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Flesh Eating Cocaine is Here!

By On · Add Comment · In Adderall, AIDS, cocaine, drug dealers, HIV, junkies, levamisole, Los Angeles, New York City, pharmaceuticals, Ritalin, rotted flesh, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

Listen up, cokeheads–we know when you said you’d give your left ear for another bump you didn’t mean it literally!  But junkies in New York and Los Angeles are doing just that: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency reports that 82% of street cocaine is laced with the veterinary drug levamisole, which is used to deworm cattle, pigs, sheep…and now junkies.

Levamisole can can also rot the skin off noses, ears and cheeks, doctors says.  Multiple cases of rotted flesh have already been reported.  Eeeeww….

Dealers usually cut the coke with baking soda, but may have turned to the veterinary drug as a way to extend the coke high (studies in rats suggest the drug acts on the same brain receptors as cocaine).  More high, more sales.  But bad for the health: Reports of rotted flesh in the left and right coast’s two biggest cities abound.  Anything for another line…here take my nose.  One doctor reported seeing a man whose entire body was black with dying flesh.

Some users seem to be immune, but others no such luck.  some doctors are comparing the flesh eating effects, and the suppression of white blood cell formation eerily similar to AIDS (Hmmm, seems like somebody has said drugs/AIDS in the same breath before). 

“It’s a little bit like having HIV,” said Dr. Noah Craft, a dermatologist with Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute in an ABC article. “About 10 percent of those patients will die from severe infections. They may be walking around like a time bomb.”

Dr. Craft believes the problem must be nationwide and we just aren’t seeing the full ramifications yet.

The good news: Once levamisole is cleared from the body, the wounds do heal, leaving behind a shiny scar.  Phew.  And on to another day. 

Just reminds me of one thing: Whether street powder or pharmaceutical crank (think Ritalin, Adderall), drug dealers don’t give F&*# about their customers.  Freakin’ weird.

ADD Rx: Turning Kids Into Speed Freaks II

By On · Add Comment · In ADD, antipsychotics, cocaine, dopaminergic, drug dependence, neurotransmitter, Ritalin, Schedule II drugs, side effects, stimulants, sudden death

So the modern medical solution to ADD is primarily stimulant medication.  And funny that the U.S. is the major consumer of the pharmaceutical Ritalin, a drug compound similar to cocaine.  The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the United Nation’s International Narcotics Control Board both recognize the dangers to individuals and society by the increased prescriptions of Ritalin to growing numbers of children (mostly boys) being diagnosed with ADD.

Despite these facts, and the dynamic nature of the ADD definition (parameters), doctors in the U.S. (not Europe, not Asia, and in fact the full demographics are quite startling) continue to prescribe hard core meds to children.  Even worse is that some doctors have taken the next step to even harder drugs to treat their pediatric patients labeled ADD–antipsychotics.

What are the real dangers of taking central nervous system stimulants, that is, how do they affect the bodies and minds of the children put on them?  First, as I described last post, stimulant drugs like Ritalin, cocaine, and methamphetamine are dopaminergic, which means that they affect the dopamine neurotransmitter system.  Dopamine is involved in the pleasure and reward responses of the brain.  Stimulant drugs, then, create a state of euphoria–they feel good.

Drugs that feel good have a high-propensity to cause dependence, that is why stimulants for treating ADD are classified as Schedule II drugs (some medicinal uses, high potential for abuse, high rate of dependency).  Other Schedule II drugs include cocaine, morphine, methadone, methamphetamine, and opium; yet, only Ritalin can be obtained by a doctor’s prescription.  Think about that.

Stimulants do increase focus and concentration in the short-term, that’s why amphetamines were given to pilots in World War II, but they come with some unwanted side-effects.  The side-effects associated with Ritalin are:

  • nervousness (common)
  • insomnia (common)
  • dizziness
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • loss of appetite
  • stomach pain
  • diarrhea
  • heartburn
  • dry mouth
  • headache
  • muscle tightness
  • uncontrollable movement of a part of the body
  • restlessness
  • numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet
  • decreased sexual desire
  • painful menstruation
  • stunted growth

More serious symptoms may include:

  • fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
  • chest pain
  • shortness of breath
  • excessive tiredness
  • slow or difficult speech
  • fainting
  • weakness or numbness of an arm or leg
  • seizures
  • changes in vision or blurred vision
  • agitation
  • believing things that are not true
  • feeling unusually suspicious of others
  • hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
  • motor tics or verbal tics
  • depression
  • abnormally excited mood
  • mood changes
  • fever
  • hives
  • rash
  • blistering or peeling skin
  • itching
  • difficulty breathing or swallowing

And according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information:

Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) may cause sudden death in children and teenagers, especially children or teenagers with heart defects or serious heart problems.This medication also may cause sudden death, heart attack or stroke in adults, especially adults with heart defects or serious heart problems.

It must be kept in mind that these side-effects are known with regard to short-term use.  Long-term effects of Ritalin and other stimulant meds is not yet fully known.

One thing we do know for sure is that Ritalin is currently the most stolen drug as listed by the DEA.  Why?  Kids want it.  The highest rate of abuse is among college students–Ritalin helps them stay awake to study (smart drugs?).  Some children prescribed Ritalin sell their pills to others who wish to take the drug recreationally.  Since overdose is possible on Ritalin, the practice of ADD-labeled kids selling their drugs (more reason to question the drug’s necessity) makes this a serious public health concern.

I write these posts because I know that many of you reading this are either being faced with making a decision for your ADD-labeled child now or you may be in the future.  This is a paramount decision, and very likely a scary one.  When a medical diagnosis is rendered, it may seem as if conventional wisdom is as solid the Newtonian laws of gravity (wink, wink).  But in this case it is not.  There are too many holes in the current ADD model, and the solution American doctors are prescribing for their pediatric patients can alter your child’s life forever.

Why not accept that your child is a unique expression of life, carrying his or her own untapped genius?  Why not learn to find your child’s inspiration and nurture it?  Offering your child hard-core drugs may actually suppress that genius from expressing itself.  In the next few posts we’ll discuss these ideas, and look at a few people that have done extraordinary things with their lives, despite being labeled ADD.  But next–the antipsychotics.

Former Dodger Pitcher Jose Lima Dead

By On · Add Comment · In cardiac arrest, cocaine, coronary disease, drugs, Jose Lima, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League baseball

It’s Lima time no more.  Former Major League Baseball pitcher, Jose Lima was found dead at 6am this morning, an apparent victim of a cardiac arrest; he was 37.

The man famous for his on-field antics was found collapsed at his home by Pasadena paramedics at 6am Sunday morning.  His family says that he exhibited no signs of ill health, and he was out with them Saturday night and dancing later that evening.

Lima played thirteen years in the Major Leagues, pitching for Detroit, Houston, Kansas City and the New York Mets.  He pitched for Los Angeles in 2004 (his only season with the team), winning thirteen games and giving the Dodgers their first playoff victory since 1988.  Although often despised by opponents, teammates learned to love the high-energy hi-jinx of Lima, as they realized that was truly who he was.

“He was a showman, a hot dog. But he’d win games; and I think a lot of times, it wasn’t his ability but his ability to will himself to do it,” Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said. “In talking himself into it, I think he sort of intimidated some of the opposition too.”

Lima last season in the Majors was with New York in 2006.  He did a stint with some minor league teams, including Long Beach in 2009, with the hopes of being picked up by a big league club.  His agent Dan Evans told the Los Angeles Times, that despite being a tough transition for most players, Lima actually embraced it.

He is survived by his five children and a brother, Joel, a Dodgers minor league player, the Dodgers said. He was divorced. 

Well, you know what I think when young people drop dead of cardiac failure…cocaine.  There I said it.  I hope I’m wrong, but in the absence of some unknown heart dysrhythmia, drugs are probably to blame.  As an athlete, it’s unlikely that he had coronary disease.  With five children, a divorce, and end to his baseball career…well, it’s the most likely candidate in my estimation.  Call me crazy.

Anyway, an autopsy will be performed shortly, and the cause of death should be uncovered then.  Either way, we’ll miss Jose Lima–players like him make the game fun to watch.  RIP Lima Time.

Actress Britanny Murphy Found Dead

By On · Add Comment · In Brittany Murphy, cardiac arrest, cocaine, CPR, dead, eating disorder

Actress Brittany Murphy was found dead this morning apparently suffering from full cardiac arrest. The 32-year-old actress was found unconscious in the shower at 8 am by her mom. TMZ reports that her husband, Simon Monjack, called 911 and when paramedics arrived they were unable to revive her with CPR. Murphy was taken to Cedars Sinai where she was pronounced dead.

Sad news as the another celebrity passes in 2009. Murphy was star of such films as “8 Mile,” “Clueless,” and “Don’t say a Word.” A few years ago, she released the single “Faster Kill Pussycat,” which became a dance club hit.

Murphy was young enough that this smells of narcotics overdose to me. I could be wrong but young ladies are not typically susceptible to cardiac arrest, unless there is an underlying cardiac abnormality. Given her life as an actress and singer, I hate to say it, but…well, we’ll see.

An investigation is being launched. We’ll keep you informed.

*Update: Rumor has it that she was fired from a recent movie, The Caller, for, “being difficult,” a charge her agent denies, insisting she left the project due to “creative differences”. Apparently early in her career, she was accused of having an eating disorder which some believed was tied to a cocaine habit.

Billy Mays: Cocaine Backlash

By On · Add Comment · In Billy Mays, blood pressure, cocaine, heart attack, hypertension

This just in: Well known pitchman, Billy Mays, had cocaine in his system that contributed to his death in June. A recent autopsy report concluded that Mays probably used cocaine “a few days before his death,” but whether or not he was a regular user was inconclusive. The 50-year-old infomercial pitchman was found dead in his sleep by his wife, the unfortunate victim of a heart attack, with cocaine being a likely contributor.

According to recent reports, the surviving Mays family is up in arms about the findings. They say that no outward evidence of Mays’ cocaine use is apparent; but the toxicology tests indicate its presence, along with therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and , as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Hmmm…..

I guess the only thing I have to say is fifty-year-old men don’t often drop dead in their sleep. When it does happen (think Danny Gans) suspect drug use right off the bat. Cocaine raises arterial blood pressure, and anybody who has ever done it knows how it affects heart rate. The real kicker is that when you use stimulant narcotics regularly, you don’t have to be doing it on the day it stops your heart–Billy Mays is prime example of that.

The Mays’ family is questioning the coroner’s findings and are seeking an independent evaluation of the autopsy findings. The statement said the family was “extremely disappointed” by the release of the information. They said the report “contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension, which only demonstrates how important it is to regularly monitor one’s health.”

I certainly get that the Mays’ family is embarrased by the situation and they want to keep Billy’s name clean; however, it does no one any good to hide the truth and blame hypertension alone. Can chronic, untreated hypertension cause a heart attcak in a fifty-year-old man? Sure. Will doing cocaine while having chronic, untreated hypertension increase your chance of a heart attack? Well, what do you think?

Listen, I ain’t knocking whatever Billy Mays was doing to enjoy or deal with his life. To each their own. But for those of you who like to play, you better understand that you might just have to pay somewhere down the line; and that payment may prematurely cost you your life. That’s all–just thought you should know.

Ritalin, Cocaine, the same

By On · Add Comment · In addiction, ADHD, cocaine, medication, methylphenidate, National Institute on Drug Abuse, personality, Ritalin
Giving Ritalin to your kid may be much the same as giving him an eight ball. Yes, you’ve got it: The popular ADHD medication causes the same brain changes seen in cocaine addiction. What? Don’t believe me? Check it out.

A recent study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that healthy mice exposed to daily injections of methylphenidate, or Ritalin, caused changes in the reward centers of their brains, and some of these changes resembled those in mice given cocaine.

This study was prompted by reports that more than 7 million people in the United States have abused methylphenidate, using it to get high or to improve academic performance. This shouldn’t come as any surprise to my regular readers; in fact, I said just that in my book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health:

“For some of these drugs, like Ritalin, abuse has reached epidemic proportions. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) lists Ritalin as one of the top ten most stolen drugs in the country. The frightening thing it isn’t just adults who are abusing these meds, children as young as twelve years old are becoming regular users. As much as 2.5 percent of eighth graders abuse Ritalin…“

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, don’t accept it as a helpless situation and succumb to the pressures of drugging him. Your kids will have plenty of opportunities to damage their own brains–why be a part of that equation. Don’t get brainwashed into believing your child has a problem. ADHD, a labelled disorder in one child, is another child’s special gift. All personality traits–good or bad–exist with other aspects (we all, in fact, express every personality trait at various times); it’s up to you to see all aspects of your child’s personality. So you can nurture and encourage the positive aspects of your child’s personality, or you can drug ’em–it’s your choice.

More on the positive aspects of ADHD
Advantages of ADHD
The 151 positive traits of ADHD

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