Addiction Medicine Made Easy | Fighting back against addiction
86 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 23 ratingsAddiction is killing us. Over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdose in the last year, and over 100,000 Americans died from alcohol use in the last year. We need to include addiction medicine as a part of everyone's practice! We take topics in addiction medicine and break them down into digestible nuggets and clinical pearls that you can use at the bedside. We are trying to create an army of health care providers all over the world who want to fight back against addiction - and we hope you will join us.
*This podcast was previously the Addiction in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care podcast*
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
BONUS EPISODE - Food, Eating Disorders, and Addictive Food
April 20, 2024 15:40 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBDr. Grover was asked to speak at a high school on the topic of food, nutrition, eating disorders, and how ultra processed food can be addictive. He recorded the lecture while giving it - so here it is as a bonus episode.
Episode 74 - How Does Counseling and Talk Therapy Help Patients with Addiction (Part 2)
April 13, 2024 21:25 - 1 hour - 34.5 MBWe tried to cover counseling and talk therapy as a part of treatment for addiction in a single episode - but it was too big of a topic! This episode is part 2 of Dr. Grover's interview with Andrew Finley, LMFT on the topic of counseling and talk therapy as a part of treatment for addiction.
Episode 73 - How to handle the polysubstance use patient
April 01, 2024 20:12 - 48 minutes - 34.1 MBOk...so you have a patient using nicotine, cannabis, alcohol, and methamphetamine. What substance should you focus on helping the patient stop first? Or should the patient stop everything at once? In this episode Dr. Grover interviews Addiction Medicine physician Dr. Lee Goldman on the topic of how to treat patients who use multiple substances.
Episode 72 - Cannabis Withdrawal Revisited
March 18, 2024 14:04 - 20 minutes - 15.2 MBIn this episode, we take a second look at cannabis withdrawal. Dr. Grover covered this topic on a previous episode, but as cannabis use is very common, and many people don't realize that cannabis has a withdrawal syndrome - it needed another look. This episode is an up to date review of cannabis withdrawal, including options for treatment.
Episode 71 - How Does Counseling and Talk Therapy Help Patients with Addiction? (Part 1)
March 04, 2024 18:43 - 58 minutes - 38.6 MBHow much do you know about talk therapy and counseling? How does it work? How does a therapist decide what to talk about? How does one define a successful therapy session? In this episode, Dr. Grover interviews Andrew Finley, LMFT, about how counseling and talk therapy work for patients with addiction. And since it's such a big topic, it will take several episodes to cover.
Episode 70 - What drug is coming next in the illicit drug supply?
February 25, 2024 05:42 - 46 minutes - 32.4 MBAre you familiar with Bromazolam? Carfentanil? Isotonitazene? Flualprazolam? What do all these substances have in common? They are showing up in the illicit drug market, and we'll likely be seeing more of them in the future. Dr. Grover gives an update on what's coming next in the illicit drug supply
Episode 69 - Parent Education on How to Talk to Kids About Drugs and Alcohol
February 12, 2024 18:37 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBDr. Grover was asked to speak at a high school to parents on how to talk to kids about drugs and alcohol - and this episode is a recording of that lecture. Dr. Grover reviews how to talk to kids about substance use in general, as well as how to talk to kids who are actively using substances. Pardon the raspy voice - Dr. Grover is getting over pneumonia :)
Finally! A New Name!
February 03, 2024 03:23 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBWe finally came up with a new and better name for the podcast! Addiction in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care is now Addiction Medicine Made Easy. Dr. Grover shares his thoughts on the why behind the name change.
Episode 68 - Fentanyl-laced stimulants
January 29, 2024 01:59 - 16 minutes - 13 MBWe all know that the illicit drug supply is full of contaminants, some more dangerous than others. I am seeing, in my practice, more of my patients who use stimulants test positive for fentanyl. In this episode, we review a study that analyzes specimens of meth and cocaine to see how often they are laced with fentanyl. Spoiler alert...it's pretty common :(
Episode 67 - Recreational Nitrous Oxide Use
January 18, 2024 05:47 - 17 minutes - 14.4 MBDo your patients use whippets? Have they ever mentioned that they use nitrous? Not quite sure what we're talking about? In this episode we look at recreational use of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas or whippets.
Episode 66 - Have you heard of Iso?
December 26, 2023 16:12 - 14 minutes - 11.9 MBHave you heard of the drug Iso? Is it isofentanyl? Or maybe it's isotonitazene? Or is it just fentanyl cut with who knows what? In this episode we discuss the drug being sold as "Iso" - and try to figure out what's in it.
Episode 65 – Can parents prevent alcohol use disorder by allowing teens to drink at home?
December 09, 2023 18:49 - 21 minutes - 17.8 MBHave you heard that giving teenagers alcohol in the home under parental supervision can teach them to use alcohol safely and reduce the risk of addiction to alcohol? Many parents believe this to be true. In this episode, we review the evidence in the literature to find out if this is true or not.
Episode 64 - The Art of the (Drug) Deal
November 20, 2023 15:44 - 43 minutes - 29.3 MBHow does a drug deal work? How do people with addiction find out what their drugs are cut with? Can you ask your dealer if your drugs have fentanyl in them? In this episode Dr. Grover interviews Jeremy, who is a former injection drug user about what it's like buying drugs in the illicit market.
Episode 63 - Building trust with substance use patients
November 03, 2023 18:16 - 44 minutes - 24.4 MBIn this episode we speak with Araceli, a Substance Use Navigator in California, about her work taking care of substance use patients in her Emergency Department. We talk about how to connect with patients with substance use - both in terms of building trust and how to work with patients who do not speak English as their first language.
Episode 62 - How P2P Meth changed everything
October 19, 2023 17:31 - 21 minutes - 17.4 MBHave you heard of P2P methamphetamine? It has turned out to be a major destructive force in the world of addiction and in society in general. In this article we tell the story of how P2P meth came to be the dominant stimulant in the US, and how it has produced devastating mental health effects in those who use it.
Episode 61 - Have you heard of peer support? It's awesome?
October 05, 2023 02:01 - 56 minutes - 31.7 MBHave you heard of peer support? It's AWESOME! Such a huge help for patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. In this episode Dr. Grover provides an overview of peer support for the treatment of substance use, and we hear from Ceil - a woman in recovery who is providing peer support.
Episode 61 - Have you heard of peer support? It's awesome!
October 05, 2023 02:01 - 56 minutes - 31.7 MBHave you heard of peer support? It's AWESOME! Such a huge help for patients with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. In this episode Dr. Grover provides an overview of peer support for the treatment of substance use, and we hear from Ceil - a woman in recovery who is providing peer support.
Episode 60 - How to actually help patients with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
September 26, 2023 04:24 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBHow often have you seen a patient you think has cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome - and when you tell them you think they need to stop using cannabis they tell you..."it's not the weed". In this episode we review what patients with suspected cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome think about the condition and how you can help them to stop using cannabis
Episode 59 - Why Substance Use Navigators are awesome!
September 14, 2023 04:35 - 37 minutes - 34 MBIf you don't have a Substance Use Navigator (SUN) at your hospital, you need one! They are awesome! In this episode Dr. Grover speaks with Austin, a Substance Use Navigator, who shares his experience taking care of patients with substance use. Spoiler alert! Substance Use Navigators do incredible work!
Episode 58 - How to Use Naloxone like a Pro
August 30, 2023 16:29 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBNaloxone saves lives! In this episode, Addiction Medicine and Emergency Medicine physician Dr. Reb Close joins Dr. Grover to discuss naloxone - how to use it, how to get it into the hands of patients, and how to distribute it in the community.
Episode 57 - Have you heard of Phenibut?
August 24, 2023 16:06 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBHave you heard of Phenibut? Did you know that it can be bought online as an unregulated supplement and yet regular use causes dependence? Any idea how to manage Phenibut withdrawal? In this episode we review the literature on Phenibut, including Phenibut toxicity and withdrawal.
Episode 56 - When you prescribe an opioid, who else besides your patient might have an overdose?
July 24, 2023 12:17 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBIn this episode we review the risk of having opioids in the home. As in – when you prescribe an opioid to a patient – what is the risk to the other people and family members in that patient’s home?
Episode 55 - Can you use baclofen to treat alcohol use disorder?
July 11, 2023 02:44 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBHave you heard about using baclofen for alcohol use disorder? Does it work? How do you dose it? What are the contraindications? In this episode we do an evidence based review of the use of baclofen to treat alcohol use disorder
Episode 54 - Do you know enough about urine drug screens to use them effectively?
June 27, 2023 04:21 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBSo...how much do you know about urine drug screens? Can selegiline cause a false + for meth? Can quinolones cause a false + for opioids? Can putting visine in urine cause a false negative? What should you do if you think you've gotten a false positive result on a urine drug screen. In this episode - we tackle all these questions and more
BONUS EPISODE - A little inspiration
June 15, 2023 02:51 - 4 minutes - 3.66 MBA really quick bonus episode! Dr. Grover shares a poem written about addiction that reminds us why treating patients with substance use disorders matters so much.
Episode 53 - Is the buprenorphine you prescribe going to end up on the street?
June 01, 2023 13:08 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBHave you ever been worried that when you prescribe a controlled substance that your patient might sell it on the street or to a friend? Of course you have. What about when you prescribe buprenorphine? In this episode we review the topic of buprenorphine diversion - how common is it, and what actually happens when patients use diverted buprenorphine?
Episode 52 - Talking to kids about drug use
May 15, 2023 23:46 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBIn this episode Dr. Casey Grover and child psychiatrist Dr. Susan Swick discuss the topic of talking to kids about drug use. They discuss how health care providers can connect with kids who are using substances, how to work with the parents of a child who is using substances, and when parents should start discussing substance use with their kids before substance use starts.
Episode 51 - What's it like having a family history of addiction?
May 05, 2023 01:52 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBHave you ever wondered what it's like growing up with parents who have addiction? Have you ever talked to patients about what it's like parenting while in recovery? How often have you seen one generation with addiction lead to the next generation having addiction too? In this episode Dr. Grover interviews a colleague who discusses her strong family history of addiction, her own addiction, and how she is raising her kids in a healthy drug/alcohol free home.
Episode 50 - A Recovery Story, Part 2
April 27, 2023 02:39 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBIn this episode Dr. Grover does a follow up interview with Aiden, a young man in recovery. Aiden shares more of his recovery story, including how music keeps him focused on recovery, what it was like to be incarcerated, how being incarcerated has affected his recovery, how he deals with regret looking back on his time with active addiction, and what his goals are for the future.
Episode 49 - Buprenorphine vs Fentanyl
April 19, 2023 18:38 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBAs we've discussed many times on this podcast there is a lot of concern - from both patients and medical providers - that patients with opioid use disorder using fentanyl will have an increased risk of precipitated opioid withdrawal when they start buprenorphine. And finally, we have a study looking directly at this topic!! In this episode we review a recent paper from JAMA Network Open that looks at the rate of precipitated opioid withdrawal during buprenorphine inductions in patients with ...
Episode 48 - A Recovery Story
April 06, 2023 01:45 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBIn this episode Dr. Grover interviews Aiden, a young man in recovery. Aiden shares his story of how his addiction developed, what it's like living with addiction, how his recovery started, and what life is like as a young man in recovery.
Episode 47 - What is Kratom?
March 22, 2023 15:11 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBHow much do you know about Kratom? Who takes it and why? How does Kratom withdrawal present and how do you treat it? And what do you do in the case of a Kratom overdose? In this episode we do an evidence based review on Kratom to answer all of these questions and more.
Episode 46 - Treating Alcohol Use Disorder with Topiramate
March 10, 2023 02:25 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBHave you had a patient ask you about using Topiramate to treat their alcohol use disorder? Or maybe you've heard a colleague talk about it, but don't know much about it? In this episode we review the use of the medication topiramate in treating alcohol use disorder. Spoiler alert! This may be practice changing!
Episode 45 - Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
February 27, 2023 14:34 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBHow often do you see patients who regularly use cannabis who get recurrent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting? It seems like this comes up at least every other shift in the Emergency Department. In this episode we review all aspects of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, from pathophysiology, to diagnosis, to treatment.
Episode 44 - What is the risk of fentanyl exposure to first responders and what do we do about it?
February 10, 2023 22:43 - 39 minutes - 35.7 MBHave you heard reports of first responders having overdoses on fentanyl after just touching it? Do you actually know how well fentanyl is absorbed through the skin? What PPE should first responders use if they know they are going to be exposed to fentanyl? In this episode we do a mega deep dive to find out what is the risk of fentanyl exposure to first responders and what can we do to mitigate that risk?
Episode 43 - Cannabis Toxicity and "Greening Out"
January 19, 2023 19:06 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBHow familiar are you with cannabis toxicity? Do you know the symptoms of a cannabis overdose? If your patient told you that she "greened out" last night, would you know what she was talking about? In this episode we do an evidence-based review of cannabis toxicity, including what it means to "green out"
Episode 42 - Delirium Tremens
January 06, 2023 16:51 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBPink Elephants anyone? In this episode we review Delirium Tremens, also know as alcohol withdrawal delirium. It's not too common, but it makes people impressively sick when it develops. Listen in for an evidence based review of the diagnosis and treatment of delirium tremens.
Episode 41 - How does microdosing buprenorphine work?
December 28, 2022 19:03 - 29 minutes - 27 MBHave you heard about microdosing buprenorphine? Have your patients asked you if it's an option for them? In this episode we do a deep dive on the topic of microdosing buprenorphine...including how it might be the best option for patients using illicit fentanyl to start bupe without experiencing precipitated withdrawal.
Episode 40 - What the heck is Xylazine and how do you treat a Xylazine overdose?
December 02, 2022 01:37 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBHave you heard of Xylazine? I sure don't remember it from pharmacology in medical school. It turns out Xylazine is a veterinary medicine that is being increasingly cut into the illicit drug supply in the US. Why is it being cut into drugs, what does it do, and how is a Xylazine overdose treated? We cover everything you need to know about Xylazine in this episode.
Episode 39 - Are you confused by all the different formulations of buprenorphine? Me too
November 18, 2022 00:39 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBHave you found all the different formulations of buprenorphine confusing? What is Zubsolv and how is it different from regular sublingual buprenorphine? And what about Belbuca? Or BuTrans? When can you use injectable Buprenex? What about Sublocade? In this episode we do a deep dive into all the different formulations of buprenorphine, including what they are used for and how to dose them. We also discuss how challenging it can be to convert between different formulations.
BONUS EPISODE - A plea to treat Alcohol Use Disorder as well as we do Opiate Use Disorder
November 08, 2022 00:13 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBAnother bonus episode! I was asked to give a lecture on medications for alcohol use disorder to some of my colleagues in my area. We have made such incredible improvements in how we treat opiate use disorder with medication...it's time to do the same with alcohol use disorder. So...in this lecture I tried to convince my colleagues that we need to start routinely treating patients with alcohol use disorder with medication for alcohol use disorder. Take a listen...hopefully I can convince you ...
Episode 38 - Could you be eligible to be board certified in Addiction Medicine?
November 01, 2022 01:13 - 10 minutes - 9.93 MBWe need more Addiction Medicine physicians, both here in the United States and all over the world. In the United States, board certification in Addiction Medicine is supervised by the American Board of Preventative Medicine (ABPM). In this episode we review the process for how to obtain board certification in Addiction Medicine in the US. It turns out that the ABPM has a practice pathway that allows for board certification in Addiction Medicine without having to do a fellowship for those who...
Episode 37 - Stimulant Withdrawal
October 13, 2022 14:04 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBI don't know about you but I was taught stimulants didn't have a withdrawal syndrome, and yet many of my patients - after a post methamphetamine crash - will complain of being in withdrawal. So...how much do you know about stimulant withdrawal? In this episode we review stimulant withdrawal - how to diagnose it, how to treat it, and how it feels to patients.
Episode 36 - What labs can you use to assess alcohol use? (follow up to Episode #27)
September 30, 2022 02:23 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBA follow up to Episode #27 on labs and alcohol use disorder. So you're at work and you have a patient who you're pretty convinced has an alcohol use disorder, but you're not sure which test you should order to assess their alcohol use. LFTs? Carbohydrate deficient transferrin? Ethyl glucuronide? Phosphatidylethanol? In this episode we take another look at lab tests that can help you with your assessment of patients who use alcohol...including some lab tests that you probably have never heard...
BONUS EPISODE - The Non-Opioid Management of Renal Colic
September 13, 2022 13:29 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBA bonus episode! This isn't really on the topic of addiction...but it does involve opioid sparing and alternative to opioid treatment protocols (and avoiding a new start of opioids may prevent someone from developing opioid dependence or opioid use disorder). I put together a lecture on the non-opioid management of renal colic a few months back. I thought the topic was really useful, so I presented it to the docs that I work with where I practice as a part of our monthly physician educatio...
Episode 35 - Hallucinogen Intoxication
September 08, 2022 04:11 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBHow much do you know about hallucinogens? Do you know the differences between LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA? In this episode we review hallucinogens as a general class of drugs, specific hallucinogenic drugs, and how to manage the acutely intoxicated in the ED and acute care setting.
Episode 34 - An Overview of Methamphetamine Use Disorder
August 25, 2022 20:32 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBGiven how prevalent methamphetamine use is, this topic is WAY overdue. In this episode we take a broad look at methamphetamine use disorder - how methamphetamine affects the brain, the clinical features of methamphetamine use disorder, and how to treat methamphetamine use disorder.
Episode 33 - Methamphetamine Psychosis
August 09, 2022 01:19 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBYou just had a patient arrive via ambulance on an involuntary hold who is clearly psychotic. As the paramedics are giving report, you hear that the patient was found using methamphetamine on scene. So...is this schizophrenia? Or is it meth psychosis? Can you tell the difference? In this episode, we do a deep dive into methamphetamine psychosis, to review the clinical features, prognosis, risk factors, and treatment - including a discussion of the differences between primary psychotic disorde...
Episode 32 - The "Drug-Seeking" Patient and why it's time to retire the term "Drug-Seeking"
July 26, 2022 21:20 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBThis episode is on the topic of the label "drug-seeking" that is often given to patients. Dr. Grover reviews a clinical case and reviews a perspective piece written on this topic. How would you handle a patient in pain who has an allergy to multiple medications, is refusing non-opioid options, and is asking for morphine? Is it addiction? Severe pain? Or is the patient in withdrawal? In this episode we delve into the complex and nuanced topic of the so-called "Drug-Seeking" patient.
Episode 31 - How do mutual support groups and 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous work?
July 11, 2022 00:22 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBYou've probably heard patients talking about going to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), but how much do you actually know about what AA does? In this episode we review mutual support groups and 12 step programs (such as AA) - what they are and how they work.