HAVE A REALLY BLESSED THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!
Wednesday, 25. November 2009, 15:34:19
Antidepressant Drugs Put People Into "Drug-Induced States"
Monday, 23. November 2009, 15:56:13
Monday, November 23, 2009 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Contrary to the impression promoted by the psychiatric and drug industries, psychiatric drugs do not work by correcting a chemical imbalance in the brain, Joanna Moncrieff of University College London wrote recently in an opinion piece for the BBC. Instead, such drugs merely put people into "drug-induced states" that make it harder for them to experience the symptoms of their illness.
"Magazines, newspapers, patients' organizations and Internet sites have all publicized the idea that conditions like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be treated by drugs that help to rectify an underlying brain problem ... just like a diabetic needs to take insulin," Moncrieff writes. "The trouble is, there is little justification for this view."
Moncrieff notes that prior to the 1950s, mental health workers largely saw antidepressants as psychoactive drugs, primarily sedatives, that eased the symptoms of depression without addressing the underlying cause – much as over-the-counter cold drugs may stop a runny nose without affecting the cold virus. This view was eventually replaced by the idea that depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and other mental health conditions result from chemical imbalances in the brain, imbalances that can be corrected by the right "magic bullet."
"However, this transformation was not based on any compelling evidence," she says.
Moncrieff holds to the older view, that "drugs used in psychiatry are psychoactive drugs, like alcohol and cannabis. They affect everyone, regardless of whether they have a mental disorder or not."
Antipsychotics, she notes, mute people's emotions and thoughts, which can reduce the effects of psychosis as a side effect. Anti-anxiety drugs are central-nervous system depressants, like alcohol.
"If you told people that we have no idea what is going on in their brain, but that they could take a drug that would make them feel different and might help to suppress their thoughts and feelings, then many people might choose to avoid taking drugs if they could," she writes. "People need to make up their own minds."
Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.
(Please Note: This is a re-print of an article & not my opinion)
(NaturalNews) Contrary to the impression promoted by the psychiatric and drug industries, psychiatric drugs do not work by correcting a chemical imbalance in the brain, Joanna Moncrieff of University College London wrote recently in an opinion piece for the BBC. Instead, such drugs merely put people into "drug-induced states" that make it harder for them to experience the symptoms of their illness.
"Magazines, newspapers, patients' organizations and Internet sites have all publicized the idea that conditions like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be treated by drugs that help to rectify an underlying brain problem ... just like a diabetic needs to take insulin," Moncrieff writes. "The trouble is, there is little justification for this view."
Moncrieff notes that prior to the 1950s, mental health workers largely saw antidepressants as psychoactive drugs, primarily sedatives, that eased the symptoms of depression without addressing the underlying cause – much as over-the-counter cold drugs may stop a runny nose without affecting the cold virus. This view was eventually replaced by the idea that depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and other mental health conditions result from chemical imbalances in the brain, imbalances that can be corrected by the right "magic bullet."
"However, this transformation was not based on any compelling evidence," she says.
Moncrieff holds to the older view, that "drugs used in psychiatry are psychoactive drugs, like alcohol and cannabis. They affect everyone, regardless of whether they have a mental disorder or not."
Antipsychotics, she notes, mute people's emotions and thoughts, which can reduce the effects of psychosis as a side effect. Anti-anxiety drugs are central-nervous system depressants, like alcohol.
"If you told people that we have no idea what is going on in their brain, but that they could take a drug that would make them feel different and might help to suppress their thoughts and feelings, then many people might choose to avoid taking drugs if they could," she writes. "People need to make up their own minds."
Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.
(Please Note: This is a re-print of an article & not my opinion)
Oxycontin Info PLUS Doctors Who Are In Prison For PUSHING Rx DRUGS
Monday, 23. November 2009, 01:24:57
DEA
Drug Information
PLEASE GO TO http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/crim_admin_actions/index.html
YOU WILL SEE DOCTORS WHO HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, PROSECUTED, & IN JAIL FOR "PUSHING" PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. THESE PHYSICIANS ARE LEGAL DRUG LORDS IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY. I, ALL BY MYSELF, CAN NAME OTHERS WHO HAVE YET TO BE ARRESTED. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY? REPORT THEM TO THE DEA.
Cases Against Doctors
OxyContin
DESCRIPTION/OVERVIEW
OxyContin® is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high pain relief associated with injuries, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, neuralgia, arthritis, lower back pain, and pain associated with cancer.(1) OxyContin® contains oxycodone, the medication's active ingredient, in a timed-release tablet. Oxycodone products have been illicitly abused for the past 30 years.(2)
Oxycodone is a Schedule II narcotic analgesic and is widely used in clinical medicine. It is marketed either alone as controlled release (OxyContin®) and immediate release formulations (OxyIR®, OxyFast®), or in combination with other nonnarcotic analgesics such as aspirin (Percodan®) or acetaminophen (Percocet®). The introduction in 1996 of OxyContin®, commonly known on the street as OC, OX, Oxy, Oxycotton, Hillbilly heroin, and kicker, led to a marked escalation of its abuse as reported by drug abuse treatment centers, law enforcement personnel, and health care professionals. Although the diversion and abuse of OxyContin® appeared initially in the eastern US, it has now spread to the western US including Alaska and Hawaii. Oxycodone-related adverse health effects increased markedly in recent years. In 2004, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing generic forms of controlled release oxycodone products.(3)
CONTROL STATUS
Oxycodone products are in Schedule II of the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970.(4)
STREET NAMES
Kicker, OC, Oxy, OX, Blue, Oxycotton, Hillybilly Heroin
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
Pharmacological effects include analgesia, sedation, euphoria, feelings of relaxation, respiratory depression, constipation, papillary constriction, and cough suppression. A 10 mg dose of orally-administered oxycodone is equivalent to a 10 mg dose of subcutaneously administered morphine as an analgesic in a normal population. Oxycodone’s behavioral effects can last up to 5 hours. The drug is most often administered orally. The controlled-release product, OxyContin®, has a longer duration of action (8-12 hours).(5)
The most serious risk associated with opioids, including OxyContin®, is respiratory depression. Common opioid side effects are constipation, nausea, sedation, dizziness, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, sweating, and weakness. Taking a large single dose of an opioid could cause severe respiratory depression that can lead to death.(6)
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
As with most opiates, oxycodone abuse may lead to dependence and tolerance. Acute overdose of oxycodone can produce severe respiratory depression, skeletal muscle flaccidity, cold and clammy skin, reduction in blood pressure and heart rate, coma, respiratory arrest, and death.(7)
Chronic use of opioids can result in tolerance for the drugs, which means that users must take higher doses to achieve the same initial effects. Long-term use also can lead to physical dependence and addiction -- the body adapts to the presence of the drug, and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced or stopped. Properly managed medical use of pain relievers is safe and rarely causes clinical addiction, defined as compulsive, often uncontrollable use of drugs. Taken exactly as prescribed, opioids can be used to manage pain effectively.(8)
TRAFFICKING TRENDS
Pharmaceuticals such as OxyContin® can be diverted in many ways. The most popular form is known as "doctor shopping," where individuals, who may or may not have legitimate illnesses requiring a doctor's prescription for controlled substances, visit many doctors to acquire large amounts of controlled substances. Other diversion methods include pharmacy diversion and improper prescribing practices by physicians.(9)
USE/USER POPULATION
According to Monitoring the Future (MTF), rates of nonmedical use of prescription painkillers are relatively high among teenagers and include a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin® among twelfth graders (see Appendix B of the 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Table 1 and Table 2).(10)
The 2005 MTF shows annual use of OxyContin® by 12th graders has risen from 4.0 percent in 2002 to 5.5 percent in 2005. OxyContin® use has remained more stable in the lower grades since 2002, with 1.8 percent of 8th-graders and 3.2 percent of 10th-graders reporting annual use in 2005.(11)
LEGISLATION
Many States have launched efforts to curb the illegal use of OxyContin®. Louisiana, Maine, Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee have enacted legislation to deal with this issue. California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington have established prescription monitoring programs. Many more States are working to establish legislation and prescription monitoring programs to deal with diverted pharmaceuticals.
More on Marijuana.......
Sunday, 22. November 2009, 00:23:15
What is Marijuana?
Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). It is the most often used illegal drug in this country. All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs; they all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. There are about 400 chemicals in a cannabis plant, but THC is the one that affects the brain the most.
There are many different names for marijuana. Slang terms for drugs change quickly, and they vary from one part of the country to another. They may even differ across sections of a large city. Terms from years ago, such as pot, herb, grass, weed, Mary Jane, and reefer, are still used. You might also hear the names skunk, boom, gangster, kif, or ganja. There are also street names for different strains or "brands" of marijuana, such as "Texas tea," "Maui wowie," and "Chronic." A recent book of American slang lists more than 200 terms for various kinds of marijuana.
Marijuana's effect on the user depends on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. THC potency has increased since the 1970s but has been about the same since the mid-1980s. The strength of the drug is measured by the average amount of THC in test samples confiscated by law enforcement agencies.
Most ordinary marijuana has an average of 3 percent THC.
Sinsemilla (made from just the buds and flowering tops of female plants) has an average of 7.5 percent THC, with a range as high as 24 percent.
Hashish (the sticky resin from the female plant flowers) has an average of 3.6 percent, with a range as high as 28 percent.
Hash oil, a tar-like liquid distilled from hashish, has an average of 16 percent, with a range as high as 43 percent.
What is THC?
THC is the chemical in marijuana which makes you feel "high" (which means experiencing a change in mood and seeing or feeling things differently). Certain parts of the plant contain higher levels of THC. The flowers or buds have more THC than the stems or leaves.
When marijuana is smoked, THC goes:
* quickly into the blood through the lungs
* to the brain (this is when the "high" is felt and can happen within a few minutes and can last up to five hours)
* THC is absorbed more slowly into the blood when marijuana is eaten as it has to pass through the stomach and intestine and can take up to one hour to experience the "high" effects which can last up to 12 hours. THC is absorbed quickly into body fat and is then released very slowly back into the blood. This process can take up to one month for a single dose of THC to fully leave the body.
How is Marijuana used?
Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette (called a "joint"). The drug can also be smoked in a water pipe, called a "bong." Some users mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew a tea. Marijuana cigarettes or blunts often include crack cocaine, a combination known by various street names, such as "primos" or "woolies." Joints and blunts often are dipped in PCP and are called "happy sticks," "wicky sticks," "love boat," or "tical." Hash users either smoke the drug in a pipe or mix it with tobacco and smoke it as a cigarette. Lately, young people have a new method for smoking marijuana: they slice open cigars and replace the tobacco with marijuana, making what's called a "blunt." When the blunt is smoked with a 40 oz. bottle of malt liquor, it is called a "B-40."
What are the short-term effects of Marijuana?
* Sleepiness
* Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory
* Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car
* Increased heart rate
* Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease
* Bloodshot eyes
* Dry mouth and throat
* Increased appetite
* Decreased social inhibitions
* Paranoia, hallucinations
* Impaired or reduced short-term memory
* Impaired or reduced comprehension
* Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult
* Paranoia
* Psychological dependence
* Impairments in learning and memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts
* Intense anxiety or panic attacks
What are the long-term effects of Marijuana?
* Enhanced cancer risk in smokers
* Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men
* Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility
* Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure
* Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect
What are the effects of Marijuana on Men?
Marijuana is the most common drug used by adolescents in America today. Marijuana affect the parts of the brain which controls the sex and growth hormones. In males, marijuana can decrease the testosterone level. Occasional cases of enlarged breasts in male marijuana users are triggered by the chemical impact on the hormone system. Regular marijuana use can also lead to a decrease in sperm count, as well as increases in abnormal and immature sperm. Marijuana is a contributing factor in the rising problem of infertility in males. Young males should know the effects and potential effects of marijuana use on sex and growing process before they decide to smoke marijuana.
What are the effects of Marijuana on Women?
Just as in males, marijuana effects the female in the part of the brain that controls the hormones, which determines the sequence in the menstrual cycle. Its been said that females who smoked or used marijuana on a regular basis had irregular menstrual cycles, the female hormones were depressed, and the testosterone level was raised. Even though this effect may be reversible, it may take several months of no marijuana use before the menstrual cycles become normal again.
Mothers who smoke marijuana on a regular basis have been reported of having babies with a weak central nervous system. These babies show abnormal reactions to light and sound, exhibit tremors and startles, and have the high-pitched cry associated with drug withdrawal. Occurring at five times the rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Marijuana Syndrome is a growing concern of many doctors. Furthermore, doctors worry that children born to "pot-head" mothers will have learning disabilities, attention deficits and hormonal irregularities as they grow older, even if there are no apparent signs of damage at birth. Pregnant or nursing mothers who smoke marijuana should talk to their doctors immediately.
What are the effects of Marijuana on the brain?
Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain's limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that neurons in the information processing system of the hippocampus and the activity of the nerve fibers are suppressed by THC. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate. Recent research findings also indicate that long-term use of marijuana produces changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse.
What are the effects of Marijuana on the lungs?
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.
Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to the marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs. Orally consumed marijuana, unlike tobacco, has not been found to carry a cancer risk.
What are the effects of Marijuana on heart rate and blood pressure?
Recent findings indicate that smoking marijuana while shooting up cocaine has the potential to cause severe increases in heart rate and blood pressure. In one study, experienced marijuana and cocaine users were given marijuana alone, cocaine alone, and then a combination of both. Each drug alone produced cardiovascular effects; when they were combined, the effects were greater and lasted longer. The heart rate of the subjects in the study increased 29 beats per minute with marijuana alone and 32 beats per minute with cocaine alone. When the drugs were given together, the heart rate increased by 49 beats per minute, and the increased rate persisted for a longer time. The drugs were given with the subjects sitting quietly. In normal circumstances, an individual may smoke marijuana and inject cocaine and then do something physically stressful that may significantly increase risks of overload on the cardiovascular system.
What are the effects of heavy Marijuana use on learning and social behavior?
A study of college students has shown that critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 "heavy users," who had smoked marijuana a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 "light users," who had smoked a median of 1 of the past 30 days. After a closely monitored 19- to 24-hour period of abstinence from marijuana and other illicit drugs and alcohol, the undergraduates were given several standard tests measuring aspects of attention, memory, and learning. Compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing, and using information. The findings suggest that the greater impairment among heavy users is likely due to an alteration of brain activity produced by marijuana.
Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who used have lower achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.
What are the effects of Marijuana on pregnant women?
Any drug of abuse can affect a mother's health during pregnancy, and this is a time when she should take special care of herself. Drugs of abuse may interfere with proper nutrition and rest, which can affect good functioning of the immune system. Some studies have found that babies born to mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy were smaller than those born to mothers who did not use the drug. In general, smaller babies are more likely to develop health problems.
A nursing mother who uses marijuana passes some of the THC to the baby in her breast milk. Research indicates that the use of marijuana by a mother during the first month of breast-feeding can impair the infant's motor development (control of muscle movement). Research also shows more anger and more regressive behavior (thumb sucking, temper tantrums) in toddlers whose parents use marijuana than among the toddlers of non-using parents.
Is Marijuana addictive?
Not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent on the drug or addicted to it. In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse, showing they needed help to stop using.
Some heavy users of marijuana show signs of dependence because when they do not use the drug, they develop withdrawal symptoms. Some subjects in an experiment on marijuana withdrawal had symptoms, such as restlessness, loss of appetite, trouble with sleeping, weight loss, and shaky hands.
According to one study, marijuana use by teenagers who have prior serious antisocial problems can quickly lead to dependence on the drug. That study also found that, for troubled teenagers using tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana, progression from their first use of marijuana to regular use was about as rapid as their progression to regular tobacco use, and more rapid than the progression to regular use of alcohol.
Do Marijuana users loose their motivation?
Some frequent, long-term marijuana users show signs of a lack of motivation (amotivational syndrome). Their problems include not caring about what happens in their lives, no desire to work regularly, fatigue, and a lack of concern about how they look. As a result of these symptoms, some users tend to perform poorly in school or at work. Scientists are still studying these problems.
Does using Marijuana lead to other drugs?
Long-term studies of high school students and their patterns of drug use show that very few young people use other drugs without first trying marijuana. The risk of using cocaine has been estimated to be more than 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it. Although there are no definitive studies on the factors associated with the movement from marijuana use to use of other drugs, growing evidence shows that a combination of biological, social, and psychological factors are involved. A recent Rand study found that marijuana alone is not a gateway drug, but the associated factors can still leave users at higher risk for going on to use other drugs.
Marijuana affects the brain in some of the same ways that other drugs do. Researchers are examining the possibility that long-term marijuana use may create changes in the brain that make a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. While not all young people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, further research is needed to determine who will be at greatest risk.
How About Ultram for Pain? Is it Addictive? Can it Hurt Me?
Sunday, 22. November 2009, 00:15:30
Yes! Ultram IS ADDICTIVE & YES, it can HURT YOU! Although it isn't classified as a narcotic, it will cause addiction and withdrawal. A drug that must be on your "NO" list.
Ultram is the brand name of the generic drug Tramadol (TRA-ma-doll). Ultram is an analgesic used to treat or prevent pain. Ultram is not a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug, nor is it a narcotic.
How does Ultram work?
Ultram binds to certain opiod pain receptors in the body. By blocking the reuptake of the neuro chemicals norepinephrine and serotonin, it modifies the pain message resulting in pain relief.
What are the side effects of Ultram?
The side effects of Ultram are: dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, headache, sweating, difficulty breathing or tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips, a develop of a rash or hives.
What are the symptoms of an Ultram overdose?
The symptoms of an overdose of Ultram are: skin rash, itching, seizures, hallucinations, cold and clammy skin, low body temperature, slowed breathing, slowed heartbeat, drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, seizures, deep sleep, and loss of consciousness.
Is Ultram addictive?
Introduced in 1995, no control was recommended based on review of its uncontrolled use in 40 other countries. However, once released in the U.S., abuse became readily apparent. It is addictive. It is a "non-narcotic" pain reliever. Large doses can interfere with ability to breathe, especially if taken with alcohol.
People dependent on narcotics may experience drug withdrawal symptoms if they take Ultram. This central acting synthetic analgesic, opiate-type pain reliever has affinity, although low, for opiate receptors and has other mechanisms of function as well.
What medical complications come with the abuse of Ultram?
Seizures have been reported in patients receiving ULTRAM. The risk of seizures is increased with doses of ULTRAM above the recommended range. ULTRAM increases the seizure risk in patients taking certain medications (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, opioids) and may enhance the seizure risk in patients taking MAO inhibitors, neuroleptics, or other drugs that reduce the seizure threshold or in patients with a medical history that may suggest increased risk of seizure.
Ultram is the brand name of the generic drug Tramadol (TRA-ma-doll). Ultram is an analgesic used to treat or prevent pain. Ultram is not a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug, nor is it a narcotic.
How does Ultram work?
Ultram binds to certain opiod pain receptors in the body. By blocking the reuptake of the neuro chemicals norepinephrine and serotonin, it modifies the pain message resulting in pain relief.
What are the side effects of Ultram?
The side effects of Ultram are: dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, headache, sweating, difficulty breathing or tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips, a develop of a rash or hives.
What are the symptoms of an Ultram overdose?
The symptoms of an overdose of Ultram are: skin rash, itching, seizures, hallucinations, cold and clammy skin, low body temperature, slowed breathing, slowed heartbeat, drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, seizures, deep sleep, and loss of consciousness.
Is Ultram addictive?
Introduced in 1995, no control was recommended based on review of its uncontrolled use in 40 other countries. However, once released in the U.S., abuse became readily apparent. It is addictive. It is a "non-narcotic" pain reliever. Large doses can interfere with ability to breathe, especially if taken with alcohol.
People dependent on narcotics may experience drug withdrawal symptoms if they take Ultram. This central acting synthetic analgesic, opiate-type pain reliever has affinity, although low, for opiate receptors and has other mechanisms of function as well.
What medical complications come with the abuse of Ultram?
Seizures have been reported in patients receiving ULTRAM. The risk of seizures is increased with doses of ULTRAM above the recommended range. ULTRAM increases the seizure risk in patients taking certain medications (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, opioids) and may enhance the seizure risk in patients taking MAO inhibitors, neuroleptics, or other drugs that reduce the seizure threshold or in patients with a medical history that may suggest increased risk of seizure.
Those TV Commercials Sure Make Ambien Look Good.....Well, Think AGAIN!!!
Sunday, 22. November 2009, 00:09:31
What is Ambien?
Ambien with the generic name of Zolpidem belongs to a class of medicines that effects the central nervous system, called sedative hypnotics. Ambien is closely related to a family of drugs called benzodiazepines. These drugs cause sedation, muscle relaxation, act as anti-convulsants (anti-seizure), and have anti-anxiety properties. Ambien has selectivity in that it has little of the muscle relaxant or anti-seizure effect and more of the sedative effect. Therefore, it is used as a medication for sleep.
How is Ambien used?
When abused, Ambien tablets are taken orally, crushed and then snorted, or dissolved in water and "cooked" for intravenous injection.
What are the effects of Ambien?
* Daytime drowsiness
* Dizziness
* Lightheadedness
* Difficulty with coordination
* Tolerance
* Dependence
* Changing in thinking and/or behavior
Ambien may cause special type of memory loss known as amnesia. When this occurs, a person may not remember what has happened for several hours after taking the medicine. In addition, addiction, or dependence, can be caused by Ambien, especially when used regularly for longer than a few weeks or at high doses. People who have been dependent on alcohol or other drugs in the past may have a greater chance of becoming addicted to Ambien. Some people using Ambien have experienced unusual changes in their thinking and/or behavior.
Less common side effects may include:
Abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, abnormal vision, agitation, amnesia, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, bronchitis, burning sensation, chest pain, confusion, constipation, coughing, daytime sleeping, decreased mental alertness, depression, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating, difficulty swallowing, diminished sensitivity to touch, dizziness on standing, double vision, dry mouth, emotional instability, exaggerated feeling of well-being, eye irritation, falling, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms, gas, general discomfort, hallucination, hiccup, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased sweating, infection, insomnia, itching, joint pain, lack of bladder control, lack of coordination, lethargy, light-headedness, loss of appetite, menstrual disorder, migraine, muscle pain, nasal inflammation, nervousness, numbness, paleness, prickling or tingling sensation, rapid heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears, sinus inflammation, sleep disorder, speech difficulties, swelling due to fluid retention, taste abnormalities, throat inflammation, throbbing heartbeat, tremor, unconsciousness, upper respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, vertigo, vomiting, weakness
Rare side effects may include:
Abnormal tears or tearing, abscess, acne, aggravation of allergies, aggravation of high blood pressure, aggression, allergic reaction, altered production of saliva, anemia, belching, blisters, blood clot in lung, boils, breast pain, breast problems, breast tumors, bruising, chill with high temperature followed by heat and perspiration, decreased sex drive, delusion, difficulty urinating, excessive urine production, eye pain, facial swelling due to fluid retention, fainting, false perceptions, feeling intoxicated, feeling strange, flushing, frequent urination, glaucoma, gout, heart attack, hemorrhoids, herpes infection, high cholesterol, hives, hot flashes, impotence, inability to urinate, increased appetite, increased tolerance to the drug, intestinal blockage, irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration, kidney failure, kidney pain, laryngitis, leg cramps, loss of reality, low blood pressure, mental deterioration, muscle spasms in arms and legs, muscle weakness, nosebleed, pain, painful urination, panic attacks, paralysis, pneumonia, poor circulation, rectal bleeding, rigidity, sciatica (lower back pain), sensation of seeing flashes of lights or sparks, sensitivity to light, sleepwalking, speech difficulties, swelling of the eye, thinking abnormalities, thirst, tooth decay, uncontrolled leg movements, urge to go to the bathroom, varicose veins, weight loss, yawning
What are the symptoms of Ambien overdose?
People who take too much Ambien may become excessively sleepy or even go into a light coma. The symptoms of overdose are more severe if the person is also taking other drugs that depress the central nervous system. Some cases of multiple overdoses have been fatal.
Are a couple of nights of sleep really worth a lifetime of addiction and probably death?
What is Hydrocodone? Can I Get Hooked on Just a Few Pills?
Saturday, 21. November 2009, 23:55:38
This is the drug that a doctor prescribed for me and from which I nearly lost my life. He increased this drug along with adding many other drugs to create a lethal cocktail for me. It was a miracle of GOD that brought me from death to life again...FREE from addiction. I put this information here because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. I will be listing other common addictive drugs in the coming weeks with which your doctor can easily "hook" you with so that his/her income is steady.
Hydrocodone is an effective antitussive (anti-cough) agent, and as an opiate it is also an effective analgesic for mild to moderate pain control. Five mg of Hydrocodone is equivalent to 30 mg of codeine when administered orally. Early comparisons concluded that Hydrocodone and morphine were equivalent for pain control in humans. However, it is now considered that a dose of 15 mg (1/4 gr) of Hydrocodone is equivalent to 10 mg (1/6 gr) of morphine. Hydrocodone is considered to be morphine-like in all respects.
There are over 200 products containing Hydrocodone in the U.S. In its most usual product forms Hydrocodone is combined with acetaminophen (Vicodin, Lortab), but it is also combined with aspirin (Lortab ASA), ibuprofen (Vicoprofen), and antihistamines (Hycomine). Both tablet and liquid forms of Hydrocodone are available (e.g., Tussionex)
Hydrocodone will react as a normal opiate in the available field test kits.
Hydrocodone is abused for its opiate-like effects. It is equivalent to morphin in relieving abstinence symptoms from chronic morphine administration. The Schedule III status of Hydrocodone-containing products has made them available to widespread diversion by "bogus call-in prescriptions" and thefts. Three dosage forms are typically found (5, 7.5, and 10 mg) and their behavioral effects can last up to 5 hours. The drug is most often administered orally. The growing awareness and concern about AIDS and blood-borne pathogens easily transmitted by syringe needle use, has made the oral bioavailability of Hydrocodone attractive to the typical opiate abuser.
As with most opiates, the adverse effects of Hydrocodone abuse are dependence and tolerance development. Its co-formulation with acetaminophen has also increased the likelihood of acetaminophen-induced hepatic necrosis with high dose acute dosing, but slow escalation of dose over time seems to protect the liver during high dose chronic exposures seen with this drug.
How is Hydrocodone used?
Hydrocodone when abused is taken orally, chewed, crushed (then snorted like cocaine), or crushed (then dissolved in water and injected like heroin).
Hydrocodone-containing products are in tablet, capsule and liquid forms. A variety of colors, markings, and packaging are available.
The major source of Hydrocodone to the street has been through bogus call-in and forged prescriptions, professional diversion through unscrupulous pharmacists, doctors, and dentists, and large-scale thefts. The pills have been sold for $2 to $10 per tablet and $20 to $40 per 8 oz bottle on the street.
What are the effects of Hydrocodone?
* anxiety
* constipation
* decreased mental & physical performance
* difficulty breathing
* difficulty urination
* dizziness
* drowsiness
* dry throat
* emotional dependence
* exaggerated feeling of depression
* extreme calm (sedation)
* xaggerated sense of well-being
* fear
* itching
* mental clouding
* mood changes
* nausea & vomiting
* rash
* restlessness
* sluggishness
* tightness in chest
Can you overdose on Hydrocodone?
Yes, overdose of Hydrocodone can be fatal. If you suspect an overdose, seek emergency treatment immediately. Symptoms of a Hydrocodone overdose include:
* bluish tinge to skin
* cold clammy skin
* extreme sleepiness
* heavy perspiration
* limp muscles
* nausea & vomiting
* slowed heartbeat or slowed breathing
Is Hydrocodone addictive?
Yes, there has been an increasing trend of abuse in non-Chronic Pain suffering persons. The abuser of these drugs has been shown not to be the inner city youth, but instead a famous actor, a suburban real estate agent, or your next door neighbor. First time abuse of these drugs has been surging, most commonly with the oxycodone and Hydrocodone type painkillers. The two differ slightly in their chemical makeup but have a similar effect on the body.
Every age group has been affected by the relative ease of Hydrocodone availability and the perceived safety of these products by professionals. Sometimes seen as a "white-collar" addiction, Hydrocodone abuse has increased among all ethnic and economic groups. DAWN data demographics suggest that the most likely Hydrocodone abuser is a 20-40 yr. old, white, female, who uses the drug because she is dependent or trying to commit suicide. However, Hydrocodone-related deaths have been reported from every age grouping.
What are other medications that include Hydrocodone?
BRAND NAMES (of Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen): Allay; Amacodone; Anexsia; Anolor Dh 5; Bancap-HC; Co-Gesic; Dolacet; Dolagesic; Dolphen; Duocet; Gesic 5; Hy-5; Hy-Phen; Hyco-Pap; Hycomed; Hycotab; Hydrocet; Hydrogesic; Lorcet; Lorcet 10/650; Lorcide Panseals; Lortab; Margesic; Medipain 5; Megagesic; Megamor; Norcet; Oncet; Panacet; Polygesic; Propain Hc; Ro-Codone; Rogesic #3; Senefen III; Stagesic; Tycolet; Ultragesic; Vanacet; Vapocet; Vendone; Vicodin; Vicodin ES; Zydone
Hydrocodone with Ibuprofen: Vicoprofen
What are the statistics of Hydrocodone abuse?
Hydrocodone abuse has been escalating over the last decade. There has been large scale diversion of Hydrocodone. For example, an estimated 7 million dosage units were diverted in 1994 and over 11 million in 1997. In 1998 there were over 56 million new prescriptions written for Hydrocodone products and by 2000 there were over 89 million. From 1990 the average consumption nationwide has increased by 300%. In the same period there has been a 500% increase in the number of Emergency Department visits attributed to Hydrocodone abuse with 19,221 visits estimated in 2000. In 1997, there were over 1.3 million Hydrocodone tablets seized and analyzed by the DEA laboratory system. A recent petition submitted to the DEA has requested a review of the control status of all Hydrocodone-containing products.
Painkiller becomes legal drug of choice
By EMILY RICHMOND,
Las Vegas Sun
LAS VEGAS (September 16, 2001 1:48 p.m. EDT) - When she needed a fix, Helene would flip through the yellow pages, looking for a doctor she had not yet fooled.
Addicted to hydrocodone, a powerful prescription painkiller, Helene became an expert at "doctor shopping" - visiting numerous physicians to obtain multiple prescriptions.
"You go to the doctor and say your back hurts, that was always good for a few refills," said the Las Vegas woman, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy. "Supply was never a problem."
The state Board of Pharmacy's prescription drug-abuse task force, which monitors drug prescriptions, eventually caught on. The board sent warning letters to all of the pharmacies and doctors that Helene had visited, along with a printout of her prescription history.
"One of my doctors told me I had been flagged by the state," Helene said. "He told me to be careful, and said I could get in a lot more trouble than he would. And then he wrote me another prescription anyway."
Hydrocodone - a mix of synthetic codeine and acetaminophen - is the most abused prescription drug in the United States, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The painkiller tops the list of abused pharmaceuticals in El Paso, Texas; New York City; San Diego; St. Louis; Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; and Miami. It's known as Vicodin, Percocet, Lortab or Lorcet, and the roster of celebrities who have admitted addictions includes Green Bay Packers quarterback and three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Brett Favre, actor Matthew Perry and model Niki Taylor.
Nevada doctors in 2000 wrote prescriptions for more than 42 million doses of hydrocodone - or about 17 pills for every adult in the state.
In most cases, patients receive a single prescription for eight to 12 pills after dental surgery or because of an injury, according to the task force. The so-called doctor shoppers are less common, but are believed to be a significant portion of the hydrocodone prescriptions. For people with chronic, debilitating pain, hydrocodone can mean the difference between being able to function and being bedridden, doctors say.
"There's no question hydrocodone is effective, when properly prescribed, and can provide immediate relief," said Dr. Godwin Maduka, a pain-management specialist and anesthesiologist at University Medical Center. "But we also know there's a tremendous level of abuse occurring."
There's a difference between developing a tolerance for a drug and physical addiction, Maduka said. Tolerance occurs when a medication is no longer effective at reducing pain, even when a patient increases the dosage. Physical addiction occurs when a patient has been on a certain medication for such a lengthy period that they go through symptoms of withdrawal if they stop taking it.
Maduka, also a pharmacist, said by the time most patients arrive at his Las Vegas Pain Institute, they've visited a long list of primary-care doctors. Most pain patients are not abusers, but have simply developed a tolerance for medications and need additional help, he said.
It's the doctor shoppers who are at the greatest risk, Maduka said.
"We have no real way of knowing how many doctors a patient has seen before us, how many other prescriptions they have in their pocket," Maduka said.
One solution would be a centralized database in which doctors and pharmacists could look up a patient's history before writing or filling new prescriptions, Maduka said. The state task force's reports are helpful, but are only triggered after a patient has visited numerous physicians, Maduka said.
Helene was introduced to prescription painkillers through legitimate means. After dental surgery in the mid-1980s, her dentist prescribed a painkiller. She discovered the pills numbed her physical pain and gave her a sense of well-being. For the next 15 years, she struggled to get out of the drug's grasp. When her husband said he worried about how many pain pills she was taking, Helene cut back. She even tried quitting, but the night sweats, nausea and chills - symptoms of her withdrawal - always won out.
"You think of drug addicts as being out on street corners," Helene said. "I'm a housewife."
Tylenol is the nation's most popular over-the-counter painkiller - 8 billion to 9 billion tablets are sold each year - and the most common form of acetaminophen used in hydrocodone manufacturing.
"Hydrocodone is a very good medicine if you're having pain, but no one realized it would have such a high potential for abuse," said Dr. Caroline Riely, associate medical director of the American Liver Foundation. "It's the codeine portion of the drug that's addictive, but it's the acetaminophen that's destroying peoples' livers."
Experts say adults should not take more than four grams of acetaminophen each day; just 10 grams can cause lifelong liver problems or even death. Most hydrocodone pills come in either 2.5, 5 or 7.5 milligrams of synthetic codeine, each mixed with 500 milligrams of acetaminophen.
At the height of her addiction, Helene took up to 30 hydrocodone pills each day - nearly four times the recommended limit for acetaminophen.
"I know how lucky I am to still have a liver that works," Helene said. "Given everything I've done to myself, I shouldn't still be here at all."
The state prescription-drug task force wants the pharmaceutical companies to reduce the amount of acetaminophen in each hydrocodone pill, a request echoed by medical professionals across the nation. In response, at least one pharmaceutical company is now making a hydrocodone pill with 250 milligrams of acetaminophen.
McNeil Consumer Products Co., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the company that manufactures Tylenol, has added new warning labels about acetaminophen's potential for damaging the liver, especially when the drug is mixed with alcohol.
The DEA's prescription-drug classification system is based on the potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs include heroin and Ecstasy, which are both illegal in the United States. Schedule II drugs include powerful painkillers, such as codeine, morphine and Demerol. Cocaine is a Schedule II drug because it has some legitimate medical applications in hospital settings. Schedule III drugs include hydrocodone and anabolic steroids.
Schedule III drugs are easier to prescribe and ultimately easier to get. A doctor is permitted to phone in a Schedule III prescription refill to a pharmacy. Schedule II refills may only be written after the doctor re-examines the patient. The DEA also requires more stringent record-keeping of Schedule II prescriptions, and it tracks how many each doctor writes.
Florida, another state battling the hydrocodone epidemic, tried last year to reclassify the drug as a Schedule II. But the new rules were quickly derailed by protests from pharmacists, physicians and patients who said it would make it unreasonably difficult for people to manage day-to-day pain. Florida's attorney general took the unusual step of passing an emergency ordinance, restoring hydrocodone's status as a Schedule III drug.
Nine years ago the Nevada Board of Pharmacy considered moving hydrocodone to Schedule II, but ended up voting against the plan, according to its attorney, Louis Ling.
The argument that "carried the day" for the board was doctors' testimony that moving hydrocodone to Schedule II would make it unreasonably difficult for patients in rural areas to get refills, Ling said.
They call it the Las Vegas Cocktail, but you won't find it served at hotel bars or table-side in the casinos. A potent mix of hydrocodone and the muscle relaxer Soma gives the user a heroin-like euphoria without needle marks. It's also one of the most popular recreational drug combinations in the United States.
The street value of the cocktail's ingredients is high. One former Las Vegas physician-turned-dealer made as much as $1 million selling the drugs on the black market, according to federal prosecutors.
Luisito Evangelista, banned from practicing medicine in Nevada, used his Illinois DEA registration to buy more than 500,000 hydrocodone pills. Evangelista, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 1999, died in a federal prison last year.
Soma is the nation's most abused non-controlled substance, according to the DEA. Nevada's pharmacy board is considering reclassifying it, making it more difficult for addicts to gather the cocktail's ingredients.
Because Soma isn't a scheduled narcotic, Nevada officials aren't sure how many prescriptions are being written each year.
"If we do schedule Soma and start to track it, we expect the numbers to match those for hydrocodone," Ling said. "And we know the two being used together can be a hallmark of abuse."
Hydrocodone is an effective antitussive (anti-cough) agent, and as an opiate it is also an effective analgesic for mild to moderate pain control. Five mg of Hydrocodone is equivalent to 30 mg of codeine when administered orally. Early comparisons concluded that Hydrocodone and morphine were equivalent for pain control in humans. However, it is now considered that a dose of 15 mg (1/4 gr) of Hydrocodone is equivalent to 10 mg (1/6 gr) of morphine. Hydrocodone is considered to be morphine-like in all respects.
There are over 200 products containing Hydrocodone in the U.S. In its most usual product forms Hydrocodone is combined with acetaminophen (Vicodin, Lortab), but it is also combined with aspirin (Lortab ASA), ibuprofen (Vicoprofen), and antihistamines (Hycomine). Both tablet and liquid forms of Hydrocodone are available (e.g., Tussionex)
Hydrocodone will react as a normal opiate in the available field test kits.
Hydrocodone is abused for its opiate-like effects. It is equivalent to morphin in relieving abstinence symptoms from chronic morphine administration. The Schedule III status of Hydrocodone-containing products has made them available to widespread diversion by "bogus call-in prescriptions" and thefts. Three dosage forms are typically found (5, 7.5, and 10 mg) and their behavioral effects can last up to 5 hours. The drug is most often administered orally. The growing awareness and concern about AIDS and blood-borne pathogens easily transmitted by syringe needle use, has made the oral bioavailability of Hydrocodone attractive to the typical opiate abuser.
As with most opiates, the adverse effects of Hydrocodone abuse are dependence and tolerance development. Its co-formulation with acetaminophen has also increased the likelihood of acetaminophen-induced hepatic necrosis with high dose acute dosing, but slow escalation of dose over time seems to protect the liver during high dose chronic exposures seen with this drug.
How is Hydrocodone used?
Hydrocodone when abused is taken orally, chewed, crushed (then snorted like cocaine), or crushed (then dissolved in water and injected like heroin).
Hydrocodone-containing products are in tablet, capsule and liquid forms. A variety of colors, markings, and packaging are available.
The major source of Hydrocodone to the street has been through bogus call-in and forged prescriptions, professional diversion through unscrupulous pharmacists, doctors, and dentists, and large-scale thefts. The pills have been sold for $2 to $10 per tablet and $20 to $40 per 8 oz bottle on the street.
What are the effects of Hydrocodone?
* anxiety
* constipation
* decreased mental & physical performance
* difficulty breathing
* difficulty urination
* dizziness
* drowsiness
* dry throat
* emotional dependence
* exaggerated feeling of depression
* extreme calm (sedation)
* xaggerated sense of well-being
* fear
* itching
* mental clouding
* mood changes
* nausea & vomiting
* rash
* restlessness
* sluggishness
* tightness in chest
Can you overdose on Hydrocodone?
Yes, overdose of Hydrocodone can be fatal. If you suspect an overdose, seek emergency treatment immediately. Symptoms of a Hydrocodone overdose include:
* bluish tinge to skin
* cold clammy skin
* extreme sleepiness
* heavy perspiration
* limp muscles
* nausea & vomiting
* slowed heartbeat or slowed breathing
Is Hydrocodone addictive?
Yes, there has been an increasing trend of abuse in non-Chronic Pain suffering persons. The abuser of these drugs has been shown not to be the inner city youth, but instead a famous actor, a suburban real estate agent, or your next door neighbor. First time abuse of these drugs has been surging, most commonly with the oxycodone and Hydrocodone type painkillers. The two differ slightly in their chemical makeup but have a similar effect on the body.
Every age group has been affected by the relative ease of Hydrocodone availability and the perceived safety of these products by professionals. Sometimes seen as a "white-collar" addiction, Hydrocodone abuse has increased among all ethnic and economic groups. DAWN data demographics suggest that the most likely Hydrocodone abuser is a 20-40 yr. old, white, female, who uses the drug because she is dependent or trying to commit suicide. However, Hydrocodone-related deaths have been reported from every age grouping.
What are other medications that include Hydrocodone?
BRAND NAMES (of Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen): Allay; Amacodone; Anexsia; Anolor Dh 5; Bancap-HC; Co-Gesic; Dolacet; Dolagesic; Dolphen; Duocet; Gesic 5; Hy-5; Hy-Phen; Hyco-Pap; Hycomed; Hycotab; Hydrocet; Hydrogesic; Lorcet; Lorcet 10/650; Lorcide Panseals; Lortab; Margesic; Medipain 5; Megagesic; Megamor; Norcet; Oncet; Panacet; Polygesic; Propain Hc; Ro-Codone; Rogesic #3; Senefen III; Stagesic; Tycolet; Ultragesic; Vanacet; Vapocet; Vendone; Vicodin; Vicodin ES; Zydone
Hydrocodone with Ibuprofen: Vicoprofen
What are the statistics of Hydrocodone abuse?
Hydrocodone abuse has been escalating over the last decade. There has been large scale diversion of Hydrocodone. For example, an estimated 7 million dosage units were diverted in 1994 and over 11 million in 1997. In 1998 there were over 56 million new prescriptions written for Hydrocodone products and by 2000 there were over 89 million. From 1990 the average consumption nationwide has increased by 300%. In the same period there has been a 500% increase in the number of Emergency Department visits attributed to Hydrocodone abuse with 19,221 visits estimated in 2000. In 1997, there were over 1.3 million Hydrocodone tablets seized and analyzed by the DEA laboratory system. A recent petition submitted to the DEA has requested a review of the control status of all Hydrocodone-containing products.
Painkiller becomes legal drug of choice
By EMILY RICHMOND,
Las Vegas Sun
LAS VEGAS (September 16, 2001 1:48 p.m. EDT) - When she needed a fix, Helene would flip through the yellow pages, looking for a doctor she had not yet fooled.
Addicted to hydrocodone, a powerful prescription painkiller, Helene became an expert at "doctor shopping" - visiting numerous physicians to obtain multiple prescriptions.
"You go to the doctor and say your back hurts, that was always good for a few refills," said the Las Vegas woman, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy. "Supply was never a problem."
The state Board of Pharmacy's prescription drug-abuse task force, which monitors drug prescriptions, eventually caught on. The board sent warning letters to all of the pharmacies and doctors that Helene had visited, along with a printout of her prescription history.
"One of my doctors told me I had been flagged by the state," Helene said. "He told me to be careful, and said I could get in a lot more trouble than he would. And then he wrote me another prescription anyway."
Hydrocodone - a mix of synthetic codeine and acetaminophen - is the most abused prescription drug in the United States, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The painkiller tops the list of abused pharmaceuticals in El Paso, Texas; New York City; San Diego; St. Louis; Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; and Miami. It's known as Vicodin, Percocet, Lortab or Lorcet, and the roster of celebrities who have admitted addictions includes Green Bay Packers quarterback and three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Brett Favre, actor Matthew Perry and model Niki Taylor.
Nevada doctors in 2000 wrote prescriptions for more than 42 million doses of hydrocodone - or about 17 pills for every adult in the state.
In most cases, patients receive a single prescription for eight to 12 pills after dental surgery or because of an injury, according to the task force. The so-called doctor shoppers are less common, but are believed to be a significant portion of the hydrocodone prescriptions. For people with chronic, debilitating pain, hydrocodone can mean the difference between being able to function and being bedridden, doctors say.
"There's no question hydrocodone is effective, when properly prescribed, and can provide immediate relief," said Dr. Godwin Maduka, a pain-management specialist and anesthesiologist at University Medical Center. "But we also know there's a tremendous level of abuse occurring."
There's a difference between developing a tolerance for a drug and physical addiction, Maduka said. Tolerance occurs when a medication is no longer effective at reducing pain, even when a patient increases the dosage. Physical addiction occurs when a patient has been on a certain medication for such a lengthy period that they go through symptoms of withdrawal if they stop taking it.
Maduka, also a pharmacist, said by the time most patients arrive at his Las Vegas Pain Institute, they've visited a long list of primary-care doctors. Most pain patients are not abusers, but have simply developed a tolerance for medications and need additional help, he said.
It's the doctor shoppers who are at the greatest risk, Maduka said.
"We have no real way of knowing how many doctors a patient has seen before us, how many other prescriptions they have in their pocket," Maduka said.
One solution would be a centralized database in which doctors and pharmacists could look up a patient's history before writing or filling new prescriptions, Maduka said. The state task force's reports are helpful, but are only triggered after a patient has visited numerous physicians, Maduka said.
Helene was introduced to prescription painkillers through legitimate means. After dental surgery in the mid-1980s, her dentist prescribed a painkiller. She discovered the pills numbed her physical pain and gave her a sense of well-being. For the next 15 years, she struggled to get out of the drug's grasp. When her husband said he worried about how many pain pills she was taking, Helene cut back. She even tried quitting, but the night sweats, nausea and chills - symptoms of her withdrawal - always won out.
"You think of drug addicts as being out on street corners," Helene said. "I'm a housewife."
Tylenol is the nation's most popular over-the-counter painkiller - 8 billion to 9 billion tablets are sold each year - and the most common form of acetaminophen used in hydrocodone manufacturing.
"Hydrocodone is a very good medicine if you're having pain, but no one realized it would have such a high potential for abuse," said Dr. Caroline Riely, associate medical director of the American Liver Foundation. "It's the codeine portion of the drug that's addictive, but it's the acetaminophen that's destroying peoples' livers."
Experts say adults should not take more than four grams of acetaminophen each day; just 10 grams can cause lifelong liver problems or even death. Most hydrocodone pills come in either 2.5, 5 or 7.5 milligrams of synthetic codeine, each mixed with 500 milligrams of acetaminophen.
At the height of her addiction, Helene took up to 30 hydrocodone pills each day - nearly four times the recommended limit for acetaminophen.
"I know how lucky I am to still have a liver that works," Helene said. "Given everything I've done to myself, I shouldn't still be here at all."
The state prescription-drug task force wants the pharmaceutical companies to reduce the amount of acetaminophen in each hydrocodone pill, a request echoed by medical professionals across the nation. In response, at least one pharmaceutical company is now making a hydrocodone pill with 250 milligrams of acetaminophen.
McNeil Consumer Products Co., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the company that manufactures Tylenol, has added new warning labels about acetaminophen's potential for damaging the liver, especially when the drug is mixed with alcohol.
The DEA's prescription-drug classification system is based on the potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs include heroin and Ecstasy, which are both illegal in the United States. Schedule II drugs include powerful painkillers, such as codeine, morphine and Demerol. Cocaine is a Schedule II drug because it has some legitimate medical applications in hospital settings. Schedule III drugs include hydrocodone and anabolic steroids.
Schedule III drugs are easier to prescribe and ultimately easier to get. A doctor is permitted to phone in a Schedule III prescription refill to a pharmacy. Schedule II refills may only be written after the doctor re-examines the patient. The DEA also requires more stringent record-keeping of Schedule II prescriptions, and it tracks how many each doctor writes.
Florida, another state battling the hydrocodone epidemic, tried last year to reclassify the drug as a Schedule II. But the new rules were quickly derailed by protests from pharmacists, physicians and patients who said it would make it unreasonably difficult for people to manage day-to-day pain. Florida's attorney general took the unusual step of passing an emergency ordinance, restoring hydrocodone's status as a Schedule III drug.
Nine years ago the Nevada Board of Pharmacy considered moving hydrocodone to Schedule II, but ended up voting against the plan, according to its attorney, Louis Ling.
The argument that "carried the day" for the board was doctors' testimony that moving hydrocodone to Schedule II would make it unreasonably difficult for patients in rural areas to get refills, Ling said.
They call it the Las Vegas Cocktail, but you won't find it served at hotel bars or table-side in the casinos. A potent mix of hydrocodone and the muscle relaxer Soma gives the user a heroin-like euphoria without needle marks. It's also one of the most popular recreational drug combinations in the United States.
The street value of the cocktail's ingredients is high. One former Las Vegas physician-turned-dealer made as much as $1 million selling the drugs on the black market, according to federal prosecutors.
Luisito Evangelista, banned from practicing medicine in Nevada, used his Illinois DEA registration to buy more than 500,000 hydrocodone pills. Evangelista, who pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in 1999, died in a federal prison last year.
Soma is the nation's most abused non-controlled substance, according to the DEA. Nevada's pharmacy board is considering reclassifying it, making it more difficult for addicts to gather the cocktail's ingredients.
Because Soma isn't a scheduled narcotic, Nevada officials aren't sure how many prescriptions are being written each year.
"If we do schedule Soma and start to track it, we expect the numbers to match those for hydrocodone," Ling said. "And we know the two being used together can be a hallmark of abuse."
Deadlier than Cocaine, Heroin, and the Swine Flu?
Saturday, 21. November 2009, 12:02:16
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
November 21 2009 | 22,584 views
Addiction to prescription painkillers — which kill thousands of Americans a year — has become a largely unrecognized epidemic, experts say.
In fact, prescription drugs cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses each year, says Leonard Paulozzi of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers — opium-like drugs that include morphine and codeine — more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, to 13,800 deaths that year, according to recently released CDC statistics.
In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin, with most deaths in big cities. Prescription painkillers have now surpassed heroin and cocaine however, as the leading cause of fatal overdoses, Paulozzi says.
Experts say it's easy to see why so many Americans are abusing painkillers. As Americans age and carry extra pounds, more are asking for pain relief to cope with joint problems, back pain and other ailments.
Sources:
USA Today October 2, 2009
Orthomolecular.org October 27, 2009
Daily Mail August 11, 2009
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
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Remember the Reagan-era ads, “Just Say NO!” Well, since then, street drugs have taken a definitive backseat to a far greater threat – prescription drugs, especially pain killers.
They’re typically used legally, eliminating the stigma of being a junkie. You don’t need to do business in the shadows to get your fix anymore. You just refill your prescription and pick it up at the nearest pharmacy where no one looks at you crooked.
Time to Raise Pandemic Level 6 Warning on American Drug Paradigm
According to Robert DuPont, a former White House drug czar and former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, "The biggest and fastest-growing part of America's drug problem is prescription drug abuse. The statistics are unmistakable."
The CDC should take notice of these statistics and raise a Pandemic Level 6 Warning for the use of prescription drugs – it’s clearly killing FAR more people than the swine flu ever will.
Swine Flu Deaths As of November 17, 2009
Swine Flu Deaths As of Nov. 17, 2009
USA Today reports that about 120,000 Americans end up in the emergency room after overdosing on opioid painkillers each year, and reports that about 120,000 Americans end up in the emergency room after overdosing on opioid painkillers each year, and prescription drugs in general cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses annually. This despite the fact that the FDA increased the restrictions for consumer drug ads in 2005, especially for COX-2 painkillers like Celebrex and Bextra.
At the time, aggressive drug marketing was blamed for the increased and inappropriate use of painkillers. However, I believe the cultural acceptance of prescription drugs – a pill for every symptom – may have replaced much of the need for excessive marketing of these drugs. People know they can get them simply by asking their doctor.
Another contributing factor is the fact that conventional doctors have bought into the drug paradigm hook line and sinker. For example, as described in USA Today, a long-term treatment plan for pain will typically include a drug-combination approach, using anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-convulsants, and muscle relaxants.
Drugs, and more drugs -- each one raising your risk of suffering potentially lethal side effects...
How to Treat Your Pain without Causing More Grief
Many people reach for the pill bottle with little or no thought of what it might do to their health in the long run. Some 26,000 people die prematurely each year as a result...
It’s completely understandable to want to get rid of pain. However, please understand that there are many options to prescription painkillers that are much safer, even though they may require some patience.
Here are several guidelines that can help reduce, or potentially even eliminate, your pain, depending on its severity:
*
Start taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3. My personal favorite is krill oil. Omega-3 fats are precursors to mediators of inflammation called prostaglandins. (In fact, that is how anti-inflammatory painkillers work, they manipulate prostaglandins.)
*
Eliminate or radically reduce most grains and sugars from your diet. Avoiding grains and sugars will lower your insulin and leptin levels. Elevated insulin and leptin levels are one of the most important reasons why inflammatory prostaglandins are produced. That is why stopping sugar and sweets is so important to controlling your pain and other types of chronic illnesses.
*
Optimize your production of vitamin D by getting regular, appropriate sun exposure, which will work through a variety of different mechanisms to reduce your pain.
*
Retool your diet based on your body's unique nutritional type. Understanding your nutritional type is a tool I have seen work in thousands of patients to reduce their pain. If you are not yet aware of your nutritional type, you can take our free online test now.
*
Use effective energy psychology tools, such as the Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT). MTT can address your previous emotional traumas that cause bioelectrical short circuiting, predisposing you to immune dysfunction.
*
Use safer alternatives for temporary relief, while you are in the process of implementing the above strategies. For several safe and effective suggestions, please see this link.
As you can see from the list above, there is no "quick fix" to treating pain, but rather it is a lifestyle change that will be well worth the effort.
More Examples of Reckless Drug Use
The reckless use of unnecessary drugs is especially obvious today as the swine flu hysteria is in full swing. Drug companies are now touting statin drugs, of all things, to be an effective remedy against the H1N1 virus!
What we have here is a cornucopia of unrivaled foolishness!
But let’s take a look at a more commonly prescribed drug for the seasonal- and swine flu that, in all likelihood, is causing far more harm than good – Tamiflu.
According to a recent study into the use of Tamiflu for children with flu symptoms – the most extensive research of its kind, so far – Tamiflu falls flat.
The researchers, who analyzed four studies of children aged one to 12, published their findings in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on August 11, 2009. They found that the anti-viral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza:
*
Put children at higher risk of dangerous complications
*
Had little impact on the length of the illness
*
Had little impact on the spread of the swine flu
*
May cause drug-resistant strain mutations
Children given these drugs were found to recover LESS THAN ONE DAY earlier, compared with simple rest and recuperation.
According to the researchers, the risks of Tamiflu and Relenza far outweigh their negligent benefits, and children should therefore NOT be given these drugs for the swine flu.
Common side effects included:
(Graph from the Daily Mail, August 11, 2009)
The Daily Mail notes that this finding will no doubt cause confusion, as it contradicts recommendations from government health officials. Not surprisingly, the British Department of Health dismissed the study, saying the results were based on seasonal flu, despite the fact that the scientist specifically noted that these results also applied to swine flu.
Again, health officials are choosing to ignore scientific warnings that their recommendations are NOT in the best interest of the majority of people.
Latest Stats Show Flu is LOWER This Year than Last Year
This is particularly upsetting when you consider the fact that the current flu season, swine flu and all, is the MILDEST flu season in years! According to CDC and WHO data, far fewer people have died from H1N1 than any seasonal flu in the past.
This graph from the CDC showing the "Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality for 122 US Cities" also show that, so far, this year's flu mortality is far below that of 2008.
Why are our health officials recommending mass use of ineffective drugs that carry a higher risk of detrimental side effects than the illness it is supposed to treat?
How Does Swine Flu Compare to the Black Plague?
The Orthomolecular Medicine News Service brings up yet another interesting point of reference to put the swine flu vaccination program in its place.
Did you know that the plague, also known as” The Black Death,” is still alive and kicking?
The plague was one of the deadliest pandemics in history, killing an estimated 30-60 percent of Europe's population in the mid-1300s (about 50 million people). The US has seen some 400 cases of the plague since the 1950’s, and worldwide there are some 2,000 cases, and hundreds of deaths, each year.
There’s a vaccine for the plague as well, and yet you’ve likely never heard of it.
Why?
If there are constant outbreaks of the one of the deadliest diseases on the planet each year, why aren’t health officials urging everyone to get vaccinated?
And even more interestingly, why is there no plague epidemic?
This is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases there is, yet despite worldwide occurrence, it’s not spreading and killing like it used to anymore...
The Black Death epidemic was clearly not wiped out by antibiotics or mass vaccination, because neither existed at the time. If a vaccine was not required to quell a deadly, infectious disease like the plague, why are you told that vaccination is the ONLY way to stop a flu epidemic?
The answer is that, just like the plague was quelled by the implementation of better sanitation and nutrition, the flu – be it seasonal or H1N1 -- can be vanquished by similar means.
How to Protect Yourself against the Flu without Vaccination
Following these simple guidelines will keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you're far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with.
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Optimize your vitamin D levels. Optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, including the flu. It is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng/ml and done by a reliable vitamin D lab like Lab Corp. (If your lab results are returned in nmol/L, simply divide by 2.5 to get ng/ml.)
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Avoid sugar and processed foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness.
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Get enough rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu.
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Have effective tools to address stress . We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness.
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Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads.
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Take a Good Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
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Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this -- antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
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Use Natural Antibiotics, such as oil of oregano, and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.
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Avoid Hospitals and Vaccines. Hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds, and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to infectious diseases like the flu. Keep in mind that virtually all vaccinations will LOWER your immune system, NOT make it stronger!
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Poll
Why do you think that believers (Christians) have such a strong will to survive here on earth when they know that heaven awaits them at death?
- they don't care whether they live or die
(0%)
- they're not so sure about whether they will actually make it to heaven (0%)
- the will to live is God given so that they can fulfill the call on their lives that God has given them (78%)
- i'm not sure why (11%)
- they're afraid to die just like the rest of us (22%)
- we all have a strong will to live...don't read into this so deeply (0%)
- they don't care whether they live or die (0%)
Total: 9 votes
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