A Comprehensive Overview on Medical Complications of Substance Use and Treatment Options

By /

Reclaim Your Life: A New Path to Wellness and Recovery

Your mental and physical health matter—and they are deeply connected. This article explores the profound impact of substance use on both mental and physical health, as well as the available pharmacologic and therapeutic treatments. Substance use may have taken its toll, but recovery can lead to a brighter, healthier future. The challenges you face are real, but so is the hope for change.

 

SUBSTANCE USE 

Substance use profoundly impacts both mental and physical health, leading to serious complications. Let’s delve into some of the most common medical complications and treatment options associated with Substance Use.

 

Alcohol Use

Alcohol, a widely abused substance, can wreak havoc on the human body. Chronic alcohol use can lead to a variety of health problems, including:

 

Organ damage:

  • Liver damage: Cirrhosis and fatty liver disease
  • Brain damage: Wernicke-Korsakoff encephalopathy syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by confusion, memory loss, and difficulties with coordination; acute psychosis ( hallucinosis) 
  • Heart disease: Increased risk of heart failure, stroke, and cardiomyopathy
  • Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas

 Neurological:

  • Peripheral neuropathy: Damage to nerves, often causing numbness, tingling, and weakness in the extremities.

Hematological:

  • Anemia: A decrease in the number of red blood cells, leading to fatigue and weakness.

 Oncological:

  • Increased cancer risk: Alcohol abuse is linked to an increased risk of developing cancers of the esophagus, colon, liver, and breast cancers

 

Acute Alcohol Intoxication Identifiers:

  • Slurred speech: Difficulty speaking clearly.
  • Ataxia: Impaired coordination and balance.
  • Disinhibition: Reduced self-control and judgment.
  • Disorientation: Confusion about time, place, and person.
  • Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome:
  • Mild Withdrawal: Symptoms include insomnia, irritability, anxiety, nausea, headache, sweating, and palpitations.
  • Seizures: Tonic-clonic seizures can occur within 2-48 hours after cessation of alcohol use.
  • Alcohol Hallucinosis: Auditory hallucinations occur without significant impairment of consciousness.
  • Delirium Tremens: A severe and potentially life-threatening withdrawal syndrome characterized by hallucinations, disorientation, autonomic instability, agitation, and sweating.

 

Pharmacologic Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal

  • Benzodiazepines
  • Thiamine

Long-term Pharmacologic Treatment of Alcohol treatment can include:

  • Antabuse
  • Campral
  • Naltrexone

 

Laboratory Findings

  • Intoxication
  • Changes in vital signs – elevated pulse and blood pressure
  • Blood alcohol levels
  • Blood ammonia levels
  • Elevated electrolytes due to dehydration
  • Low  blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
  • Low glucose
  • Anemia
  • Long term use
  • Elevated liver enzymes, ALT AST
  • Elevated bilirubin
  • Decrease in clotting factors

 

Post-acute Withdrawal Symptoms can occur with withdrawal from alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines

  • Usually starts 7-14 days after the last use of the substance and can last for months
  • Symptoms can sometimes come and go with wave-like reoccurrences or fluctuations in severity of symptoms.
  • Common symptoms include impaired cognition, irritability, depressed mood, and anxiety;
  • All can become severe and can increase the risk for relapse

 

Opiate (Narcotic) Use

Narcotics and be prescription or non-prescription. Often abuse can start with the treatment of chronic pain. Medical risk include the following:

  • Respiratory Depression: Opioids can slow down breathing, potentially leading to fatal overdoses.
  • Increased Risk of Infection: Sharing needles puts individuals at risk of contracting serious blood-borne illnesses, such as HIV and hepatitis C.
  • Worsening Pain Conditions: Long-term opioid use can paradoxically worsen pain, leading to a cycle of dependence and addiction.
  • Intoxication is characterized by pinpoint pupils, lethargy, mental clouding, psychomotor retardation, and slurred speech
  • Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, yawning, rhinorrhea, muscle twitching, irritability, muscle aches, dilated pupils, autonomic instability, muscle aches and stomach cramps
  • Overdoses are characterized by impaired respiration, pinpoint pupils, slow heart rate, coma and hypothermia
  • Withdrawal is uncomfortable, but usually not medically dangerous

 

Treatment of Opiate Use

  • Naloxone (Narcan)  – acute & immediate treatment of adult patients who present as emergencies
  • Methadone maintenance
  • Buprenorphine
  • Naltrexone, Revia, Vivitrol
  • Combination preparations – Suboxone, Zubsolv
  • Clonidine – has no effect on cravings

 

Stimulant and Cocaine Use 

Stimulant use disorders, characterized by the abuse of substances like cocaine and methamphetamine, can lead to a range of severe physical and psychological consequences including:

 

  • Cardiovascular Disease: Stimulant use can lead to irregular heart rhythms, heart attacks, and strokes, arrhythmias, hypertension
  • Inhibit reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine
  • Can cause excessive sweating, anorexia, psychosis, formication
  • Mental Health Disorders: Stimulants can induce psychotic episodes, anxiety, and depression.
  • Infectious Disease Transmission: Sharing needles used to inject stimulants can transmit blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis C.
  • Withdrawal con look like depression: dysphoria, fatigue, paranoia, insomnia, agitation and psychomotor agitation
  • No clear treatment for withdrawal – tapering is not necessary Kidney Damage: Prolonged stimulant use can strain the kidneys, increasing the risk of kidney failure. 

 

Benzodiazepines Use

Benzodiazepines is use in the treatment for anxiety but are highly addictive.  Long-term use can impair cognitive function, increase the risk of accidents and falls, and can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms.

  • Intoxication and withdrawal are similar to alcohol
  • Withdrawal effects and timeframes are dependent on the half-life of the benzodiazepine
  • Withdrawal can cause seizures if not treated.
  • Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is frequent and can be long-lasting with benzodiazepine withdrawal and can result in anxiety and panic attacks.
  • Medical withdrawal should be gradual and under medical supervision.

 

Cannabis Use

Cannabis one of the most used drugs in the United States, particularly among young adults. In 2021, 35.4% of people aged 18 to 25 (11.8 million people) reported using marijuana in the past year. Researchers are still studying the long-term and short-term effects Cannabis. Current research has found the following:

  • Cannabis during adolescence and young adulthood, while the brain is still developing, can interfere with the formation of crucial neural connections. This can lead to long-term or even permanent deficits in cognitive functions like attention, memory, and learning.
  • Smoking Cannabis can damage the lungs and increase the risk of respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and scar small blood vessels.
  • Smoking Cannabis can also increase your risk of stroke, heart disease and other vascular diseases.
  • Vaping THC-containing products is linked to lung injury and even death.
  • Frequent use has been linked to a higher risk of developing schizophrenia
  • Long-term use can lead to various health problems, including gum disease and fertility issues.
  • 9% of cannabis users develop dependence
  • Withdrawal is not serious, symptoms include dysphoria, anxiety, irritability, and restlessness
  • There is no specific pharmacological treatment for cannabis dependence

 

Clinicians will assess vital signs and monitoring for the following:

  • Physical symptoms g. GI problems, bleeding, pain, evidence of trauma
  • Cognition- sensorium
  • Lab values – liver enzymes (ALT, AST, bilirubin) blood ammonia levels, signs of dehydration e.g. elevated potassium, sodium), hemoglobin, hematocrit.

 

Questions Clinicians will ask.

  • What substances does member use? Often all substances are not reported
  • Is there any acute medical risk, DTs, acute withdrawal, acute cognitive problems
  • What are the barriers to recovery?
  • When did the member last use?
    • How much was used?
    • How frequent is the use?
  • Is there a history of substances treatment?
    • Was the treatment successful in eliminating substance use?

 

Assessments:

  • ASAM: Risk Ratings Worksheet Tracker
  • APA_DSM5_Level-2-Substance-Use-Adult
  • AUDIT
  • AUDIT-C
  • APA_DSM5_Level-2-Substance-Use-Adult
  • Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10)
  • DSM-5 Opioid Use Disorder Checklist4
  • LEVEL 2—Substance Use—Adult (adapted from the NIDA-Modified ASSIST)
  • Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar)
  • Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST)

 

Non-pharmacologic substance treatments recommended: Outpatient therapy, Intensive Outpatient Treatment, 12-step programs, other community support programs .

 

A Community That Cares

You’re not alone. Connect with peers who understand your journey. Access proven tools from trusted organizations like SAMHSA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Together, we’ll create a supportive network to help you succeed.

Take Control of Your Health

Substance use affects more than just your state of mind—it impacts every part of your body. Whether it’s the damage from alcohol on the liver and brain, the respiratory risks from opiates, or the cardiovascular dangers of stimulants, every day of continued use risks further harm. The good news? Every step toward recovery is a step toward healing.

You Deserve to Feel Whole Again.
Recovery is about more than leaving substance use behind—it’s about embracing a future where you can live, love, and thrive. Don’t wait another day to start your journey.

Contact Us Now

Take the first step toward a healthier you. Email us at infiniftepsychology101@gmail.com or visit www.InfiniftePsychology.com  to learn more about how we can help you or a loved one reclaim life.

Your brighter tomorrow begins today.

Resources:

  •  National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA provides comprehensive information on drug abuse and addiction, including the medical consequences of substance use.
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): SAMHSA offers information on substance use disorders, treatment, and recovery, as well as the physical and mental health consequences of substance abuse.
  • Mayo Clinic: A reputable medical institution that provides information on the health risks associated with substance abuse.
  • WebMD: A popular health website that offers information on the medical consequences of substance use disorders.

 

 

References:

  • Journal of Addiction Medicine: This journal covers a wide range of topics related to addiction, including the medical consequences of substance use disorders.
  • American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse: This journal publishes research on the biological, psychological, and social aspects of drug and alcohol abuse, including the medical complications.
  • Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs: This journal publishes research on all aspects of substance use, including the medical and social consequences of alcohol and drug abuse.
  • Drug and Alcohol Dependence: This journal focuses on the neurobiological, psychological, and social aspects of addiction, including the medical complications of substance use disorders.
  • Addiction Biology: This journal publishes research on the biological basis of addiction, including the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the medical consequences of substance use.

 

 

.

 

Article Citation:

Author: LeClair, Lynda

Title of the Post: A Comprehensive Overview on Medical Complications of Substance Use and Treatment Options

Blog Name: Infinite Psychology

Date of Publication: December 4, 2024

URL: https://www.infinitepsychology.com/a-comprehensive-overview-on-medical-complications-of-substance-use-and-treatment-options/

Scroll to Top