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Related terms: Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Opiate Addiction
Hospitals Not to Blame for Most Opioid Addiction: Study
Posted 1 day 14 hours ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, 2017 – Painkiller prescriptions that lead to prolonged opioid use tend to be written by doctors in outpatient settings, not hospitals, new research indicates. Initial use of opioids such as OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone) is most often tied to spine and orthopedic disorders, but not surgery, said researcher and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Schoenfeld of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Moreover, addictive painkiller use is often not the recommended course of treatment for these conditions, he added. "In light of the opioid crisis, we thought it was important to investigate the extent to which spine surgical interventions were responsible for initiating a process that culminates in sustained opioid drug use," Schoenfeld said. The findings – based on more than 100,000 insured Americans – go against the commonly held notion that chronic opioid ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Opiate Dependence, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Roxicodone, Drug Dependence, Endocet, Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone, Percocet 10/325, Vicoprofen, Substance Abuse, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Hydromet, Roxicet, Tussionex Pennkinetic
Fatal Opioid ODs on the Rise Among U.S. Teens
Posted 1 day 16 hours ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 16, 2017 – The rate of opioid drug overdose deaths among older teenagers in the United States has taken a turn for the worse, a new federal report finds. The number of drug overdose deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds rose 15 percent for males from 2014 to 2015 and 35 percent for females from 2013 to 2015, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the disturbing numbers may not simply be a case of the well-publicized epidemic of opioid painkiller abuse spreading to another age group. "These trends fit into the overall picture: Overdose of opioid pills is the bigger problem among middle age and older age groups, while heroin and heroin contaminated by fentanyl are a huge problem among younger people," said Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies drug use. The report, from the ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid, Butrans, Heroin
Opioid Overdoses and Deaths Flooding U.S. Hospitals
Posted 7 days ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Aug. 11, 2017 – There's been a sharp rise in opioid-related admissions and deaths in hospital intensive care units across the United States, a new study finds. Opioids are pain medications, such as oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) and hydrocodone (Vicoprofen). "This study tells us that the opioid epidemic has made people sicker and killed more people, in spite of all the care we can provide in the ICU, including mechanical ventilation, acute dialysis, life support and round-the-clock care," said study lead author Dr. Jennifer Stevens. She is associate director of the medical intensive care unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. For the study, researchers reviewed data from nearly 23 million adult hospital admissions. The admissions were from 162 hospitals in 44 states. They occurred from 2009 to 2015. From this group, the investigators identified almost 22,000 ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Opiate Dependence, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Roxicodone, Drug Dependence, Endocet, Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone, Percocet 10/325, Vicoprofen, Substance Abuse, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Hydromet, Roxicet, Tussionex Pennkinetic
Trump to Declare Opioid Crisis a National Emergency
Posted 8 days ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Aug. 11, 2017 – President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration is preparing to declare the opioid crisis a national emergency. Such a move would offer state and federal agencies more resources and power to combat the epidemic, CNN reported. "The opioid crisis is an emergency, and I am saying, officials, right now, it is an emergency. It is a national emergency," Trump said while on vacation at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. "We are going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis." "We are going to draw it up, and we are going to make it a national emergency. It's a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had," he added. Trump's statement came two days after the release of a federal report that said drug overdose deaths continue to climb in the United States, despite efforts to combat the nation's ongoing opioid ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid, Butrans, Opana ER
U.S. Opioid Crisis Continues to Worsen
Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 8, 2017 – Drug overdose deaths continue to climb in the United States, despite efforts to combat the nation's ongoing opioid addiction crisis, a new federal report states. The drug overdose death rate reached 19.9 cases for every 100,000 people during the late summer of 2016, compared with 16.7 cases per 100,000 the year before, the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) stated in its quarterly mortality report. The 12-month overdose death rate also showed an increase. The rate was 18.5 overdose deaths per 100,000 people for the 12-month period ending in September 2016, compared with 16.1 deaths per 100,000 during the same period a year before, the NCHS said. The increase shows that drug deaths have continued to rise from 2015, which itself had been a record-breaking year for overdose deaths. A total 52,404 people died from overdose in 2015, a 75 percent ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid, Butrans, Opana ER
'12-Step' Strategy Boosts Success of Teen Drug Abuse Program
Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 7, 2017 – Drug and alcohol abuse treatment for teens and young adults may be more effective when it includes a 12-step program similar to that used by Alcoholics Anonymous, a new report suggests. The study at Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Addiction Medicine in Boston lasted nine months, and included 59 people aged 14 to 21. The researchers found that combining the 12-step approach with standard care led to more successful outcomes than current standard methods alone. While a well-designed drug and alcohol abuse program can benefit all adolescents, "we showed that adding a 12-step component to standard cognitive-behavioral and motivational strategies produced significantly greater reductions in substance-related consequences during and in the months following treatment," said study leader John Kelly. He directs the Recovery Research Institute at the hospital. ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Opiate Dependence, Codeine, Opiate Withdrawal, Roxicodone, Drug Dependence, Alcohol Dependence, Endocet, Alcoholism, Cheratussin AC, Tylenol with Codeine, Percocet 10/325, Tylenol with Codeine 3, Substance Abuse, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Roxicet, Hangover, Codeine/Promethazine
The Addiction Drug, Buprenorphine, is Underused by Primary Care Docs in U.S.
Posted 14 days ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Aug. 3, 2017 – Many doctors aren't making full use of a medication that can wean people off addiction to heroin and prescription painkillers, according to results of a new survey. Buprenorphine is the first drug for opioid use disorder that's approved for prescription by primary care physicians, allowing treatment in the privacy of a doctor's office. But many doctors aren't applying for the federal waiver that would allow them to prescribe buprenorphine, said researcher Andrew Huhn. He's a postdoctoral fellow with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's behavioral pharmacology research unit. Further, most who have obtained a buprenorphine waiver aren't prescribing the drug to as many patients as allowed, Huhn said. This reluctance to fully utilize buprenorphine is hampering efforts to combat the epidemic of opioid abuse in the United States, Huhn said. "This year is ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Opiate Dependence, Smoking, Subutex, Butrans, Drug Dependence, Buprenorphine, Substance Abuse, Zubsolv, Bunavail, Buprenex, Belbuca, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse, Buprenorphine/Naloxone, Probuphine
Is Infant Drug Withdrawal Likelier When Opioids Used With Psychiatric Drugs?
Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2, 2017 – More U.S. babies go through drug withdrawal after birth these days, and researchers say doctors' prescribing practices are partly to blame. Moms-to-be who take prescription opioid painkillers plus psychiatric drugs for depression or anxiety have a 30 to 60 percent greater risk of giving birth to an infant in withdrawal than those taking opioids alone, researchers found. Moreover, use of two or more psychiatric drugs in addition to opioids was associated with a twofold increased risk of infant withdrawal, said lead researcher Krista Huybrechts. She's an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. In particular, antidepressants, benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) and the seizure drug gabapentin (Neurontin) greatly increase the risk and severity of drug withdrawal symptoms in newborns when used with prescription opioids during pregnancy, ... Read more
Related support groups: Xanax, Suboxone, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, Klonopin, Gabapentin, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Clonazepam, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Ativan, Valium, Codeine, Lortab
2 of 3 U.S. Patients Keep Unused Painkillers After Surgery
Posted 16 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 2, 2017 – Surgery patients are usually prescribed opioids to ease postoperative pain, but more than two-thirds end up with leftover narcotics and don't get rid of them, according to a new report. Moreover, most patients who have the extra opioid pills don't lock them away, but leave them accessible to possible abuse by others, the researchers said. "We were surprised to find that the number was as high as it was," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Bicket. He is an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "It's likely that we – as physicians who care for patients with pain after surgery – need to do a better job of educating patients about how to take pain medication, how to store that medication and what to do with it once they're done with the medication," Bicket added. Saving unneeded ... Read more
Related support groups: Pain, Back Pain, Suboxone, Oxycodone, Surgery, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid
Policy Changes Reduced Use of Certain Prescription Opioids: Study
Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2017 – Tighter U.S. government restrictions on prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone led to reduced use of opioid medications such as Vicodin, a new study says. Between 2007 and 2014, more prescriptions were written in the United States for Vicodin (hydrocodone-acetaminophen) than for any other medication. In order to tighten restrictions and reduce abuse, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in 2014 reclassified hydrocodone-containing products as schedule 2 controlled substances. Schedule 2 drugs are those with a high potential for abuse and dependence. Drugs in this group include cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and oxycodone. Although hydrocodone prescriptions subsequently declined, it wasn't clear whether overall use changed, or whether addicts had simply begun using the drug illicitly, said researchers at University of California, San Diego Health. "We ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Opiate Dependence, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Roxicodone, Drug Dependence, Endocet, Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone, Percocet 10/325, Vicoprofen, Substance Abuse, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Hydromet, Roxicet, Tussionex Pennkinetic
Doctors Still Overprescribing Opioids in U.S.
Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 31, 2017 – More than one out of three average Americans used a prescription opioid painkiller in 2015, despite growing concerns these medicines are promoting widespread addiction and overdose deaths, a new federal study shows. Nearly 92 million U.S. adults, or about 38 percent of the population, took a legitimately prescribed opioid like OxyContin or Percocet in 2015, according to results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. "The proportion of adults who receive these medications in any year seemed startling to me," said study co-author Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. "It's an awful lot of people who take these, mostly for medical purposes, but within that a significant percentage end up misusing them," he added. The survey found that 11.5 million people, or nearly 5 percent of the population, misused ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Opiate Dependence, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Roxicodone, Drug Dependence, Endocet, Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone, Percocet 10/325, Vicoprofen, Substance Abuse, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone, Hydromet, Roxicet, Tussionex Pennkinetic
7-Fold Spike Seen in Opioid-Linked Fatal Car Crashes
Posted 18 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 31, 2017 – In yet another sign of just how deadly the U.S. opioid epidemic has become, researchers report a sevenfold increase in the number of drivers killed in car crashes while under the influence of prescription painkillers. Prescriptions for drugs such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicoprofen) and morphine have quadrupled, from 76 million in 1991 to nearly 300 million in 2014, so it's no surprise these medications are playing a growing role in highway deaths, the Columbia University researchers said. "The significant increase in proportion of drivers who test positive for prescription pain medications is an urgent public health concern," said lead researcher Stanford Chihuri. Prescription drugs can cause drowsiness, impaired thinking and slowed reaction times, which can interfere with driving skills, Chihuri said. "Prescription pain medications use and abuse ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Lortab, Roxicodone, MS Contin, Drug Dependence, Endocet, Kadian, Acetaminophen/Hydrocodone, Percocet 10/325, Vicoprofen, M O S, Substance Abuse, Acetaminophen/Oxycodone
Opioid Abuse Down in Younger Americans, But Up Among Older Adults
Posted 26 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 26, 2017 – While opioid abuse has fallen among younger Americans, the same cannot be said for older adults, a new government report shows. Opioid abuse includes either the use of heroin or illegal use of prescription opioid painkillers, such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet) and hydrocodone (Vicoprofen). Rates of opioid abuse among young adults – aged 18 to 25 – decreased from 11.5 percent in 2002 to 8 percent in 2014. But in adults 50 years and older, opioid abuse doubled, from 1 percent to 2 percent, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Overall, about 9.5 million adults had abused opioids in the past year, the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found. "These findings highlight the need for prevention programs for all ages, as well as to establish improved evidence-based treatment, screening and ... Read more
Related support groups: Suboxone, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Opiate Withdrawal, Opana, Subutex, Dilaudid, Butrans, Opana ER
Treating ADHD May Help Curb Later Drinking, Drug Problems
Posted 24 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 24, 2017 – Teens and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may have a lower risk of developing an alcohol or drug problem if they take medications to treat their ADHD, a new study suggests. "This study contributes to growing evidence that ADHD medication is linked to lower risk for many types of harmful behavior, including substance abuse," said study leader Patrick Quinn. "The results also highlight the importance of careful diagnosis and compliance with treatment," he added. Quinn is a postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University's department of psychological and brain sciences. For the study, the researchers looked at data from 3 million Americans with ADHD. The risk of alcohol or drug abuse was 35 percent lower among men and 31 percent lower among women who took ADHD medications, such as Adderall, Ritalin and Strattera, than among those who did not take ... Read more
Related support groups: Oxycodone, Adderall, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Methadone, OxyContin, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Vyvanse, Codeine, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Opana, Subutex, Concerta, Dilaudid, Ritalin, Adderall XR, Butrans, Opana ER
Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Adults Has Mental Illness or Drug Problem
Posted 21 Jul 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, July 21, 2017 – Nearly 1 in 5 American adults deals with a mental illness or substance abuse problem each year, a U.S. government study says. Oregon has the highest rate, and New Jersey the lowest, according to 2012-2014 data analyzed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Overall, almost 44 million Americans 18 or older had a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder in the past year, researchers said. They reviewed national surveys on drug use and health. "The figures in SAMHSA's report remind us how important it is to take mental health as seriously as any other health condition," Kana Enomoto, SAMHSA acting deputy assistant secretary, said in an agency news release. The overall national rate of mental illness was about 18 percent. In Oregon, almost 23 percent of the state residents had any type of mental illness. Utah, ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Oxycodone, Anxiety and Stress, Hydrocodone, Tramadol, Percocet, Methadone, OxyContin, Vicodin, Major Depressive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Norco, Fentanyl, Opiate Dependence, Morphine, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Codeine
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