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Original poster

I'm a prison detox nurse, ask me anything!

175 replies

fruitcider · 30/06/2018 20:55

Jumping on the band wagon!

Obviously I cannot give out any info that breaches official secrets act or may put prison security at risk but I'll do my best to be as open as I can.

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LanguidLobster · 30/06/2018 20:56

Detox from what?

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:01

We mainly focus on detoxing from heroin, benzodiazepines, gapapentinoids, spice, alcohol, methadone and buprenorphine but sometimes additional support is needed for those detoxing from amphetamines too.

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overduemamma · 30/06/2018 21:01

What about people that are addicted to co-codmal? What's that classed as?

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:04

What about people that are addicted to co-codmal? What's that classed as?

Prescribed opiates, but I've not had one come in that is only addicted to prescription medication. Our treatment would be the same as heroin detox though.

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Tinseltower · 30/06/2018 21:08

How do illegal drugs get into prison and why can’t they get rid of them?

SealSong · 30/06/2018 21:09

Is spice a massive problem in prisons?

HeyDolly · 30/06/2018 21:10

Do you feel scared of any of the prisoners?

overduemamma · 30/06/2018 21:11

Thank you fruitcider x

SlowlyShrinking · 30/06/2018 21:12

Buprenorphine in the form of transdermal patches?

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:13

How do illegal drugs get into prison and why can’t they get rid of them?

How they get in:

  1. prisoners get deliberately recalled to prison by breaching their license, before they breach they pack themselves with drugs

  2. visitors pass them

  3. spice is a clear odourless liquid that can be sprayed on to letters and posted in

  4. drones

  5. stuffing dead pigeon carcasses and chucking them over the fence

  6. sticking a coin to sausage shaped packages pre lubricated and lobbing them over the fence

  7. corrupt staff

Why we can't stop it:

  1. we can't perform internal searches

  2. we can't prevent corrupt staff with a flawless criminal record from joining

  3. we can't detect spice on letters

  4. if multiple packages are chucked over it's not always possible to identify who has plugged it and isolate them

  5. we can try and shoot drones down but it's a tricky area of law.

  6. we can't perform internal searches on visitors

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JustanotherJP · 30/06/2018 21:13

Interesting fruitcider - one of the things that shocked me on a prison visit was talking to staff there about drugs and detox or not as the case may be.

I was surprised that prisoners can choose to stay on a maintenance dose so effectively go out with the same problem they came in with (and probably contributed to them being there).

Q1. In your experience what proportion of prisoners choose a maintenance dose over detox?

And Q2, prison resorts talk of prisoners developing drug problems while in prison that they didn’t have beforehand. What is your experience of this?

Finally (for now!) when I last visited a prison a couple of years ago they told us spice was the biggest problem at that time. Is that still the case?

Thanks!

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:14

Is spice a massive problem in prisons?

It's such a problem giving routine care is difficult. I don't think anyone can comprehend just how bad it is unless you've seen it with your own eyes

OP posts:
LaMainDeFatima · 30/06/2018 21:14

Spice: this drug is destroying so many lives. Is it harder than heroin to get off ?

LaMainDeFatima · 30/06/2018 21:16

Spice just isn’t a problem for prisons : go to the centre of Manchester and you will see it’s effects everywhere

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:16

Do you feel scared of any of the prisoners?

Sometimes, but the amount of fear I have may not relate to the crime they have committed.

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Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:16

Buprenorphine in the form of transdermal patches?

No sublingual tablets that are crushed and snorted.

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Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:19

Q1. In your experience what proportion of prisoners choose a maintenance dose over detox?

They don't get to choose in my place - if methadone is used for detoxification from other opiates we will maintain them ready for release if they are serving less than 6 months in prison. If they are serving more than 6 months in prison and deemed high risk for relapse on release we will induct them on to methadone before they go.

And Q2, prison resorts talk of prisoners developing drug problems while in prison that they didn’t have beforehand. What is your experience of this?

It doesn't really happen with any drug apart from SPICE

Finally (for now!) when I last visited a prison a couple of years ago they told us spice was the biggest problem at that time. Is that still the case?

It's far worse now than it has ever been Confused

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Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:20

Spice: this drug is destroying so many lives. Is it harder than heroin to get off ?

It seems to be. Many addicts have successfully detoxed themselves off heroin by using spice, I guess that gives us the answer....

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secretnuptials · 30/06/2018 21:21

For service users that are taking buprenorphine in tablet form( sublingually ) is there any issues when they come to come off them?

secretnuptials · 30/06/2018 21:21

If the buprenorphine was a alternative to codeine in the first place

suckonthatmaureen · 30/06/2018 21:22

Article in The Independent about detox nurses being overwhelmed by spice fumes whilst treating patients. Has this ever happened to you?

LaMainDeFatima · 30/06/2018 21:22

Have you known anyone get off spice ?

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:23

For service users that are taking buprenorphine in tablet form( sublingually ) is there any issues when they come to come off them?

Yes they experience opiate withdrawals however because it's a long acting opiate the withdrawals seem to be far milder but drawn out for longer.

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JustanotherJP · 30/06/2018 21:24

Interesting, thanks.

Just realised my initial question autocorrected prison reports to prison resorts! I don’t think they are holiday camps honest!

Original poster
fruitcider · 30/06/2018 21:24

Article in The Independent about detox nurses being overwhelmed by spice fumes whilst treating patients. Has this ever happened to you?

Yes I had a spice attack at work before! Only the once thankfully.

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