Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

The Abuse of “Smart Drugs” Concerning Medical Experts Nationwide

In a world where we judge it unfair to use performance enhancing drugs in the world of athletics should it be okay to use performance enhancing substances in academia? That is the question being faced by ethicists and medical experts today. If a pill could help students to study, remember and think clearly, would it be fair to use it? Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Heroin Filling Gap Left by OxyContin After Anti-Abuse Measures Introduced

As authorities crack down in the war against prescription drugs, an unforeseen consequence has begun to emerge. Because it has become more difficult to obtain OxyContin and other prescription narcotics, addicts are simply going back to something tried and true – substituting illicit drugs instead.

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Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

New Oxycontin Drug Replacement Not Good Enough, Say Experts

Across the globe, pharmaceutical companies, physicians and patients are making it a high priority to address the epidemic levels of people addicted to prescription painkillers, such as OxyContin, which features the key ingredient oxycodone. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Vets with Trauma Issues More Likely to Abuse Painkillers

Veterans of the wars in the Mideast who have posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSS) are more likely to receive prescriptions for painkillers even though they are at high risk for addiction, according to a new study from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Veterans’ Prescribed Painkillers May Spur Addiction, Serious Side Effects

Veterans returning home from war often display symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) including pain on both the physical and emotional levels. Doctors want to bring help, and many prescribe opiate-based prescription painkillers. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

ER Visits Involving Misuse of Muscle Relaxant Drug Have Doubled in Five Years

In the past five years, many emergency rooms have seen a lot of misuse of the muscle relaxant carisoprodol and the number of hospital visits has doubled according to a recent report from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Carisoprodol can be an effective medication when used for treatment of short term, acute muscle pain that includes pain management for severe injury. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Adolescents Visit the Emergency Department for Narcotics Abuse

The misuse of prescription painkillers is becoming a serious problem, resulting in emergencies that lead to a hospital visit. Many adolescents abuse narcotic painkillers, often taking them from the medicine cabinets of loved ones or obtaining them from friends. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Remoxy Tested as Potential Alternative to OxyContin

Managing chronic pain can be a difficult challenge when the risk of developing an addiction to the medication is high. OxyContin is known to effectively treat pain, yet its characteristics make the drug highly addictive. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

Experts Say Prescription Drug Abuse Should be Treated as Any Other Mental Health Issue

Addiction has long been coined as a matter of choice but experts are beginning to look at the problem as a mental health issue. A recent medical article talks about how some are considering the possibility that addiction is no different than depression, bipolar disorder or even schizophrenia. Continue Reading

Posted under Prescription Drug Addiction

More People in the ER for Abusing Muscle Relaxants

Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant most often prescribed to give relief from acute pain associated with muscle injury. Doctors usually write scripts for a 10- to 14-day course of treatment. Patients would recognize the drug by one of its several market names: Soprodal, Soma or Vanadom. Continue Reading