Coastal Carolinas Integrated Medicine

01/17/2026

With Dale Bredesen, MD – I'm on a streak! I've been a top fan for 9 months in a row. 🎉

01/14/2026

This is very interesting! The tremors stoped in some PD people while climbing and balance improved.

01/14/2026

Specialized testing is the main difference between traditional primary care and functional medicine specialized primary care. Thousands of nurse practitioners are now specializing in

01/14/2026

You should be bringing these foods into your diet long before you get cancer! They are interfering with glutamine uptake they are anti-inflammatory and antioxidants!

01/12/2026

Chemicals do a job on the body. Keep your glutathione levels at appropriate levels.

Comment glutathione and I’ll send you a free one page pdf you can download load and learn how to protect yourself from the chemicals that are everywhere in our post modern world. Any step you take to decrease the chemical exposure load or lower the internal body load or protect the cell are all positive life style strategies you could implement!

01/12/2026

My daily passion of cycling just got better! Maybe my knees will last a lifetime! ❤️

2024 Paper of the Year: "Bicycling over a Lifetime Is Associated with Less Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative" by Lo et al.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between a history of bicycling and symptomatic and structural outcomes of knee osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis

01/12/2026

Good podcast to follow

FYI only the good LORD knows your last moment on earth. All you know for sure Is this moment- live with purpose and integrity

I'll teach you how to become the media's go-to expert in your field. Enroll in The Professional's Media Academy now: https://www.professionalsmediaacademy.co...

01/11/2026

Keep that magnesium measured! Protect your brain!

All medications burn up magnesium in detoxification pathways and all your enzyme chemical reactions utilize magnesium!

Pay attention to muscle cramps

01/08/2026

We are no longer changing healthcare… it has changed for the better! Every year we see functional root cause precision health biomarkers, and gut microbiome testing driving diet choices that puts regenerative medicine at the center! Some chronic pathologies like type two diabetes are now optional depending on you connecting to a lifestyle practitioner helping you navigate your healthcare strategies

01/08/2026

This is interesting!

https://www.addictionpolicy.org/post/glp-1-agonists-show-promise-in-treating-substance-use-disordersn

In recent years, medications originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other weight-related conditions—such as semaglutide and liraglutide—are showing promise in treating substance use disorders (SUDs). These medications belong to a class of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) rece...

01/08/2026

Substance Abuse & N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) — what the evidence shows!

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a precursor to glutathione, the brain’s major antioxidant. Over the last 15–20 years it’s been studied as an adjunct (not a stand-alone cure) for several substance-use disorders because it targets craving biology, not just symptoms.

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How NAC helps (mechanisms that matter in addiction)

1. Normalizes glutamate signaling
Addiction dysregulates glutamate in the nucleus accumbens (reward hub). NAC restores the cystine–glutamate exchanger, helping quiet the compulsive “wanting” signal that drives relapse.

2. Reduces craving & cue-reactivity
People often relapse when exposed to cues (stress, places, people). NAC dampens this cue-induced glutamate surge.

3. Antioxidant & neuroprotective
Substances increase oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. By replenishing glutathione, NAC supports neuronal recovery—important in long-term healing.

4. Improves impulse control (indirectly)
By stabilizing reward circuits, some users experience fewer compulsive urges (also studied in OCD-spectrum behaviors).

Substances with the best evidence:

Substance / Behavior
Evidence summary

Cannabis
↓ craving, ↓ use, better abstinence rates (especially in adolescents/young adults)
Co***ne
↓ craving and relapse risk (mixed but promising)
Alcohol
↓ craving, supports liver health; best as adjunct to counseling
Ni****ne
Mixed results; modest craving reduction in some
Gambling / compulsive behaviors
Benefits seen via similar reward-circuit mechanisms

NAC works best between detox and relapse prevention, not for acute withdrawal.

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Practical dosing (clinical ranges used in studies)
• Typical dose: 1,200–2,400 mg/day
(often split 600–1,200 mg twice daily)
• Duration: 8–24 weeks minimum
• Form: Capsules or powder; take away from food if GI upset occurs

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Safety & considerations
• Generally very safe, OTC
• Possible side effects: mild GI upset, sulfur smell
• Use caution with:
• Active asthma (rare bronchospasm)
• Nitroglycerin (can potentiate vasodilation)
• Not addictive and non-sedating

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What NAC does not replace
• Counseling / behavioral therapy
• Trauma-informed care
• Social support, sleep, nutrition, exercise

Think of NAC as biochemical scaffolding while the brain relearns healthier reward patterns.

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Where this fits for patients

• Repeated relapse despite “willpower”
• High cue-reactivity and stress-triggered use
• Co-existing gut inflammation or oxidative burden
NAC is a low-risk, high-upside adjunct that aligns well with functional and neuro-root-cause ml