Benzos, Opioids and Z-Drugs: Deadly Combos
With all the news media accounts and reports from governmental health organizations about the opioid epidemic, including the 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017, a newly emerging threat is gaining attention: use and misuse of benzodiazepines, opioid drugs and Z-drugs. Specifically, combining these three drugs can create a deadly combination that snuffs out lives.
Benzodiazepine Overdose Deaths on the Rise
Benzodiazepines, a class of sedative narcotic drugs including Xanax and Valium used to treat anxiety, insomnia and other disorders and classified as Schedule IV under the Controlled Substances Act by the Drug Enforcement ...
Source: Psych Central - January 23, 2019 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Suzanne Kane Tags: Addictions Substance Abuse Suicide Source Type: news
eszopiclone (Lunesta)
Title: eszopiclone (Lunesta)Category: MedicationsCreated: 2/1/2005 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 12/14/2018 12:00:00 AM (Source: MedicineNet Sleep General)
Source: MedicineNet Sleep General - December 14, 2018 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Here ’s Why You Shouldn’t Take a Sleeping Pill Every Night
Tens of millions of Americans struggle to sleep at night, and many of them turn to sleeping pills for relief. Prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids are especially popular among older adults. A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that roughly one in three adults ages 65 to 80 use these drugs at least occasionally to fall asleep, and OTC meds like Benadryl and Tylenol PM are the pills of choice for sleepless seniors.
Experts say this is concerning for a number of reasons. Studies have linked the regular, long-term use of OTC sleep medicines to some potentially serious side effe...
Source: TIME: Health - October 9, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Markham Heid Tags: Uncategorized Baby Boomer Health sleep Source Type: news
Sedative hypnotics and the risk of falls and fractures in the elderly - Andrade C.
Older age, poor sleep, and the use of the "Z" sedative hypnotic drugs (zopiclone, eszopiclone, zolpidem, and zaleplon) commonly go together. Each of these can increase the risk of falls and fractures through mechanisms related to cognitive and psychomotor ... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - June 11, 2018 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Age: Elder Adults Source Type: news
Z-drugs and Risk for Falls and Fractures in Older Adults Z-drugs and Risk for Falls and Fractures in Older Adults
Studies find that zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone, and zaleplon may be associated with an increased risk for fractures.Age and Ageing (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - March 20, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Internal Medicine Journal Article Source Type: news
6 Questions You MUST Ask Before Checking into Rehab: An Interview with VH1 Addiction Counselor Bob Forrest
The gentleman on the other end of the telephone line has seen the best and worst of humanity and has soared and stumbled, struggled and survived. He emerged from the throes of addiction to claim a new identity; Rehab Bob.
According to his website, “Bob Forrest lived a drug-fueled life in the L.A. indie rock scene of the ’80s and ’90s as the frontman for Thelonious Monster. He was known as one of the worst junkies in Hollywood at the time. But after 24 stints in rehab, he finally got sober in 1996. Since then he has dedicated his life to becoming a drug counselor who specializes in reaching the unreachable. He...
Source: Psych Central - November 24, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW Tags: Addictions Interview Substance Abuse Treatment Addiction Recovery Alcoholism Celebrity Rehab Drug rehabilitation opiate addiction opioid crisis Source Type: news
Z-drugs and risk for falls and fractures in older adults-a systematic review and meta-analysis - Treves N, Perlman A, Kolenberg Geron L, Asaly A, Matok I.
OBJECTIVE: zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone and zaleplon, also known as 'Z-drugs', are commonly used as alternatives to benzodiazepines (BZDs) to treat insomnia. Z-drugs are often perceived as safer than BZDs. We conducted a systematic review and meta-anal... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - October 30, 2017 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Age: Elder Adults Source Type: news
Your Natural Sleep Trigger
Do you have trouble getting to sleep? Or staying asleep? You’re not alone.
Sleeping a solid 7 to 9 hours every night should be the most natural thing in the world.
But insomnia has become an epidemic. And modern medicine does very little to help you restore natural rest. Big Pharma’s answer is to knock you out with drugs. That’s not the same as sleep.
“Sleep aids” like Ambien, Lunesta, and others cause dizziness, headache, depression and anxiety. They can lead to suicidal thoughts, memory loss and hallucinations. Some people report sleep-walking, and even unconscious sleep-eating or sleep-driving.1
And come mor...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - October 19, 2017 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Cathy Card Tags: Health Source Type: news
FDA Issues Warning About Mixing Opioid Addiction Treatments With Other Meds
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration issued new warnings Wednesday about the dangers of combining medication for opioid addiction with anti-anxiety medicines and other drugs that also slow breathing and brain activity.
The FDA warned that mixing such drugs can cause difficulty breathing, coma or death, so it should be done with caution.
The agency said a growing number of people fighting opioid addiction with methadone or buprenorphine also take other prescription drugs that slow action of the central nervous system. The warning lists several dozen brand-name and generic drugs that could be risky, includ...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - September 20, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press Tags: Patient Care News Source Type: news
FDA Issues Warning About Mixing Opioid Addiction Treatments With Other Meds
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration issued new warnings Wednesday about the dangers of combining medication for opioid addiction with anti-anxiety medicines and other drugs that also slow breathing and brain activity.
The FDA warned that mixing such drugs can cause difficulty breathing, coma or death, so it should be done with caution.
The agency said a growing number of people fighting opioid addiction with methadone or buprenorphine also take other prescription drugs that slow action of the central nervous system. The warning lists several dozen brand-name and generic drugs that could be risky, includ...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - September 20, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press Tags: Patient Care News Source Type: news
FDA Issues Warning About Mixing Opioid Addiction Treatments With Other Meds
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration issued new warnings Wednesday about the dangers of combining medication for opioid addiction with anti-anxiety medicines and other drugs that also slow breathing and brain activity.
The FDA warned that mixing such drugs can cause difficulty breathing, coma or death, so it should be done with caution.
The agency said a growing number of people fighting opioid addiction with methadone or buprenorphine also take other prescription drugs that slow action of the central nervous system. The warning lists several dozen brand-name and generic drugs that could be risky, includ...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - September 20, 2017 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Linda A. Johnson, Associated Press Tags: Patient Care News Source Type: news
Sleeping Pills Boost Danger of Falls, Fractures in Older Users
And newer drugs like Ambien, Lunesta are no safer in this regard, review found Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Falls, Seniors' Health, Sleep Disorders (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)
Source: MedlinePlus Health News - May 2, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Eszopiclone-induced parasomnia with suicide attempt: a case report - Pennington JG, Guina J.
Eszopiclone is a benzodiazepine-like hypnotic that is commonly prescribed to treat insomnia. However, eszopiclone's efficacy has been questionable in several clinical trials, and its pharmacologic profile makes its effects on sleep and behavior difficult t... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - December 20, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Alcohol and Other Drugs Source Type: news
Lunesta (Eszopiclone) - updated on RxList
(Source: RxList - New and Updated Drug Monographs)
Source: RxList - New and Updated Drug Monographs - September 13, 2016 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news
A New Prescription for Sleepless Americans: Take Advice Not a Pill
For many sleepless Americans and their doctors, the go-to treatment for insomnia has long been a prescription for sleeping pills. But America may now be waking up to a new era of treatment ushered in by a recent recommendation from the American College of Physicians (ACP) that favors behavioral therapy over meds as the first-line treatment for insomnia. This is welcome news.
Insomnia is a prevalent and debilitating condition that affects over 60 million Americans, and with associated healthcare costs that are estimated in the range of $30 to $107 billion each year. This overall total could double when the additional $60 b...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - May 8, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
