Management of smack addiction through adjuvant Ayurvedic treatment

Abstract

The smack addiction is very much spreading nowadays among the youth, which is injurious for a healthy society. Opiates are highly addictive. Long-term use of opiates causes dependence, leading to tolerance. Overdose incidents occur due to chronic intake or addiction that can lead to life-threatening complications. In the present case, a 21-year-old male with a history of smack addiction for the last three years presented to the outpatient department with withdrawal symptoms including tremors, running nose, watering eyes, body ache, sleeplessness, sweating, nausea, irritability, and diarrhea. The assessment of withdrawal symptoms was based on Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS). The multimodal treatment including Shirodhara (~oil dripping on the forehead) with Ashwagandha taila and Tila taila, Sarvanga abhyanga (~synchronized whole body massage with medicated oil) with Dashmoola taila, Svedana (~sudation) using Dashmoola kwatha, and Nasya (~medications through nasal route) with Jatamansi taila along with internal medications of Vishatinduka vati and Sameeragaja kesari rasa showed promising results. Within one month of the treatment, the withdrawal symptoms of smack addiction were reduced considerably. The COWS score decreased to 3 from 22 after three weeks of treatment, inferring that multimodal Ayurvedic treatment can be an effective and safe solution in case of smack addictions.