Tropical Weight Loss
Tropical Weight Loss
Photo: Karolina Grabowska
The critical concentration level for diphenhydramine capsules was 1 mg/mL, for diphenhydramine tablets 2.5 mg/mL, methamphetamine was 1.5 mg/mL, and MDMA was 2 mg/mL. At or above these concentrations, the FTS is likely to produce a false positive result.
This phenomenon is called “starvation mode,” and while your body isn't actually starving, it will naturally hold onto whatever calories it receives...
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Here are the rules: Have a small breakfast, eat a lot of fruit, no snacking in between meals, a piece of chocolate a day (apparently she had a...
Read More »The opioid overdose epidemic is a national emergency in America [1]. Since 1999, more than 750,000 deaths have been attributed to an opioid-induced overdose [2]. In the following two decades, four distinct waves of opioid overdose deaths have occurred. In the first wave, increased access to prescription opioids was the primary cause of new overdose related deaths. The second wave, beginning in 2010, was characterized by a rapid increase in deaths due to heroin overdoses. The third wave began in 2013, at which point Fentanyl became a leading cause of overdose deaths [3]. Now, in 2020, we are in what is being called the 4th wave of the opioid crisis—stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine or depressants like benzodiazepines combined with opioids [4,5,6,7]. Current research suggests that people who use illicit drugs often do not know whether fentanyl is present in what they are about to consume [8]. Fentanyl first rose to prominence in the 1960s due to its effectiveness as a painkiller. It has since become a popular—and dangerous—substance that is directly associated with the 3rd and 4th wave of the epidemic. Fentanyl is 75–100 times more potent then morphine [9]. Although there was a 4.1% decrease in opioid deaths in 2018 compared to 2017, the rate of drug overdose involving fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol increased by 10% [4]. In order to respond to this epidemic, harm reduction practices are being explored by public health organizations [10]. In the context of this paper, “harm reduction” is defined as programs and policies that aim to reduce the dangers associated with drug use. Harm reduction, therefore, exists as a preventative measure focusing on reducing drug-related harm [11]. Harm reduction programs started at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s primarily serving as syringe exchange sites to limit transfer of the disease among IV drug users [12]. Many of these programs have broadened their services to not only include syringe exchange access, but access to counseling and support services, and most recently drug checking initiatives [13, 14]. Drug checking abilities have become desired services in the harm reduction world to inform the user of the composition (and potential contaminants) present in their drugs [13]. Examples of drug checking methods include liquid reagents, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman Spectroscopy, High-Pressure Mass Spectrometry (HPMS), Thin-layer chromatography (TLC), Immunoassay Test strips, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), among others [13]. As analytical techniques such as FTIR and HPMS instruments become more portable and cost friendly, many harm reduction programs are purchasing these devices to provide community aid. However, liquid reagent kits and immunoassay test strips remain at the forefront of harm reduction measures due to accessibility and cost. The immunoassay test strips are of particular use in detecting fentanyl and fentanyl analogues because of the reliable detection at low concentrations and complex matrices that are often missed by spectroscopy methods [15, 16]. In order to help prevent overdoses, lateral flow immunoassay test strips originally designed for monitoring traces of fentanyl and its analogs in urine are being explored as a drug checking technology in harm reduction contexts [17,18,19,20]. One commonly used fentanyl test strip or “FTS” (BTNX Inc., Markham, ON, Canada) is a lateral flow chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of fentanyl in urine at the cutoff concentration of 20 ng/mL. A positive result on this test strip gives one line, a negative result gives two lines, and an invalid test gives either no line or no control line [21]. The “off label” use of the FTS in a harm reduction context involves preparation of a solution of the drug to be checked. For example, the residue in a cooker or baggie may be dissolved in a little water and then tested with the FTS. BTNX Inc. provides information about specificity of their test strip response, but for fentanyl 20 ng/mL FTS, the only drugs tested were fentanyl (detected at 20 ng/mL in urine) and norfentanyl (detected at 375 ng/mL in urine). In addition, a suite of pharmaceuticals were found to be non-interfering at levels of 100 ug/mL in a urine matrix [21, 22]. We have found that common stimulants and cutting agents that are often present in illicit drugs can create false positives. The problem arises from the cross-reactivity of the antibody for these other substances [23]. Although the affinity of the antibody for these substances is much lower than for fentanyl, if they are present at sufficiently high concentrations, they can cause a false positive result [24, 25]. As we consider the 4th wave of the pandemic, it can be expected that drug users will need to test stimulants to see if they contain fentanyl.
Caramel, honey, gold, copper, and strawberry give a healthy brightness that makes us look and feel younger. (Framing your face with lighter shades...
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Mix 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup (237 ml) of water. Ingesting undiluted vinegar of any kind can damage your throat...
Read More »We tested BTNX. Inc. 20 ng/mL immunoassay fentanyl test strips against 4 pharmaceuticals (diphenhydramine, alprazolam, Gabapentin, and naloxone buprenorphine) and 3 illicit stimulants (cocaine HCl, methamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)) to determine the prevalence of false positives at concentrations from 20 to 0.2 mg/mL. These substances were selected based on advice from harm reduction groups. Further, we were able to determine a suggested sample dilution and time for reading and interpretation of the results that will detect dangerous levels of fentanyl with less risk of false positives.
Ashwagandha can take anywhere from 2-3 days to several weeks to work. Current research suggests it may take ten or more weeks to achieve maximum...
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People with more muscle mass often have faster metabolisms that burn more calories. Age: You lose muscle as you get older, which slows down the...
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Eat within five consecutive hours. During the five consecutive hours (the “eating window”), eat as much as you're hungry for, and eat what you want...
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14 healthy meals for weight loss to cook tonight Asian Pesto Chicken Noodle Stir Fry. Did you know? ... Prawn, Lime and Avocado Bowls. ... Loaded...
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