APITHERAPY FOR MENTAL
DISORDERS
AND SUBSTANCE ADDICTIONS
Moisés Asís, MSW, JD, PhD. (CMACC 12/2009, New York)

APITHERAPY: Definition (2007)
• “It is the Complementary and
Alternative Medicine that
promotes the use of bee
products (honey and
honeydew, propolis,
beeswax, pollen and bee
bread, apitoxin or bee venom,
drone larvae, royal jelly, and
whole bees) for nutrition,
enhancement of health and life
quality, prevention and
treatment of diseases, and for
cosmetics. Apitherapy
comprises, among its many
procedures, the apitoxitherapy
or bee venom therapy, and the
apipuncture or acupuncture by
beestings or apitoxin
microinjections.”

Some Apitherapy procedures

...Some Apitherapy procedures

…Some Apitherapy procedures

…Some Apitherapy procedures

Mental Disorders and
Addictions
• Intrapsychic
Factors
• Social/Family
• Biological &
Genetic
• Motivational
• Emotional
• Other Factors

ALL DISEASES ARE
PSYCHOSOMATIC
• … but some ones
are more
psychosomatic
than others.

D.E.W.N.I.S.: Apitherapy Protocol
for Mental Disorders &
Addictions:
1. Detoxification
2. Energy
3. Wellness in General
4. Nutrition
5. Immune System Boost
6. Synergy with Other Procedures
& Medications

Apitherapy will be used
• For treatment of mental disorders
and addictions.
• For synergies of such treatments.
• For treatment of medical conditions
associated to such conditions and
treatments.

Some D.E.W.N.I.S. Tips:
1. Clear drugs from body, and manage withdrawal,
purification of organism: ad libitum tea with honey,
propolis, other bee products.
2. Diet on high doses of honey, propolis, pollen for
withdrawal symptoms and for synergy with other
treatments.
3. Bee products for drug-related medical problems.
4. Psychotherapy, counseling, social work.
5. Involve, educate patients, families, community.
6. Improving self-image is important: Use Apitherapy
cosmetics.
7. Beekeeping is an activity requiring discipline,
physical activity, contact with nature, and body
clean from drug/alcohol odors.

Honey
• Its fast assimilation prevents
alcoholic fermentation.
• Euphorizant.
• Very valuable for fast
detoxification of alcoholics.
• For weakness (asthenia)
and mental/physical
exhaustion.
• Depressive conditions.
• Beneficial on body weight
and blood lipids in type 2
diabetes.*
• For dengue virus prevention.

…Honey
• Antitoxic properties.
• High energy value (3.3 cal/g)
• Insomnia.
• Antioxidant, nutritive, and
energetic properties.
• Antianemic.
• Increases libido, has
aphrodisiac properties.
• Antitumor activitiy in lung
carcinoma.*

…Honey
• For stress and
hyperactivity.
• Helps heal
radiotherapy-impaired
wounds.*
• Improves sleep.
• Hepatoprotective
effects.
• Prevents liver damage.
Facilitates the
production of liver
glycogen.**

…Honey
• Laryngitis, rhinitis,
sinusitis, coryza (head
cold).
• Excellent dressings for
wound care. Heals faster
than conventional wound
dressing.*
• Effective for MRSA
(methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus)
infection, in 70% of
cases.**
• Antifungal.
• Action against
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa.***

…Honey
• Honey is promising in
restorative sleep, memory
and off-line processing,
immune system
enhancement, useful in
poor memory, cognitive
dysfunction, depression,
Alzheimer’s type dementia.
(Ronald Fessenden, 1st
Int.
Symp. On Honey & Human
Health, Sacramento, Ca,
Jan. 8, 2008).
• Honey decreases anxiety
and improves memory
during ageing. Slows
aging process.*

Pollen and Bee Bread
• Contains almost all
vitamins.
• It is the best known
source of protein in
nature: it contains the
22 essential
aminoacids.
• Recommended for liver
disorders.
• Disintoxicant.
• Antioxidant activity*.

…Pollen and Bee Bread
• Strong free radical
scavenger activity,
antioxidant and
antiinflammatory activities.*
• Euphorizant.
• strengthens the nervous
system functioning.
• Stimulant.
• Recommended for
depressive disorders,
anxiety, anemia, sexual
dysfunctions, infertility.

Propolis
• Contains gammaglobulins.
• Antitoxic properties.
• Can be either
immunostimulant or
immunodepressant.
• Extraordinary antioxidant
properties.
• Stimulates collagen
synthesis of vascular walls.
• Stimulates wound healing.*
• Very valuable in cases of
rhinitis, inflammation of nasal
mucosa, septal erosion, and
other disorders of respiratory
pathways.

…Propolis
• Has activity against microbial activity of Escherichia coli,
Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella
pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis,
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, and fungus Candida albicans.
Also parasites (example: Leishmania tropica).*
• Effective against microbial dental infections and gum disease.**
• Caffeic acid, crysin, and naringin have radioprotective effect.***
• Protects against pesticide toxicity, alleviates toxicity of
aluminium chloride.****
• Pinocembrin, the most abundant flavonoid in propolis, has
neuroprotective, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiinflammatory
properties.*****

…Propolis
• Hepatoprotective. Its
minerals (copper, iron,
manganese, zinc),
flavonoids (mainly
pinocembrin, caffeic acid
phenethyl ester (CAPE), ),
and phenolic compounds
have hepatoprotective
effects, prevent liver
damage, cancer.*
• Artepillin C, CAPE, galangin,
kaempferol, quercetin, etc.,
are antioxidant and
antiangiogenic.
• Activity against leukemia.**

…Propolis
• Protects collagen against free
radicals.
• Caffeic acid methyl caffeate,
phenylethyl caffeate, and
phenylethyl dimethyl caffeate
have antitumor properties.
• Propolis ethanolic extract
enhances apoptosis-inducing
potential in cancer cells.*
• Quercetin, caffeic acid, and
crysin kill leukemia cells**.
• CAPE (caffeic acid
phenylester etyl) suppresses
the growth of
neurofibromatosis tumor.***
• Flavonoids have antitumor,
antioxidant, antimicrobial,
antiinflammatory, antiviral
action****

…Propolis
• Action against breast and
prostate cancers.*
• CAPE protects against liver
cancer at doses of 200-400
mg/kg.**
• CAPE induces apoptosis of
human pancreatic cancer
cells and suppresses the
growth of neurofibromatosis
tumor.***
• Propolis is effective against
depression and fatigue.
• Water-soluble components of
propolis may mitigate
amnesia at doses of 100
mg/kg, and have potential for
preventing Alzheimer’s
disease.****

Royal Jelly
• Immunostimulant.
• Stimulant, invigorating, and
euphorizant.
• Improves physical, sexual,
and intellectual performance.
• Significant delay in the onset
of lupus.*
• Antidepressant.
• Regulates arterial pressure.
• Antibacterial,
antiinflammatory,
vasodilative, hypotensive,
disinfectant, antioxidant,
antihypercholesterolemic,
antitumor, antibrowning.**
• Antitoxic.

…Royal Jelly
• Increases content of
haemoglobin, leukocites,
glucose, and blood red
cells.
• Effective for mood
disorders.
• Enhances strength and
metabolism.
• Adenosine
monophosphate N1-oxide
may help heal brain
injuries.*
• Protective effect on liver
tissue.**
• Action against
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa.***

Drone Larvae
• Exhaustion and
weakness (asthenia)
• Sexual weakness
(asthenia)
• Anorexia
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Hepatitis

…Drone Larvae
• Pharyngitis,
laryngitis, rhinitis
due to cocaine
• Improves digestive
functions.
• Tonic, stimulant
• Premature aging.

Beeswax
• For inflammations of
nasal mucosa.
• In avitaminosis A: 4,100
IU of vitamin A/100 g
• Antioxidant properties.
• Removes teeth tartar
and nicotine stain,
activates salivation and
and gastric fluid,
strengthens gums.

Apitoxin or Venom
• Immunostimulant.
• Effective for arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, lupus, chronic
fatigue syndome.
• Normalization of arterial
hypertension.
• Improves brain activity and
metabolism of central and
peripheric nervous systems.
• Increases peristaltic
movements.
• Increases metabolism.
• Improves liver functioning.
• Induces cancer cell death
(apoptosis) in many cancer
cell lines.*

…Apitoxin or Venom
• Helps to repigmentation
in vitiligo skin.*
• Melittin promotes
apoptosis of human
hepatocellular
carcinoma by activating
Ca2+/calmodulin-
dependent protein
kinase.**
• Active against
trypanosomiasis.***

Mental Disorders: DSM-IV
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders is a reference work consulted by
psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians in clinical
practice, social workers, medical and nursing
students, pastoral counselors, and other
professionals in health care and social service fields.
The book's title is often shortened to DSM, or an
abbreviation that also indicates edition, such as DSM-
IV-TR, which indicates fourth edition, text revision of
the manual, published in 2000, and contains some
370 diagnostic entries.

Some DSM Disorders
• Mood Disorders: Mood Episodes, Major Depressive Episode, Manic
Episode, Mixed Episode, Hypomanic Episode, Depressive Disorders,
Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Bipolar Disorders,
Cyclothymic Disorder.
• Anxiety Disorders: Panic Attack, Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder, Social
Phobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
• Somatoform Disorders: Somatization Disorder, Conversion Disorder,
Pain Disorder, Hypochondriasis, Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
• Dissociative Disorders: Dissociative Amnesia, Dissociative Fugue,
Dissociative Identity Disorder (frmly. Multiple Personality Disorder),
Depersonalization Disorder.
• Sexual Dysfunctions, Sexual Desire Disorders, Hypoactive Sexual
Desire Disorder, Sexual Aversion Disorder, Sexual Arousal Disorders,
Male Erectile Disorder, Orgasmic Disorders, Dyspareunia, Vaginismus.
• Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa.
• Sleep Disorders, Dyssomnias, Insomnia, Hypersomnia, etc.
• Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic & Other Cognitive Disorders.

Commonly Prescribed
Psychotropic Medications
• Antipsychotics (used in the treatment of
schizophrenia and mania). Typical Antipsychotics: Haldol
(haloperidol), Loxitane (loxapine), Mellaril (thioridazine), Moban
(molindone), Navane (thiothixene), Prolixin (fluphenazine),
Serentil (mesoridazine), Stelazine (trifluoperazine), Thorazine
(chlorpromazine), Trilafon (perphenazine).
• Atypical Antipsychotics: Abilify (aripiprazole), Clozaril
(clozapine), Geodon (ziprasidone), Risperdal (risperidone),
Seroquel (quetiapine), Zyprexa (olanzapine).
• Mood Stabilizers (used in the treatment of bipolar disorder):
Depakene (valproic acid), Depakote, Eskalith, Lithobid (lithium),
Lithonate, Lithotabs, Lamictal (lamotrigine), Neurontin
(gabapentin), Tegretol (carbamazepine), Topamax (topiramate).

…Commonly Prescribed
Psychotropic Medications
• Anti-depressants. Tricyclics*: Anafranil
(clomipramine), Asendin (amoxapine), Elavil
(amitriptyline), Norpramin (desipramine), Pamelor
(nortriptyline), Sinequan (doxepin), Surmontil
(trimipramine), Tofranil (imipramine), Vivactil
(protiptyline).
• Anti-depressants. SSRIs**: Celexa (citalopram),
Lexapro (escitalopram), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Paxil
(paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline).
• Anti-depressants. MAOIs***: Nardil (phenelzine),
Parnate (tranylcypromine).
• Anti-depressants. Others: Desyrel (trazadone),
Effexor (venlafaxine), Remeron (mirtazapine),
Serzone (nefazodone), Wellbutrin (bupropion).

…Commonly Prescribed
Psychotropic Medications
• Anti-panic Agents*: Klonopin (clonazepam), Paxil (paroxetine),
Xanax (alprazolam), Zoloft (sertraline).
• Anti-obsessive Agents: Anafranil (clomipramine), Luvox
(fluvoxamine), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft
(sertraline).
• Antianxiety Agents: Ativan (lorazepam), BuSpar (buspirone),
Centrax (prazepam)**, Inderal (propranolol)**, Klonopin
(clonazepam), Lexapro (escitalopram), Librium
(chlordiazepoxide), Serax (oxazepam)**, Tenormin (atenolol),
Tranxene (clorazepate), Valium (diazepam), Xanax
(alprazolam).
• Stimulants (used in the treatment of ADHD)***: Adderall
(amphetamine and dextroamphetamine), Cylert (pemoline),
Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine), Ritalin (methylphenidate).

PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS:
SIDE EFFECTS
The dramatic increase in the use of psychotropic medications is evident. A Health
and Safety Alert, Excessive Psychotropic Medication and Psychotropic
Medication Side Effects (2002), describes the following serious side effects
common to most psychotropic drugs:
• Allergic reaction (difficulty breathing, swelling of lips/face/tongue, rash or
fever).
• Change in level of alertness (excess sleepiness, insomnia or confusion).
• Eating problems (nausea, vomiting, weight gain or loss).
• Change in stool pattern (constipation, diarrhea).
• Change in heartbeat (slow, fast, irregular) or blood pressure (high or low).
• Fainting or dizziness, especially with change in position such as upon
standing.
• Abnormal posture, movement, or gait.
• Yellowing of eyes or skin.
• Unusual bruising or bleeding.

Concerns on Side-Effects of
Psychotropic Medication
• http://www.medicationsense.com/articles/oct_dec_03/suicides_homicides. html
: Suicides and Homicides in Patients Taking
Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft: Why They Keep
Happening -- And Why They Will Continue –
• http://organicconsumers.org/school/antidepressants060413.
: Experts Say Antidepressant Drugs Cause
Suicides Instead of Preventing Them -
• http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/2000-05-16-School-Shootings-Psychotropic-D
: School Shootings Linked to Psychotropic Drugs
Such as Prozac, Ritalin, Luvox, and Paxil -

www.free_republic.com
Brandeis University via sciencedaily.com ^
| 2006-01-04
• Psychotropic drug prescriptions for teenagers
skyrocketed 250 percent between 1994 and
2001, rising particularly sharply after 1999,
when the federal government allowed direct-
to-consumer advertising and looser
promotion of off-label use of prescription
drugs, according to a new Brandeis University
study in the journal Psychiatric Services.

APITHERAPY OF
MENTAL DISORDERS
Apitherapy of Nervous Exhaustion
• Honey + pollen + soy lecithin, oral.
Apitherapy of Insomnia
Honey diluted in water, oral.
• Honey from linden (Justicia pectoralis), oral.
• Honey from acacia (Acacia sp.) or other fluid
honey, massage.
• Pollen from linden (Justicia pectoralis), oral.

Apitherapy of Stress and Anxiety
Disorders (panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-
compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder,
and generalized anxiety disorder)
• Drone larvae (lyophilized or freeze-dried) + propolis
(powder), 2 capsules a day, for 2 - 3 months.
• Honey (1 kg) + pollen (100 g); mixed and left in
enfleurage over 48 hours; one spoonful (or more) half
an hour before breakfast. Honey (500 g) + pollen (20
g) + royal jelly (2 g); mix pollen and royal jelly with
honey, store in hermetic amber bottles in a dry and
fresh place; teaspoons 2 - 3 times a day before
meals, for 1 – 1.5 month and, if necessary, to repeat
treatment after a 2 -3 weeks break. Crystallized
honey is preferred.
• Complement: Passion flower (pasiflora, pasionaria, or
maracuyá, Pasiflora incarnata) infusion or tincture.

Apitherapy of Mood Disorders
(depressive disorders and dysthymic
disorder; bipolar disorders and
cyclothymic disorder)
• Honey + propolis (powder), 2 capsules a day
for 2 - 3 months.
• Honey (500 g) + pollen (20 g) + royal jelly (2
g); mix pollen and royal jelly with honey:
store in hermetic amber bottles and in a dry
and fresh place; teaspoons 2 - 3 times a day
before meals, for 1 – 1.5 month and, if
necessary, to repeat treatment after a 2 – 3
weeks break.

Apitherapy of Dissociative
Disorders (dissociative amnesia,
fugue, identity disorders [MPD],
depersonalization disorder)
• Drone larvae (lyophilized or freeze-dried) +
propolis (powder), 2 capsules a day for 2 – 3
months.
• Honey (500 g) + pollen (20 g) + royal jelly (2
g); mix pollen and royal jelly with honey:
store in hermetic amber bottles and in a dry
and fresh place; teaspoons 2 - 3 times a day
before meals, for 1 – 1.5 month and, if
necessary, to repeat treatment after a 2 – 3
weeks break.

Apitherapy of Somatoform
Disorders (somatization disorder,
conversion disorder, hypochondriasis)
• Drone larvae (lyophilized or freeze-dried) +
propolis (powder), 2 capsules a day, for 2 - 3
months.
• Honey (500 g) + pollen (20 g) + royal jelly (2
g); mix pollen and royal jelly with honey:
store in hermetic amber bottles and in a dry
and fresh place; teaspoons are taken 2 - 3
times a day before meals, for 1 – 1.5 month
and, if necessary, to repeat treatment after a
2 - 3 weeks break.

Apitherapy of Sexual
Dysfunctions (hypoactive sexual desire
disorder, erectile dysfunction or impotence, sexual
arousal disorder, hypoactive sexual desire disorder)
• Drone larvae (lyophilized or freeze-dried), 2 capsules
a day for 2 – 3 months.
• Propolis supositories ( 2,5 %), 5 g each night before
sleep, for 2 continuous weeks followed by another 2-
week break.
• Venom apipuncture for 7 days in points ST36, LR3,
LI4, LI10, LI11, KI2, KI3, KI9, KI14, KI15, KI17, BL11,
BL13, BL22, BL23, BL31, BL32, BL40, BL42, BL43,
CV3, CV4, CV5, CV6, GV4, GV14.
• Venom micro-stings on the base or pelvic inlet of
penis bulbous branch.

…Apitherapy of Sexual
Dysfunctions (hypoactive sexual desire
disorder, erectile dysfunction…)
• Honey oral.
• Pollen, 2 teaspoons a
day, 2-3 months.
• Also, diet supplemented
with honeycomb, bee
bread and royal jelly.
• In addition, 30 g de
ginseng (Panax
quinquefolium, P.
repens, P. schinseng) +
red pitahaya
(Acanthocereus
pitajaya), 3 times a day.

…Apitherapy of Sexual
Dysfunctions (hypoactive sexual desire
disorder, erectile dysfunction…)
In addition, 1 teaspoon of
juice or infusion of any of
the following plants:
• ashwagandha (Withania
somnifera),
• black pepper (Piper nigrum),
• coriander (Coriandrum
sativum),
• English lavender (Lavandula
stoechas),
• thyme (Thymus sp.),
• celery (Apium graveolens
dulce),
• basil (Ocimum basilicum),
• orégano (Origanum vulgare),
• damiana (Turnera
aphrodisiaca),
• muira puanua
(Ptychopetalum olacoides),
• cinnamon (Cinnamum
zeylanicum),
• bay laurel (Laurus nobilis),
• catuaba (Erythroxylum
vacciniifolium).

Addictions. What can we do when the
person suffers instead of or moreover an addiction?
• Most definitions refer to
addiction as the compulsive
need to use a habit-forming
substance, or an irresistible
urge to engage in a
behavior. Two other
important defining features
of addiction are tolerance,
the increasing need for more
of the substance to obtain
the same effect, and
withdrawal, the unpleasant
symptoms that arise when
an addict is prevented from
using the chosen substance.

Addictions include
• Alcohol
• Amphetamines
• Caffeine
• Cannabis (marijuana,
hashish, Cannabis sativa)
• Cocaine
• Hallucinogens (LSD,
psilocybin, mescaline)
• Inhalants (glues, cleaners,
paints, solvents, inks, nail
polish, brake fluid, etc.)
• Nicotine (tobacco)
• Opioids (heroin, morphine)
• Phencyclidine
• Sedatives, hypnotics, or
anxiolytics, painkillers,
other prescription
medicines
• Dissociative drugs
(ketamine,
dextromethorphan, PCP)
• Steroids
• Ecstasy
• Polysubstance
• Other substances
• Other activities: addiction
for gambling, some foods
or eating, sex, shopping,
etc., etc.

185 Million People the World Over Abuse of Illegal
Drugs (The Boston Globe, 2005). Abuse of Illegal,
Legal, and Prescription Drugs Are a Challenge for
Modern World

Journal of the American Medical
Association 293(3):298, 2005:
• 17,000 deaths related to
illegal drugs in the U.S.
• 20,308 deaths related to
homocide.
• 20,308 deaths related to
suicide.
• 26,347 deaths related to car
accidents
• 85,000 deaths related to
alcohol consumption.
• 435,000 deaths related to
tobbaco comsumption.

Main Causes of Death in U.S.
(pop. 300 million inhabitants):
• Heart Diseases 710.760
• Malignant Neoplasms (Cancer) 553.091
• Tobacco, Alcohol, & Ill. Drugs 537.000
• Cerebrovascular Disorders 167.661
• Respiratory Disorders 122.009
• Non Intentional Injuries 97.900
• Diabetes mellitus 69.301
• Influenza and Pneumonia 65.313
• Alzheimer’s Dementia 49.558
• Nephritis, Nephrotic Syndr., Nephrosis 37.251
• Septicemia 31.224
• Other Causes 499.283

Reward and Addiction. Intervening
mechanisms
• Human beings and other organisms
have rewarding behaviors: pleasant
stimuli provide positive reinforcement,
which lead to a repetition of behavior.
• There are natural rewards and artificial
rewards (drugs).

Natural Rewards
• Food
• Water
• Sex
• Nurturing

Tolerance
• When drugs such as heroin are used repeatedly over time,
tolerance may develop.
• Tolerance occurs when the person no longer responds to the drug
in the way that person initially responded. Stated another way, it
takes a higher dose of the drug to achieve the same level of
response achieved initially. So for example, in the case of heroin
or morphine, tolerance develops rapidly to the analgesic effects of
the drug. [The development of tolerance is not addiction, although
many drugs that produce tolerance also have addictive potential.]
• Tolerance to drugs can be produced by several different
mechanisms, but in the case of morphine or heroin, tolerance
develops at the level of the cellular targets. For example, when
morphine binds to opiate receptors, it triggers the inhibition of an
enzyme (adenylate cyclase) that orchestrates several chemicals in
the cell to maintain the firing of impulses.
• After repeated activation of the opiate receptor by morphine, the
enzyme adapts so that the morphine can no longer cause changes
in cell firing. Thus, the effect of a given dose of morphine or
heroin is diminished

Dependence: Definition
• With repeated use of heroin or any other drug,
dependence also occurs.
• Dependence develops when the neurons adapt to the
repeated drug exposure and only function normally in
the presence of the drug.
• When the drug is withdrawn, several physiologic
reactions occur.
• These can be mild (e.g. for caffeine) or even life
threatening (e.g. for alcohol).
• This is known as the withdrawal syndrome. In the
case of heroin, withdrawal can be very serious and
the abuser will use the drug again to avoid the
withdrawal syndrome.

The action of heroin
(morphine)
• Heroin is an addictive drug, although not all
users become addicted; other factors are
important in producing addiction, such as the
environment and the personality of the user.
• Heroin produces euphoria or pleasurable
feelings and can be a positive reinforcer by
interacting with the reward pathway in the
brain.

Narcotics: Heroin, Opium, Morphine, Meperidine, Phentanyl,
Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Codeine, Darvon, etc. “Designer
Drugs”: Analogs of Phetanyls, Meperidines, Amphetamines
(MDMA, Ecstasy), and PCPs (PCP, PCE)
• Euphoria, pupilar
constriction, breath
depression, nausea
reflex, bradicardia,
hypotension,
constipation.
• Hepatitis B, VIH/AIDS,
subacute bacterial
endocarditis, cerebral
abscesses …
(more)

Heroin-Related Disorders
• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Collapsed veins
• Abscesses
• Inflammation under the
skin
• Kidney failure
• HIV (shared needles)
• Pneumonia & other
pulmonary
complications
• Infection of the heart
lining and valves
• Clogged blood vessels
that lead to the lungs,
heart, liver, brain, and
kidneys.
• Spontaneous abortions,
premature births and
stillbirths

HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and
Other Infectious Diseases
• Drug injectors who do not enter treatment are up to
six times more likely to become infected with HIV
than injectors who enter and remain in treatment.
• Drug users who enter and continue in treatment
reduce activities that can spread disease, such as
sharing injection equipment and engaging in
unprotected sexual activity.
• Participation in treatment also presents opportunities
for screening, counseling, and referral for additional
services.
• The best drug abuse treatment programs provide
HIV counseling and offer HIV testing to their patients.

Heroin Withdrawal
Symptoms
• Drug craving
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Cold flashes with goosebumps (“cold
turkey”)
• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Uncontrollable kicking movements
(“kicking the habit”)

Heroin Traditional
Treatment
• Detoxification (clearing drug from
patient’s body and managing
withdrawal).
• Life in a drug-free environment.
• Outpatient drug-free programs
(counseling)…

…Heroin Traditional
Treatment. Drug therapies:
• Methadone (synthetic opiate that blocks the effect of
heroin for 24 hours).
• LAAM (ORLAAM) [levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol],
synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of heroin for
up 72 hours.
• Naltrexone, blocks for @ 1 year.
• Suboxone and Subutex (brand names of
buprenorphine).
• Naloxone, treatment of cases of overdoses. Blocks
the effects of morphine, heroin, and other opiates.

Ecstasy

Long-term Effects of
Ecstasy:
Neurotoxic?
• When people use Ecstasy repeatedly or long term,
there may be changes in their brain chemistry that
suggest that the serotonin neurons are damaged.
• One major clue is that serotonin itself and its
metabolites (remind students that serotonin that is
taken back up into the terminal is metabolized by
enzymes) are diminished in the brains of animals
treated with ecstasy.
• Moreover, the best evidence that we have so far is
that even 7 years after a brief exposure to Ecstasy,
serotonin levels in monkey brains have not fully
returned to normal.

Stimulants: Cocaine, Crack, Amphetamines,
Metamphetamine, Metylphenidate, Diet Pills
1. Joy, euphoria, restlessness,
irritability, insomnia, pupilar
dilatation, tachycardia,
arrhythmia, chest pain,
hypertension, anorexia,
hyperpyrexia, hyperreflexia.
2. Inflammation of nasal
mucosa, septal erosion or
nasal perforation; confusion,
sensory hallucinations,
paranoia, depression.
3. Sudden cardiac arrest,
hypertensive crisis, seizures.
4. Withdrawal syndrome: severe
depression with
suicida/homocidal
ideation,tiredness, prolonged
sleep, voracious appetite.

Long-term effects of drug abuse
(PET Scan)
Normal
Cocaine Abuse (10
d.a.)
Cocaine Abuse (100 d.a.)

easuring Brain Activity in Response to Dru
Use Position Emission Tomography (PET)(PET)

ControlControl On CocaineOn Cocaine
www.drugabuse.gov

The brain on drugsThe brain on drugs
1-2 Min 3-4 5-6
6-7 7-8 8-9
9-10 10-20 20-30

PET Scan: The “memory” of drugsPET Scan: The “memory” of drugs
NaturalNatural CocaineCocaine
Brain FrontBrain Front
Brain BackBrain Back
Non-activatedNon-activated
AmygdalaAmygdala
ActivatedActivated
AmygdalaAmygdala

Drugs have long-
term
consequences

Tobacco-Related Disorders (22.3% of
deaths in the United States)
• Acute Risks: Shortness of
breath, exacerbation of
asthma, harm to pregnancy,
sexual impotence, infertility,
and increased serum carbon
monoxide.
• Long-Term Risks: Heart
attacks and strokes, lung and
other cancers (larynx, oral
cavity, pharynx, esophagus,
colon, pancreas, bladder,
cervix, some leukemia),
C.O.P.D. (chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases: chronic
bronchitis and emphysema),
long-term disability, and need
for extended care.

…Tobacco-Related
Disorders
• Environmental Risks: Increased
risk of lung cancer and heart
disease in spouses; higher rates of
smoking in children of tobacco
users; increased risk of low birth
weight, S.I.D.S. (Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome), asthma, middle
ear disease, and respiratory
infections in children of smokers.
• The risk of stomach ulcers
increases.
• The senses of smell and taste are
dulled.
• Smokers are more likely to
develop cataracts and other eye
problems.
• Teeth turn yellow.
• Premature wrinkling.

Cannabis-Related Disorders :
Marijuana, THC Capsules,
Hashish, Hashish Oil (0.03%)
• Euphoria, sensory stimulation,
pupilar constriction, conjuntival
injection, photofobia,
nystagmus, diplopia,
• Increases appetite, autonomic
system dysfunction
(tachycardia, hypertension,
orthostatic hypotension),
temporary bronchodilatation
• Gynecomastia (abnormal breast
augmentation).
• Reactive disease of respiratory
pathways
• Decreased sperm counts
• Panic, delirium, psychosis,
flashbacks

…Marijuana-Related Disorders
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Weight increase, lethargy,
amotivational syndrome
• Effects on fetus: Low birth
weight, developmental
difficulties, excessive trembling
and irritability.
• HOWEVER, 11 States have
decriminalized possession of
small amounts of marijuana, it is
used legally.
• Marijuana is prescribed for
stimulating appetite in cancer
and AIDS patients.
• Marijuana reduces nauseas of
chemotherapy, and in general.

Alcohol: Beer, Wine,
Distillated Liquors (5.55%)
• ↓ level of consciousness,
poor coordination, ataxia,
nystagmus, conjuntival
injection, slurred speech,
stupor, large intestine
bleeding, orthostatic
hypotension.
• Respiratory depression,
pancreatitis, cirrhosis,
coma, death.
• Belligerant, excited,
combative, psychotic
state.

Depressors: Benzodiapines (Valium, “V´s”,
Librium, Serax, Klonopin, Tranxene, Xanax, Halcion,
Rohypnol, “Ruffies”), Barbiturates (Nembutal,
Seconal, Amytal, Tuinal), Metaqualone (0.03%)
• Sedation of CNS, pupilar
constriction, disorientation,
slurred speech,
incoordinated walk
• Respiratory depression,
hypothermia, coma, death
• Paradoxic disinhibition,
hyperexcitability
• Withdrawal syndrome from
anxiety, agitation, and
headaches to convulsions,
delirium, hallucinations,
hyperpyrexia, and death .
…(more)

…Depressors: Benzodiapines (Valium, “V´s”,
Librium, Serax, Klonopin, Tranxene, etc.
• Acute overdosis can
produce respiratory arrest
and death
• Withdrawal syndrome:
restlessness, tearing,
yawning, pupilar dilatation,
rhinorrea, nasal pathways
discomfort, sneezing,
sweating, rubor, tachycardia,
hypertension, muscle
tremors, dizziness, vomiting,
diarrheas.

Hallucinogens: Fencyclidine (PCP),
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD),
Mescaline, Peyote, Psilocybin
• Perceptual distortion
and hallucinations
(visual, auditory),
nystagmus,
depersonalization
syndrome, dizziness,
tremors, tachycardia,
hypertension,
hyperflexia.
• Flashbacks
• Panic, paranoia,
psychosis

Inhalants: Nitrous Oxyde, Amyl Nitrite, Butyl Nitrate,
Chlorhydrocarburates (Spray Cans), Hydrocarbures
(Gasoline, Glues, Solvents, White-out)
• Euphoria,
disorientation, sedation,
conjuntival injection,
acute toxicity for CNS,
liver, and kidneys.
• Nitrates: sudden
hypoxemia,
hypotension
• Damage to peripheral
nerves, CNS, liver,
kidneys.
• Arrhythmia and cardiac
arrest.

Food-Addiction Related Diseases
• Anorexia, Bulimia, Pica
• Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• Blood-Clot Disorders (DVT,
stroke, embolism, other
cerebrovascular accidents)
• Sleep Apnea
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Increase Risk of Some
Cancers
• Heart Disease
• Respiratory Problems

Components of Comprehensive Drug
Addiction Treatment

Matching Patients to
Individual Needs
• No single treatment is appropriate for all individuals.
• Matching treatment setting, interventions, and services to each
individual’s particular problems and needs is critical to his or
her ultimate success in returning to productive functioning in
the family, workplace, and society.
• Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual,
not just his or her drug use.
• To be effective, treatment must address the individual’s drug
use and any associated medical, psychological, social,
vocational, and legal problems.

Duration of Treatment
• Individuals progress through drug addiction treatment at various
speeds, so there is no predetermined length of treatment.
• Good outcomes are contingent on adequate lengths of
treatment.
• Generally, for residential or outpatient treatment, participation
for less than 90 days is of limited or no effectiveness, and
treatments lasting significantly longer often are indicated.
• For methadone maintenance, 12 months of treatment is the
minimum, and some opiate-addicted individuals will continue to
benefit from methadone maintenance treatment over a period of
years.

Medical Detoxification
• Medical detoxification safely manages the acute
physical symptoms of withdrawal associated with
stopping drug use.
• However, medical detoxification is only the first
stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little
to change long-term drug use.
• While detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help
addicts achieve long-term abstinence, for some
individuals it is a strongly indicated precursor to
effective drug addiction treatment.

Counseling and Other Behavioral
Therapies
Build skills
to resist
drug use
Replace
drug-using
activities
Motivation
Improve
problem-solving
abilities
Facilitate
interpersonal
relationships,
family,
community
www.drugabuse.gov

Medications for Drug
Addiction
• Medications are an important element of treatment for many
patients, especially when combined with counseling and other
behavioral therapies.
• Methadone and levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) are very
effective in helping individuals addicted to heroin or other
opiates stabilize their lives and reduce their illicit drug use.
• Naltrexone is also an effective medication for some opiate
addicts and some patients with co-occurring addiction to
alcohol.
• For persons addicted to nicotine, a nicotine-replacement
product (such as patches or gum) or an oral medication (such
as bupropion) can be an effective component of treatment.
• For patients with mental disorders, both behavioral treatments
and medications can be critically important.
www.drugabuse.gov

Motivation to
Enter/Sustain Treatment
• Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
• Strong motivation can facilitate the treatment process.
• Sanctions or enticements in the family, employment
setting, or criminal justice system can increase
significantly both treatment entry and retention rates and
the success of drug treatment interventions.
• Individuals who enter treatment under legal pressure have
outcomes as favorable as those who enter treatment
voluntarily.

…For example, Smoking
cessation programs face some
barriers:
• Withdrawal symptoms.
• Fear of failure.
• Weight gain.
• Lack of support.
• Depression.
• Enjoyment of tobacco.
• Of the 2.4 million
deaths that occur each
year in the US, cigarette
smoking is a root cause
of 400,000 of them
(20% of all deaths), but
nicotine is much more
addictive than any
other drug.

Effectiveness of
Treatment
• According to several studies, drug treatment reduces drug use by
40 to 60 percent and significantly decreases criminal activity during
and after treatment.
• For example, a study of therapeutic community treatment for drug
offenders demonstrated that arrests for violent and nonviolent
criminal acts were reduced by 40 percent or more.
• Methadone treatment has been shown to decrease criminal
behavior by as much as 50 percent.
• Research shows that drug addiction treatment reduces the risk of
HIV infection and that interventions to prevent HIV are much less
costly than treating HIV-related illnesses.
• Treatment can improve the prospects for employment, with gains of
up to 40 percent after treatment.
• Although these effectiveness rates hold in general, individual
treatment outcomes depend on the extent and nature of the
patient’s presenting problems, the appropriateness of the treatment
components and related services used to address those problems,
and the degree of active engagement of the patient in the treatment
process.

Self-Help and Drug
Addiction Treatment
• Self-help groups can complement and extend the effects of
professional drug addiction treatment.
• The most prominent self-help groups are those affiliated with
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and
Cocaine Anonymous (CA), all of which are based on the 12-
step model and Smart Recovery.
• Most drug addiction treatment programs encourage patients
to participate in a self-help group during and after formal
treatment.

Cost-Effectiveness of
Drug Treatment
• Drug addiction treatment is cost-effective in reducing drug use and
its associated health and social costs.
• Treatment is less expensive than alternatives, such as not treating
addicts or simply incarcerating addicts. For example, the average
cost for 1 full year of methadone maintenance treatment is
approximately $4,700 per patient, whereas 1 full year of
imprisonment costs approximately $18,400 per person.
• According to several conservative estimates, every $1 invested in
addiction treatment programs yields a return of between $4 and $7
in reduced drug-related crime, criminal justice costs, and theft
alone. When savings related to health care are included, total
savings can exceed costs by a ration of 12 to 1.
• Major savings to the individual and society also come from
significant drops in interpersonal conflicts, improvements in
workplace productivity, and reductions in drug-related accidents.

Apitherapy of Addictions
• Apitherapy Can Be an Non-
Expensive, Affordable Part of the
Solution

Apitherapy of Substance
Addictions (cocaine, cannabis,
metamphetamines, opioids, and others)
• Beeswax, to chew and eat
honeycomb pieces.
• Royal jelly, 1 teaspoon a
day.
• Drone larvae oral.
• Honey, 6 teaspoons every
20 minutes, 3 continued
cycles.
• Honey, oral, ad libitum,
disolved in tea (Camellia
sinensis).
• Bee bread, ad libitum,
disolved in tea.

Substance addictions
(…)
• Pollen, ad libitum,
disolved in tea.
• Propolis 500 mg
capsules, 1 capsule 1
hour before each meal.
• Propolis ointment,
massage with pressure
in acupuncture points
LI4, LI10, LI11, LI20,
• and in chiapi points
(both sides of nasal
septum, between nasal
bone and nasal
cartilage).

Substance addictions
(…)
• For their role as hepatoprotectors, reconstituyents,
immunoregulators, and biostimulants, bee products
are an excellent supplement for guaranteeing that
patients are receiving a daily total of:
• 5,000 IU of vitamin A, 75 mg of each component of
vitamin B complex, 1,500 mg of vitamin C, 800 mg of
vitamin E, 3,000 mg of glutathione, 1,000 mg de
coline, 250 mg of L-carnitine, 500 mg of N-
acetylcysteine, 400 mg of selenium, 50 mg of zinc, 4
mg of copper, 200 mg of chromium, flavonoids, and
other antioxidants.

Substance addictions
(…)
As desintoxicants and hepatoprotectors, these
medicinal plants can also be used:
• milk thistle (Silybum marianum),
• ginger (Zingiber officinale),
• burdock (Arctium lappa),
• dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and
• liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra).
In the case of opioids, treatment can be
complemented with passion flower (Pasiflora
incarnata) infusion or tincture.

Apitherapy of Alcohol
and Nicotine
Addictions• Beeswax, to chew and eat
honeycomb pieces.
• Beeswax chewing for
withdrawal anxiety.
• Royal jelly, 1 teaspoon a
day.
• Drone larvae oral.
• Honey, 6 teaspoons every
20 minutes, 3 continued
cycles.
• Honey, oral, ad libitum,
disolved in tea (Camellia
sinensis).
• Bee bread, ad libitum,
disolved in tea.

…Apitherapy of Alcohol
and Nicotine
Addictions• Propolis tinture in water, half
an hour before meals reduce
appetite.
• Propolis 500 mg capsules,
1 capsule 1 hour before
each meal.
• Propolis ointment, massage
with pressure in acupuncture
points LI4, LI10, LI11, LI20,
• and in chiapi points (both
sides of nasal septum,
between nasal bone and
nasal cartilage).

…Apitherapy of Alcohol
and Nicotine
Addictions• In treating alcohol addiction, it is also recommended
an infusion of 10 – 20 g of powdered root of pueraria
(Pueraria lobata, P. thomsonii).
• Thanks to their role as hepatoprotectors,
reconstituyents, immunoregulators, and
biostimulants, bee products are an excellent supplent
for guaranteeing that patients are receiving a daily
total of 5,000 IU of vitamin A, 75 mg of each
component of vitamin B complex, 1,500 mg of vitamin
C, 800 mg of vitamin E, 3,000 mg of glutathione,
1,000 mg de coline, 250 mg of L-carnitine, 500 mg of
N-acetylcisteine, 400 mg of selenium, 50 mg of zinc,
4 mg of copper, 200 mg of chromium, flavonoids, and
other antioxidants.

…Apitherapy of Alcohol
and Nicotine
Addictions
As desintoxicants and
hepatoprotectors these
medicinal plants can also be
used:
• milk thistle (Silybum
marianum),
• ginger (Zingiber officinale),
• burdock (Arctium lappa),
• dandelion (Taraxacum
officinale) and
• liquorice (Glycyrrhiza
glabra).

+ Questions?: apitherapy101@gmail.com .
THANKS!!!