It is estimated that over 85% of adults in the United States have consumed alcohol at some point during their lifetime. Of these individuals, over 70% have had a drink within the past year, and upwards of 55% of individuals have had a drink within the past month. Alcoholic beverages contain the psychoactive substance “ethanol,” …
Marijuana (Cannabis) is widely regarded throughout the world as the most commonly used recreational drug. As of 2015, it is estimated that nearly 50% of residents in the United States population have ingested marijuana at some point throughout their lives. Within just the past several years, recreational marijuana usage has steadily increased. This increase is …
Cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonine) is considered to be among the world’s most addictive drugs and is most often used on a recreational basis to achieve a dopaminergic euphoria. Those that use cocaine feel an increased sense of pleasure, attain a pro-social effect (wanting to socialize), and quicker conversational wit (due to enhanced thought speed; beta waves). These effects …
Invega (Paliperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic approved in 2006 for the treatment of schizophrenia. Several years later in 2009, a longer-acting format of the medication called “Invega Sustenna” was also approved. Invega Sustenna is an injectable form of the drug that is administered every 4 weeks and is thought to be advantageous it mitigates risk …
Fanapt (Iloperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic that was approved by the FDA on May 6, 2009 for the treatment of schizophrenia. The drug is thought to have been synthesized in the 1990s, during which its rights were sold from Hoechst Marion Roussel Inc. to Titan Pharmaceuticals, and eventually to Vanda Pharmaceuticals. It functions as an …
Saphris (Asenapine) is a drug that was approved by the FDA in 2007 for the treatment of schizophrenia and the manic phases of bipolar disorder. It functions by acting primarily on 5-HT2A serotonergic receptors and D2 dopaminergic receptors as an antagonist. It also elicits effects on a variety of other serotonergic receptors (5HT2B, 5HT2C, 5HT6, …
Individuals that have used any potent drug, particularly for a long-term and/or at high doses are known to experience significant short-term withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms may include things like dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Over time, they usually lessen in severity as the nervous system and physiology adjusts to function without the presence of the …