Heroin and cocaine have been tested on mice and other laboratory animals. But Columbia's study is now the only one in the country testing addicts with heroin. Dr. Marian Fischman, a psychologist at Columbia who studies medications for drug abusers, said the volunteers, who agree to stay in the hospital for six or seven weeks, had rejected offers to treat their heroin habit. We refer anyone to treatment who would even moderately consider it. The medications being tested affect the brain in different ways.
Naltrexone is an antagonist, meaning that it blocks the effect of heroin on the brain's receptors.
Methadone is an agonist, which stifles the craving for heroin by binding to the brain receptor. The third, buprenorphine, acts as an agonist at lower doses and as an antagonist at higher doses. Six related drug-addiction studies are being conducted at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons, all of which focus on the role existing medications can play in defeating drug addictions. In all the programs about drug rehab they never mention nutrition that I'm aware of. A drug abuser, besides physical addiction and withdrawal pain, their bodies are run down and need special help with nutrition.