Waismann
09-15-2005, 02:24 PM
http://askmerrill.ml.com/image/system/0,,4,00.gifWaismann Method Doctor Refutes Reports of Danger in Anesthesia-Based Detoxification for Opiate Dependency; Opiate Dependency Specialist Says Study is Misleading
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug 24, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In response to a study on anesthesia-based opiate detoxification released on Wednesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association, Clifford Bernstein, M.D., medical director of AAMOD, the leading practitioners of the world renowned Waismann Method treatment for opiate dependency, today issued the following statement contending that the study not only put patients in danger and offered misleading results, but also fails to recognize the thousands of patients who have had a successful opiate dependency reversal through anesthesia-assisted detoxification. Dr. Bernstein explained that the study compares anesthesia-based detoxification to treatment with Buprenorphine, a replacement opiate for drugs such as heroin, Vicodin or OxyContin that may actually cause physical dependence.
Dr. Bernstein's official statement continues:
"The way that these doctors administered their form of anesthesia-assisted detoxification was dangerous. Judging from previous experience, the doctors administered much too little Clonodine, which helps alleviate the discomfort of withdrawal, excessive amounts of anesthesia, an unnecessary paralyzing agent and nearly three times the amount of the reversal agent typically required for treatment. These factors put these patients in a very dangerous situation, and it is no wonder that some suffered serious problems. After the thousands of patients I have treated with the Waismann Method, I have never had to use any of the cardiac emergency drugs that were required by some of the patients in the study.
"Withdrawal from opiates can be very painful and debilitating, which is why most people fail at detoxing on their own. However, anesthesia-based detox is a humane and effective medical treatment that allows patients to avoid most of the unnecessary withdrawal symptoms. The comparison to replacement therapies in the study is highly inappropriate. Patients seeking anesthesia-based detox simply don't want to be on drugs anymore. We treat numerous patients who thought they were receiving a cure when they began replacement therapy, like Buprenorphine and methadone, only to discover that they were replacing one opiate with another.
"The study also misleads the reader into believing that anesthesia-based detox is not a successful method for opiate treatment by stating that 80 percent of participants dropped out of follow-up treatment. This statistic says nothing about the success of the detox treatment or whether or not patients were able to stay off of the drugs. Since the opiates have been blocked from their brains and they no longer feel cravings following the anesthesia-based detox, many of these patients do not need an aftercare program.
"We believe the study does not accurately represent this procedure, the merits of treatment under anesthesia or the individual doctors who are performing it. The procedure has been refined over the years, and today it is extremely safe. People seeking anesthesia-based opiate detoxification should take the same precautions as they would with any treatment using anesthesia and should make sure the procedure is performed in the intensive care unit of a hospital with the appropriate emergency resources available. Additionally, people should always review the qualifications of the practitioner performing the procedure."
For more information, please visit http://www.opiates.com (http://www.opiates.com/).
About the Waismann Method
Drs. Clifford A. Bernstein and Michael Lowenstein use the exclusive Waismann Method of Neuro-Regulation to treat opiate dependency. Performed in a hospital intensive care unit, the Waismann Method involves cleansing the opiate receptors in the patient's brain of the narcotics while the patient is under anesthesia. During the procedure, the patient will experience no conscious withdrawal, and will be able to return home within days. Over 65 percent of the patients who are treated with the Waismann Method remain drug free after one year. The Waismann Foundation, founded by Clare Waismann, is headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug 24, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- In response to a study on anesthesia-based opiate detoxification released on Wednesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association, Clifford Bernstein, M.D., medical director of AAMOD, the leading practitioners of the world renowned Waismann Method treatment for opiate dependency, today issued the following statement contending that the study not only put patients in danger and offered misleading results, but also fails to recognize the thousands of patients who have had a successful opiate dependency reversal through anesthesia-assisted detoxification. Dr. Bernstein explained that the study compares anesthesia-based detoxification to treatment with Buprenorphine, a replacement opiate for drugs such as heroin, Vicodin or OxyContin that may actually cause physical dependence.
Dr. Bernstein's official statement continues:
"The way that these doctors administered their form of anesthesia-assisted detoxification was dangerous. Judging from previous experience, the doctors administered much too little Clonodine, which helps alleviate the discomfort of withdrawal, excessive amounts of anesthesia, an unnecessary paralyzing agent and nearly three times the amount of the reversal agent typically required for treatment. These factors put these patients in a very dangerous situation, and it is no wonder that some suffered serious problems. After the thousands of patients I have treated with the Waismann Method, I have never had to use any of the cardiac emergency drugs that were required by some of the patients in the study.
"Withdrawal from opiates can be very painful and debilitating, which is why most people fail at detoxing on their own. However, anesthesia-based detox is a humane and effective medical treatment that allows patients to avoid most of the unnecessary withdrawal symptoms. The comparison to replacement therapies in the study is highly inappropriate. Patients seeking anesthesia-based detox simply don't want to be on drugs anymore. We treat numerous patients who thought they were receiving a cure when they began replacement therapy, like Buprenorphine and methadone, only to discover that they were replacing one opiate with another.
"The study also misleads the reader into believing that anesthesia-based detox is not a successful method for opiate treatment by stating that 80 percent of participants dropped out of follow-up treatment. This statistic says nothing about the success of the detox treatment or whether or not patients were able to stay off of the drugs. Since the opiates have been blocked from their brains and they no longer feel cravings following the anesthesia-based detox, many of these patients do not need an aftercare program.
"We believe the study does not accurately represent this procedure, the merits of treatment under anesthesia or the individual doctors who are performing it. The procedure has been refined over the years, and today it is extremely safe. People seeking anesthesia-based opiate detoxification should take the same precautions as they would with any treatment using anesthesia and should make sure the procedure is performed in the intensive care unit of a hospital with the appropriate emergency resources available. Additionally, people should always review the qualifications of the practitioner performing the procedure."
For more information, please visit http://www.opiates.com (http://www.opiates.com/).
About the Waismann Method
Drs. Clifford A. Bernstein and Michael Lowenstein use the exclusive Waismann Method of Neuro-Regulation to treat opiate dependency. Performed in a hospital intensive care unit, the Waismann Method involves cleansing the opiate receptors in the patient's brain of the narcotics while the patient is under anesthesia. During the procedure, the patient will experience no conscious withdrawal, and will be able to return home within days. Over 65 percent of the patients who are treated with the Waismann Method remain drug free after one year. The Waismann Foundation, founded by Clare Waismann, is headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif.