10%-4.86%). For an average person with 2000 kcal/d of energy intake, three percent of energy from plant protein would be approximately 260 g for a protein-rich food such as soy.

“Our study suggests that encouraging diets with higher plant-based protein intake may contribute to long-term health and longevity,” the authors concluded.

At Botanica Medica our Naturopaths are well aware of the importance of  a good diet and the effect it can have on your life both physically and mentally. They come across lots of interesting studies and are always updating their knowledge. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our Naturopaths call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. They are only to happy to share the knowledge they have gained through their studies and patient outcomes, and get you feeling better. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday to Saturday including some after hours.

Source:

JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2806

Plant protein reduces total mortality risk 16 Sep 2019 Results of a new large-scale study published in JAMA Internal Medicine 

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 Suboxone Sux

My name is Jeff, I’m 50 and had been on one form of opiate or another for almost 10 years after a bad motorbike accident. I was hospitalised for 3 months and sent home with a box of Fentanyl to keep me company. After a further 6 months My Dr then took me off Fentanyl cold turkey with no warning as to anything about withdrawals. This was my first experience of opiate withdrawal and for 3 days it was hell. Unfortunately it wasn’t my last but given a choice I would take that withdrawal over my detox/withdrawal of suboxone. I know, not very encouraging right?

This story has a happy ending though so keep reading.

I was placed on Suboxone after many years of opiate use and abuse. I went to detox after I was abusing OxyContin and also taking 2-3 packets of Nurofen plus a Day. I just wish I was given more info on how fxxxed Suboxone is!! Even though I had pain problems it is not the answer to just put you on 32mg of Suboxone and send you on your way. It is not a good long term solution. Getting clean and healthy and  exercising  however is.

I have tried to come off suboxone once previously with disastrous results. After reducing too quickly I had an extremely bad  reaction – muscle cramps and spasms were excruciating and I stopped trying to come off Suboxone.  After a while I attempted to reduce and come off Suboxone again. During this time I started smoking pot thinking it would help??? big mistake. I again reduced too quickly and was at times “chasing the Dragon” with Suboxone.

As you might have guessed I’m not a novice when it comes to drugs. I took a lot of drugs in my teens and twenties and was also an alcoholic, albeit a high functioning one. At the time of my accident I was clean and sober for about 4 years though I did have the odd joint.

Self medicating came quite naturally to me. Unfortunately I also thought I knew enough about drugs when it came to getting off them. Nothing can prepare you for what is in store with Suboxone and it is a very dangerous drug. As I mentioned I was using pot to “ help “ with my withdrawal process but smoking an ounce a week isn’t helping anything. Mind you after 2 or 3 months of this I stopped smoking pot, however I unwittingly also stopped taking Suboxone for a few days. Big big big mistake.

I only missed two days of Suboxone after about a week of not smoking pot. My head space was not great. I believe I was still on around 24 mg but I may have been back on 32mg my memory of that is vague. Nevertheless high dosage to stop abruptly.

After a few days of forgetting to take Suboxone I felt myself going into withdrawal. It was too late to go to the Chemist so I tried to ride it out till morning. After some time I developed really bad muscle spasms and was going out of my mind, up down up down, walking, lying etc until it got so bad I thought I needed to get myself to hospital. By this time I think I was already delirious and chose to drive myself. Didn’t make it far before I realised I was hallucinating and made my way home. I remember starting to drive home but that’s it.

In the next 24 hours I had a seizure and completely bit through my tongue. I was vomiting a lot and in and out of consciousness. The next day I was unaware my eldest son was trying to get in to my unit as I hadn’t picked him up from school to take him to his job. Sometime later that evening my ex-wife and 10 Yr old son arrived to find out what the fxxk I was doing. I have no memory of this but I’m told I was calling her Mum and didn’t recognise my son, was mumbling incoherently and was in a pretty messy state. An ambulance was called then another and another and police and more police. 3 ambulances and 3 paddy wagons apparently. I’m told it took them all to restrain me and load me in an ambulance. I remember dreaming I was being abducted by  a group of Aboriginal Alien Elders ???

Next thing I know I’m in a series of hallucinations and distortions of reality and I’m in hospital in restraints and hooked up to the back of the ambulance by my jugular vein so I can’t escape. Anyone reading this will no doubt have experienced muscle spasms whilst coming off opiates. Now imagine your scared beyond belief, told you will die if you dislodge the jugular restraint and having wild involuntary muscle spasms while your hallucinations are out of control and the Doctors and Police are certain your on Ice or Angel dust and are treating you like you are an OD on these drugs. Not much fun.

After 5 days unconscious in ICU and 6 days of tests I was released with a clean bill of health.

I decided if I was ever gong to be free from this horrible drug I would listen to Craig and do whatever it takes. I took his supplements and started a swimming program. It took almost 2 years to get from 32 mg to be drug free but boy oh boy is it worth it.

Recent update from Jeff ( taken from Messenger App)

With your help Craig Wainwright I am now 22 months opiate Free and 13 months free from Cymbalta and 3 years free from Lyrica. I am still reaping rewards weekly. Improved sleep is my latest noticeable change but my mental state is light years from where I was. It’s not easy and I am still in considerable pain but I go to the gym 5-6 days a week which helps greatly both mental and physical. Thank you for your belief in me and your help over the years it took to reduce off those poisons. ❤️❤️

Craig Wainwright has an Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy, Nutrition, Western Herbalism, Bachelor of Pharmacy (B Pharm.)
Craig from Botanica Medica Herbal Centre will always seek to address the underlying cause of your health condition and you can be sure he will always treat you as an individual.
If you would like to make an appointment with Craig Wainwright, call Botanica Medica on 8271-1827 today. Botanica Medica is located at 97 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood and appointments are available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday including some after hours.
To Read Part 1: https://wp.me/pabdyZ-GQ
To Read part 2:  https://wp.me/pabdyZ-H3