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Patients May Receive Too Much Acetaminophen in Hospital
Posted 4 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, May 23 – Roughly 2.5 percent of admitted hospital patients may receive more than the safe daily cumulative dose of the pain-reliever acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol, on at least one day, according to a new U.S. study. Patients on more than one drug containing acetaminophen often consume more than the recommended 4 grams per day of the drug, the researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia found. Together, two tablets of extra-strength Tylenol contain 1 gram of acetaminophen, commonly used to relieve pain and reduce fever. Over the course of two years, researchers led by Dr. Jesse Civan examined 46,000 hospital admissions and the medications those patients were given. They found that on at least one day of hospitalization, roughly 1,100 patients received more than 4 grams of acetaminophen in the form of Tylenol, Percocet and similar drugs. The ... Read more
Related support groups: Percocet, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Tylenol, Acetaminophen, Fioricet, Darvocet-N 100, Endocet, Tylenol PM, Excedrin, Paracetamol, NyQuil, Ultracet, Night Time
Kids Most Likely to Start Abusing Painkillers at 16: Study
Posted 7 May 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 7 – Among U.S. adolescents, misuse of prescription painkillers peaks at age 16, earlier than thought, a new large survey analysis reveals. "What our findings suggest is that if we wait until the last year of high school or college to take some kind of action that could prevent the misuse of opioid painkillers, it'll be a case of too little, too late," cautioned study co-author James Anthony, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Many experts consider "extramedical" painkiller abuse – taking pain drugs such as OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone) to get high rather than to relieve extreme pain – the country's most serious drug challenge. Some kids had already misused these drugs by age 13 or 14, or eighth grade, the researchers found. Anthony and his ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana, Codeine
U.S. Sees Tripling of Babies Born Addicted to Painkillers
Posted 30 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 30 – About one baby an hour is born addicted to powerful painkillers called opiates in the United States, a new study shows. The number of infants born with a drug withdrawal syndrome called neonatal abstinence syndrome tripled between 2000 and 2009, jumping to more than 13,000, according to a study published online April 30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. At the same time, use of prescription painkillers such as oxycodone (OxyContin) by mothers-to-be increased fivefold, the researchers noted. "This is becoming a big problem and affecting newborns at an alarmingly high and increasing rate," said study author Dr. Stephen W. Patrick, a fellow in the University of Michigan's division of neonatal-perinatal medicine in Ann Arbor. Babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome tend to be irritable, have heightened muscle tone (hypertonia), tremors, feeding ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Opiate Withdrawal, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana
Another Drug 'Take-Back Day' Scheduled for Saturday
Posted 26 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 26 – The fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says. The event gives Americans an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. At the third Take-Back Day last October, participants turned in more than 377,000 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications at more than 5,300 sites located in all 50 states. In total, the three Take-Back Days have taken in nearly 1 million pounds of prescription drugs during the past 13 months. "The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs," DEA administrator Michele Leonhart said in an agency news release. "The DEA remains hard at ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Xanax, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Adderall, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Klonopin, Lortab, Subutex
Seniors' Long-Term Use of Strong Painkillers a Concern
Posted 12 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, March 12 – Older patients prescribed narcotic painkiller drugs, such as codeine or oxycodone, soon after short-stay surgery are at increased risk of becoming long-term users, a new study finds. Canadian researchers looked at data from almost 400,000 patients aged 66 and older who had short-stay surgery for cataracts, gallbladder removal, prostate tissue removal or varicose vein stripping. Of those patients, almost 28,000 (more than 7 percent) were prescribed narcotic painkillers, also called opioids, within seven days after hospital discharge. More than 30,000 (nearly 8 percent) were prescribed opioids one year after surgery. Almost 3,000 (more than 10 percent) of patients from both groups were identified as long-term opioid users one year after surgery. Patients who received an opioid prescription within seven days of surgery were about 44 percent more likely to become ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Surgery, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex
Drug-Free Housing Helps Heroin, Oxycontin Addicts Recover
Posted 28 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 – Drug-free recovery housing and day treatment programs greatly improve the chances that those addicted to opioids who have gone through detoxification will be able to kick the habit, a new study shows. Opioid abuse includes both the use of illegal drugs such as heroin and the nonmedical use of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet. Opioid addicts seeking treatment typically start with detoxification, but relapse rates within a month of undergoing detox as a standalone treatment are between 65 percent and 80 percent, according to background information in the study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers. They found that opioid addicts who were provided with drug-free recovery housing and day treatment programs after detox were up to 10 times more likely to remain drug-free. The researchers followed 243 opioid addicts – ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana, Codeine, Dilaudid
Hard Drug Use in Middle Age Could Prove Fatal, Study Finds
Posted 3 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 – People who start using hard drugs – such as cocaine, opiates and amphetamines – as young adults and continue to use them into their 50s have a fivefold increased risk of early death, researchers report. The finding is from an analysis of hard drug use among 4,300 U.S. adults who took part in a long-term study of cardiovascular disease and risk factors. The participants, including blacks, whites, men and women, were recruited when they were 18 to 30 years of age and followed from 1985 to 2006. The University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers compared those who stopped drug use early in life to those who continued, and calculated their risk of premature death. "Fourteen percent of the people in the study reported recent hard-drug use at least once, and of these, half continued using well into middle age," lead author Dr. Stefan Kertesz, an associate professor in the ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana, Codeine
Too Much Acetaminophen Over Time May Damage Liver
Posted 22 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Nov. 22 – Taking slightly too much of the pain reliever acetaminophen (best known by the brand name Tylenol) over time can lead to an overdose that can cause liver failure and death, according to a new study. These "staggered overdoses" can occur when people have ongoing pain and repeatedly take a little more acetaminophen than they should, explained Dr. Kenneth Simpson, author of the study, published Nov. 22 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. "They haven't taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal," Simpson said in a journal news release. He and his colleagues analyzed data from 663 patients with acetaminophen-induced liver injury who were admitted to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland between 1992 and 2008. In the U.K. and ... Read more
Related support groups: Percocet, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Tylenol, Acetaminophen, Fioricet, Darvocet-N 100, Endocet, Tylenol PM, Excedrin, Paracetamol, NyQuil, Ultracet, Night Time
Older ER Patients Less Likely to Get Pain Meds, Data Shows
Posted 16 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 – Elderly patients are less likely than middle-aged patients to receive pain medications in U.S. hospital emergency departments, even when they have severe pain. That's the finding of researchers who analyzed data collected from U.S. emergency departments between 2003 and 2009. Among patients with a primary complaint of pain, an analgesic (such as morphine, oxycodone or ibuprofen) was given to 49 percent of patients 75 and older, and 68 percent of patients aged 35 to 54. An opioid (such as morphine or oxycodone) was given to about 35 percent of elderly patients and 49 percent of middle-aged patients, the investigators found. Age-related differences in the use of pain medications remained even after the researchers adjusted for factors such as sex, race/ethnicity and pain severity. Elderly patients were nearly 20 percent less likely to receive an analgesic and 15 ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana, Codeine
Experts Debate Tylenol's Safety for Asthmatic Kids
Posted 7 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 7 – Taken in the proper dose, acetaminophen has long been considered one of the safest over-the-counter medications. It's approved for use in children, and many obstetricians are even OK with its use during pregnancy. But an Ohio pediatrician thinks it's time to rein in use of acetaminophen – more popularly known as Tylenol – particularly in people with asthma. "The fundamental issue is that there's an epidemiological problem associated with acetaminophen and asthma," explained Dr. John McBride, vice chair of the department of pediatrics and director of the Robert T. Stone Respiratory Center at Akron Children's Hospital. "Is that because acetaminophen contributes to asthma, or is it just because people with asthma tend to take acetaminophen?" he said. Until a large-scale study definitively answers that question, McBride said, "I think we owe it to our patients and their ... Read more
Related support groups: Percocet, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Tylenol, Asthma, Acetaminophen, Fioricet, Darvocet-N 100, Endocet, Tylenol PM, Excedrin, Paracetamol, NyQuil, Ultracet
Deaths From Abuse of Painkillers Triple in a Decade: CDC
Posted 1 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 – The number of deaths from prescription drug overdoses has tripled in a decade, hitting a peak of 36,000 fatalities in 2008, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday. "The unfortunate and shocking news is that we are in the midst of an epidemic of prescription overdose in this country," Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a midday news conference. Since 1999, there have been significant increases not only in overdose death rates, but in the sales of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone, and admission for treatment of abuse of these drugs, the CDC said. "Now there are more peopled killed by prescription narcotics than from heroin and cocaine combined," Frieden said. In 1999 there were 4,000 deaths related to painkillers, but by 2008 that number had risen by a factor of three, to ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana, Codeine
Health Tip: Alcohol Can Interact With Medications
Posted 25 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
-- Over-the-counter medications may seem safer because they don't require a prescription. But they can still interact badly when alcohol enters the mix. The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these popular medications that may have adverse effects if mixed with alcohol: NSAID pain relievers, which may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding if taken while consuming as few as two alcoholic drink per week. Acetaminophen, which may cause liver damage when taken with alcohol. Some OTC antihistamines can make you drowsy when taken with alcohol. Decongestants and cough medications that contain the cough suppressant dextromethorphan can increase drowsiness when taken with alcohol. Herbal supplements, such as kava kava, St. John's wort or valerian root, may increase drowsiness if taken with alcohol. Read more
Related support groups: Percocet, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Tylenol, Codeine, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Benadryl, Promethazine, Zyrtec, Voltaren, Meloxicam
Accidental Medication Poisonings in Kids on the Rise
Posted 16 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 16 – Despite ongoing prevention efforts, a growing number of young children are being accidentally poisoned with medications, according to new research. The study, which was based on data reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers between 2001 and 2008, found that medication poisoning among children aged 5 and under increased by 22 percent, although the number of children in the United States in this age group rose by only 8 percent during the study period. "The problem of pediatric poisoning in the U.S. is getting worse, not better," Dr. Randall Bond, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release. In conducting the study, which is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Pediatrics, the researchers reviewed information on over 544,000 children who landed in the emergency department due to medication poisoning ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Xanax, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Klonopin, Lortab, Lisinopril, Subutex
Over Half of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitals Are Preventable: Study
Posted 9 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 9 – More than one-half of all adverse drug reactions treated in hospitals and emergency care are preventable, according to a new study. In addition, prior research has shown that many preventable drug reactions – which include drug overdoses and internal bleeding associated with the improper use of blood thinners and painkillers – are life-threatening, said the Swedish researchers. This widespread problem, which is even more common among the elderly, has important implications for health care systems, they said. There are many reasons for the high numbers of preventable adverse drug reactions, according to Katja Hakkarainen, a pharmacist from the Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg. These may include "poor coordination of care, lack of time and knowledge among health professionals, and lack of patient education," she said in an International Pharmaceutical ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Tylenol, Opana, Codeine
Long-Term Opioid Therapy Often Leads to Addiction
Posted 29 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, July 29 – Addiction to prescription drugs is common among patients with chronic pain, with 35 percent of patients receiving long-term treatment with opioids now meeting the criteria for addiction, a new study has found. In conducting the research, published in the July issue of the Journal of Addictive Diseases, researchers interviewed 705 people undergoing long-term opioid therapy for non-cancer pain between August 2007 and November 2008. The study found that addiction to prescription pain medication – such as morphine, OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin – happens often among those with the following risk factors: younger than 65; a history of opioid abuse; withdrawal symptoms; and substance abuse treatment. Anti-social personality disorder, the researchers noted, is another risk factor for this type of addiction. Moreover, even after the American Psychiatric Association ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Suboxone, Methadone, Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Norco, Fentanyl, Lortab, Subutex, Opana