FDA adds strongest warning to widely-used painkillers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health regulators will bolster warning labels on the most widely used prescription painkillers, part a multi-pronged federal effort to reverse an epidemic of abuse and death tied to drugs like Vicodin and Percocet. (Source: U.S. News - Health)
Source: U.S. News - Health - March 22, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
CDC Issues Tough New Guidelines on Use of Prescription Painkillers
TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 -- Hoping to stem an epidemic of drug abuse tied to prescription narcotic painkillers such as Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin, federal officials on Tuesday issued tough new prescribing guidelines to the nation's doctors.
The... (Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews)
Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews - March 15, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Source Type: news
Cold and flu warning: The dangers of too much acetaminophen
Cold and flu season is here.
Peruse the aisles of a local pharmacy or grocery store and you will find more than 30 over-the-counter medications available to treat the symptoms of fever, headache, sore throat, and achy muscles. Many of these “multi-symptom” products contain acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. This means cold and flu sufferers who are using multiple combination cough and cold remedies may inadvertently be taking more acetaminophen than they intend — and putting themselves at risk for a serious complication: acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity.
Acetaminophen is the most commonly available ...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - January 27, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Susan Farrell, MD Tags: Back Pain Cold and Flu Drugs and Supplements Pain Management Safety Source Type: news
Chronic Pain – Stories Of Struggle And Hope: Part 9 – Addiction Misconceptions
BOSTON (CBS) – Many people who take painkillers say they’re being unfairly targeted in the current war on drugs.
The opioid crisis has been grabbing headlines for months. Gov. Charlie Baker has declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency.
Over 1,200 Massachusetts residents have died from opioid overdoses in 2014. Cindy Steinberg is the policy council chair of the Massachusetts pain initiative.
“We know that 78 percent of people who are abusing these medications did not get them from a physician,” said Steinberg. “They’re getting them on the street, they’re getting diverted, they’re getting th...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - January 15, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: mwschooley Tags: Health Local News Syndicated Local Chronic Pain – Stories Of Struggle And Hope Rod Fritz Source Type: news
Must-read: combination acetaminophen-opioid formulations should be abandoned
4 out of 5 stars
The prescription paradox of acetaminophen safety. Dart RC, Green JL. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2015 Dec 29 [Epub ahead of print]
Reference
Last week, we pointed out that the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) had issued a position statement on prescribing opioids that had missed a good opportunity to call for abandoning use of pharmaceutical products that combined strong opioids such as hydrocodone with acetaminophen.
I just discovered that a recent editorial by Richard Dart and Jody Green from the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center agree with my take on this matter. They point out that a re...
Source: The Poison Review - January 13, 2016 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Tags: Medical acetaminophen adverse effects hepatotoxicity opioid Source Type: news
Prescription drugs ARE a 'gateway to heroin addiction'
New York University researchers found that 75 per cent of teenagers who abuse heroin got hooked on the drug after abusing prescription painkillers, such as Percocet, Vicodin and Oxycontin. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - December 4, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
The problem with prescription painkillers
Pain. It’s a nearly unavoidable part of the human experience. Whether it comes as the result of an injury or accident, surgery, or a health issue such as a headache or infection, arthritis, or fibromyalgia, pain can interfere with the ability to sleep, work, and enjoy life.
There are many ways to treat pain. Opioid drugs are one of them. Some examples include hydrocodone (used in Vicodin), oxycodone (used in Percocet), methadone, codeine, and morphine. These prescription drugs reduce the brain’s recognition of pain by binding to certain receptors in the body. In many situations, opioids are a reasonable choice for cont...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - October 26, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Wynne Armand, MD Tags: Addiction Drugs and Supplements Pain Management naloxone narcan opioids painkillers prescription painkillers Source Type: news
Dual Therapy No Better Than NSAIDs Alone for Low Back Pain Dual Therapy No Better Than NSAIDs Alone for Low Back Pain
In patients with acute nontraumatic lower back pain, adding cyclobenzaprine or oxycodone/acetaminophen to naproxen alone did not improve functional outcomes or pain at 1 week. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Neurology and Neurosurgery Headlines)
Source: Medscape Neurology and Neurosurgery Headlines - October 22, 2015 Category: Neurology Tags: Neurology & Neurosurgery News Source Type: news
Naproxen Alone Wins for Relieving Lower Back Pain (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) -- Adding cyclobenzaprine or Percocet fails to improve pain or function (Source: MedPage Today Neurology)
Source: MedPage Today Neurology - October 21, 2015 Category: Neurology Source Type: news
Why Incarceration Is Not the Solution to the Opioid-Addiction Epidemic
By Aaron Fox, M.D., M.S.
Finally, Democrats and Republicans have agreed that reducing prison sentences should be a priority, especially for nonviolent drug offenses. It's common sense that people with substance-use disorders should be offered addiction treatment as an alternative to incarceration. But what if they can't stop using drugs? They still don't belong in prison.
Incarceration Undermines Recovery
Incarceration is destabilizing and can set people back in their addiction recovery. In low-income communities, it leads to housing instability and unemployment, and strains the relationships with families necessary f...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - August 21, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Why Incarceration Is Not the Solution to the Opioid-Addiction Epidemic
By Aaron Fox, M.D., M.S. Finally, Democrats and Republicans have agreed that reducing prison sentences should be a priority, especially for nonviolent drug offenses. It's common sense that people with substance-use disorders should be offered addiction treatment as an alternative to incarceration. But what if they can't stop using drugs? They still don't belong in prison. Incarceration Undermines Recovery Incarceration is destabilizing and can set people back in their addiction recovery. In low-income communities, it leads to housing instability and unemployment, and strains the relationships with families necessary f...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - August 21, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Surge in heroin use tied to prescription opioid abuse
Heroin use has increased 63 percent over the last 10 years in the United States, experts report. That increase is closely tied to the growing abuse of prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin) and codeine. An alarming 45 percent of Americans addicted to heroin are also addicted to prescription opioids. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - August 18, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news
My Very Own Miracle
Strange how life can throw us a curve and suddenly we are immersed in a world we knew nothing of.
In my case it was eye trouble.
I think it started when I was bitten on my right temple by a very large wasp. The side of my head swelled to ridiculous proportions and although I had a wedding the next day I put on oversized sunglasses and went and danced anyway.
It seems this marked the beginning of my travails with my eyes. Did the swelling cause my already genetically-challenged retina to weaken and dislodge? Would it have anyway?
A few weeks later I awoke to blurriness in the right eye. To test it, I covered it and...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - April 14, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
An Ancient Fix For Backache
Too many doctors refuse to think outside the narrow confines of the mainstream medical establishment – especially when it comes to chronic back pain.
Back pain is one of the most common reasons Americans go to the doctor, which explains why it’s also one of America’s biggest businesses.
But I never cease to be astounded when patients come to my wellness clinic with back pain and tell me they’ve already had a barrage of dangerous Big Pharma prescriptions pushed at them.
These drugs include highly addictive opiates like Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin.
Meanwhile, big bucks are also made when doctors push ...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - April 7, 2015 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Dr. Al Sears Tags: Anti-Aging Source Type: news
Report highlights the dangers of opioid painkillers
Whenever I read or write about the overuse of so-called opioid painkillers it is with mixed feelings. As a lifelong back-pain patient who once depended on them for pain relief, I appreciate the challenge posed by opioids to people in pain and their doctors. People in agonizing pain want it to stop, but opioids are often a poor long-term solution. Doctors want to help their patients, so they may prescribe opioids for extended periods despite well-founded reservations.
At the same time, the epidemic of abuse of these painkillers has led to numerous deaths. Like many Americans, I know people whose lives were destroyed—who e...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - January 15, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Daniel Pendick Tags: Addiction Drugs and Supplements Pain Management hydrocodone opioids oxycodone Source Type: news
