What You Need to Know About 7-Keto-DHEA Most of my patients in hormone therapy have heard of the natural steroid DHEA. They know their levels dropped, they know it matters, and they know we're working to bring it back up with supplementation. What almost none of them know is that there's a related molecule called 7-keto DHEA, and it does something completely different. I want to clear something up right now. DHEA and 7-keto DHEA are not the same thing. They're not interchange

SR-17018: Street Drug Threat or Safer Opioid Alternative? Recently, I've been inundated with questions about SR-17018. I had read about this molecule years ago and tossed it from my memory. But now that it's available online and my patients are asking about it, it's time to re-examine this substance and share my findings. SR-17018 has no FDA indication and no completed human clinical trial. And yet, as of 2026, you can buy it online for about $50 a gram, Reddit threads are wa

Can GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Prevent Alzheimer's and Dementia? Millions of people are already on GLP-1 drugs. They started for diabetes or weight loss. Now researchers are asking a different question: are these drugs doing something in the brain too? That's not a small question. Alzheimer's disease affects more than 6 million Americans and we still don't have a drug that actually stops it. So when large studies started showing that people on GLP-1 drugs develop dementia at lo

The Truth About Corydalis for Chronic Pain and Opioid Addiction If you've been on opioids for chronic pain long enough, you already know the pattern. They work. Then they work a little less. Then you need more to get the same effect you started with. That's opioid tolerance, and it's one of the main reasons managing chronic pain with these drugs is such a difficult balancing act. I've been watching patients go through this cycle for more than 26 years. And I want to talk abou

A Comprehensive Guide to Using Peptides for Muscle Healing and Tendon Repair About 9 years ago, I attended an A4M lecture on peptides. I remembered how excited I was to promote these therapies. However, back then, no one knew what I was talking about, and I found very little interests from my patients. Over the last 2-3 years, an explosion of interests has occurred for peptides. Now, I am constantly being asked about peptides. So, I decided to write a very long and comprehen

Sublocade Detox: Why This Injection May Be the Easiest Way to Finally Quit Opioids Most people trying to quit opioids hit the same wall. They taper down their Suboxone dose slowly over weeks or months, feeling worse with every reduction. Then somewhere around 2 mg, the opioid withdrawal symptoms become unbearable. Anxiety, insomnia, restless legs, nausea, a deep dysphoria that makes it impossible to function at work or take care of your family. So they go back up. And the cyc

Is Sugar Addiction Real? What an Addiction Doctor Wants You to Know Sugar lights up the same brain circuits as cocaine. That's not an exaggeration. Animal studies show that rats given intermittent access to sugar develop binge eating patterns, withdrawal symptoms and dopamine changes that look disturbingly similar to what we see with drugs of abuse. I've spent over 26 years treating addiction, and I can tell you that the way some of my patients describe their relationship wit

Tiger Woods announced he would seek comprehensive inpatient treatment overseas after his latest DUI arrest, and you already know what comes next. A flurry of headlines, a carefully worded statement from his PR team, and months of silence before the next golf tournament. That playbook hasn't worked. It didn't work the last time. It won't work now. There's a better path, and Magic Johnson already walked it. Magic Didn't Hide. He Led. In 1991, Magic Johnson stood in front of cam

Why did Tiger Woods' breathalyzer test result in zero alcohol after his DUI arrest? From the perspective of an addiction medicine physician, Woods’ history of 12 surgeries and chronic pain points to a deeper, often misunderstood medical reality. Discover how his case highlights the hidden dangers of prescription painkillers, the physical "tolerance trap," and why compassionate, private treatment options like buprenorphine could be the missing piece to his recovery.

Key Takeaways: MGM-15 is a semi-synthetic opioid compound made from kratom alkaloids. It is not natural kratom. MGM-15 tablets binds to both mu and delta receptors with potency that exceeds 7-hydroxymitragynine and morphine. These products are already being sold online in the United States as "research chemicals," but make no mistake: people are using and abusing them. There is a serious risk of addiction, dependence, and potentially fatal overdose with MGM-15 products. Why T

A Mother's Tragic Story of Loss and Systemic Failure As an addiction medicine physician, I spend a significant amount of my time discussing the clinical pharmacology of opioids, the science of withdrawal, and the medical protocols for treating substance use disorders. I focus on my patients, the medical facts, and bring these together to help my patients succeed with sobriety. But sometimes, the most important and powerful lessons come directly from the families who have live

Does Alcohol Cause Breast Cancer?: The Science You Need to Know From An Addiction Doctor Key takeaways: Alcohol significantly increases breast cancer risk , and there is no entirely safe level of consumption. The danger window between puberty and first pregnancy is a time of extreme vulnerability for breast tissue. Biological mechanisms , including elevated estrogen and phosphate toxicity, directly link alcohol to tumor growth. Reducing or eliminating alcohol is one of the

Key Takeaways: 7-OH is a highly potent kratom byproduct often sold as a dietary supplement but carries significant opioid risks. Products containing 7-OH are frequently found in gas stations and vape shops, marketed as safe alternatives. The FDA and health officials have issued warnings about 7-OH products due to their potential for opioid addiction, withdrawal, and severe health problems. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has highlighted the urgency of addressing these opioid-li

If you're one of the many menopausal women experiencing changes that feel a little too personal to talk about, you're not alone. The...

Once known as "laughing gas," nitrous oxide (N2O) has morphed into a troubling global drug issue. It creates a public health crisis that...

For many, the trouble begins with a collection of confusing symptoms—unpredictable allergic-like reactions, persistent bone pain, stomach...

A Hidden Cause of Chronic Symptoms If you've been dealing with unexplained chronic symptoms like abdominal pain, flushing, fatigue, or recurrent allergic reactions, you might have a condition called Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia (HAT). Despite being discovered relatively recently in 2016, HAT is surprisingly common and may explain symptoms that have puzzled both patients and doctors for years. As an anesthesiologist, it's crucial that I understand the immunology of mast cell d

Flakka is one of the most dangerous street drugs and is indeed worse than cocaine. Known as alpha-PVP, this powerful synthetic cathinone leads to bizarre behaviors, severe health complications, and even death. In the following paragraphs, we will explore what flakka is, its devastating effects, and how to seek help if you or someone you know is struggling with flakka abuse. What Exactly is Flakka and Why Is It So Dangerous? Flakka is classified as a synthetic cathinone, speci

Every day, I read newly published addiction articles. This helps me stay updated on treatment discoveries that I can immediately use to...

Understanding Methadone Treatment Methadone is a synthetic opioid medication. It was invented in 1937 as a replacement for morphine,...