As the medical field continues to develop and new medications are prescribed, the phenomenon of drug abuse can encompass increasingly uncommon substances. For instance, while the phrase typically signals images of individuals snorting cocaine or smoking meth, it can easily extend to lesser-known prescription medications.
Scopolamine is a drug used for nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms associated with motion sickness. It can be produced naturally or synthetically and can be injected to assist surgical patients in decreasing saliva, taken orally, or applied as a transdermal patch. Our Banyan Lake Worth rehab asks the question: How long does scopolamine stay in your system after consumption ceases?
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Scopolamine History
The word scopolamine is derived from the solanaceous plant, also known as “Scopolia carniolica.” The plant was named in honor of the alleged discoverer, J. A. Scopoli, and it was first written about in 1881. For many years, it was utilized to bring about amnesia and pain management during childbirth, often by combining it with morphine.
It continues to prove useful in medical practices today. In a surgical setting, it may be administered through injection to help reduce salvation and manage nausea after an operation. It is applied as a transdermal patch right behind the ear for patients prone to motion sickness in their everyday life. Scuba divers utilize this to help manage sea sickness. It can also aid in gastrointestinal radiology, renal spasms, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Scopolamine Side Effects
The most common way this drug is administered is as a patch. Only one scopolamine patch should be applied at a time, and a number of side effects can present themselves upon removal.
Some of the more common side effects can include:
- Sore throat
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Vomiting
- Hallucinations
Side effects that a medical professional does not address can increase in severity and result in dangerous symptoms. These symptoms can consist of:
- Disorientation
- Vertigo
- Agitation
- Memory loss
- Difficulty speaking
If any of these symptoms present themselves, along with an inability to stop usage on one’s own, then our BHOPB detox may be required before substance abuse treatment is administered.
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Scopolamine Half-Life
A drug’s half-life is defined as the time required for the amount of the active substance in the body to be decreased by half. In the case of scopolamine, this happens roughly 9 hours after the patch is removed. However, the body can continue to feel the drug’s effects for days, or even weeks, after the patch is removed. Being that it is used to treat nausea through blocking receptor sites in the central nervous system, immediately stopping use on one’s own can result in an intensified sensation of motion sickness, as can taking too much of it at one time.
That’s where we come in. Our Lake Worth drug rehab possesses a slew of treatment options designed to assist you on your journey to recovery. For more intense cases, residential drug treatment is available.
All drug dependencies should be treated with the same level of severity. Even if it is not a narcotic, taking too much scopolamine can have dangerous results for the patient.
Call Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches today at 561-220-3981 to learn more about our addiction treatment in Lake Worth.
References:
The History of Surgical Anesthesia – Wood Library Museum
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