addiction | CARLAT PUBLISHING

Expert Q&A

Prescription Drug Misuse

July 3, 2023

Joseph Pierre, MD.

Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Pierre has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Medication misuse requires more than telling your patient, “Just say no.” Dr. Pierre shows us how to keep the conversation firm but therapeutic.

Research Update

Are Higher-Potency Cannabis Products Riskier for Mental Illness?

April 1, 2023

Deepti Anbarasan, MD and John Wang, MD

John Wang, MD, and Deepti Anbarasan, MD. Dr. Wang and Dr. Anbarasan have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

In recent years, cannabis with widely varying THC concentrations has become available. But is there a link between how much THC a cannabis product contains and its risk of adverse effects. Researchers here add to the mounting evidence that the answer is likely yes.

Research Update

Methamphetamines and Opioid-Related Overdose Risk

April 1, 2023

Peter J. Farago, MD.

Peter J. Farago, MD. Dr. Farago has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Researchers provide a detailed glimpse into the chaotic state of the illicit opioid supply and show that the potentially dangerous misconception that methamphetamines can be used as an opioid overdose reversal agent is widespread.

Clinical Update

Gabapentin: A Double-Edged Sword

April 1, 2023

Noah Capurso, MD and Shram Shukla, MD

Shram Shukla, MD. Addiction psychiatry fellow, Yale School of Medicine. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Shukla and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Gabapentin has become one of the most widely prescribed medications in America. At the same time, concerns have emerged about its association with opioid overdose deaths. In this article, we review the data behind gabapentin treatment: when it should be used, how to use it, and when it should be avoided.

Expert Q&A

Substance-Induced Depression: Diagnosis and Treatment

April 1, 2023

Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD

Bryan K. Tolliver, MD, PhD

Associate professor, Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina. Charleston, SC.

Dr. Tolliver has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

“When tailoring medication choice, a careful history can guide you. If I’m treating a patient who drinks excessively at night to sleep or who struggles with insomnia when they try to stop drinking, I’ll start with a sedating antidepressant like mirtazapine. That’s not an evidence-based decision, it’s a clinical decision that I think can be helpful.”

Dr. Tolliver gives us a framework to understand the relation between depression, substance use, and substance-induced mood disorders.

Expert Q&A

Recognizing and Treating Substance-Induced Psychosis

April 1, 2023

David Beckmann, MD, MPH

David Beckmann, MD, MPH.

Assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Beckmann has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Clinical pearls on how to assess and treat substance-induced psychosis when you come across them in your clinic.

Clinical Update

Naltrexone: A Jack of All Trades?

April 1, 2023

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD

Julio Cesar Nunes, MD. Psychiatry resident, Yale University. New Haven, CT.

Noah Capurso, MD, MHS. Assistant professor of psychiatry, Yale University. New Haven, CT. Editor-in-chief of The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report.

Dr. Nunes and Dr. Capurso have no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Naltrexone was once hailed as a treatment for all addictive disorders. While the hype has not entirely panned out, it still holds an important place in our armamentarium of addiction treatments. Here, we review the evidence for its use and provide prescribing recommendations.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Is Ibogaine Safe for Opioid Detox?

January 30, 2023

Richard Moldawsky, MD

Richard Moldawsky, MD. Dr. Moldawsky has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Ibogaine is being promoted as a natural and safe way to detox from
opioids. Researchers here find that ibogaine is not quite as benign as some might believe.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Driving Performance and Cannabis Users’ Perception of Safety: A Randomized Trial

January 30, 2023

Olaniyi Olayinka, MD.

Olaniyi Olayinka, MD. Dr. Olayinka has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

Everyone knows that drinking alcohol can impair driving ability. Researchers here demonstrate that driving under the influence of cannabis can be risky as well.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Thiamine Supplementation in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder

January 30, 2023

Peter J. Farago, MD.

Peter J. Farago, MD. Dr. Farago has no financial relationships with companies related to this material.

We review an article that examines rates of thiamine supplementation for those with alcohol use disorder in the real world. Researchers wondered, how often is thiamine supplemented properly? The answer they found: not that often.