Opioids, an important tool for physicians and one of the most effective drugs for treating chronic pain and suffering, are widely associated with abuse and addiction. Although not effective for all, opioids can help make life manageable. One of the central issues surrounding opioid prescriptions is the problem of morally prescribing opioids. Oftentimes, physicians face..
Antipsychotics are a group of prescription medications used for the management of psychotic symptoms, such as delusions, paranoia and hallucinations, and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Since they affect the brain chemistry, there’s a higher chance of dependence and addiction. Withdrawal from these drugs can cause severe headaches, nausea and vomiting. Self-attempt at tapering off drug..
Prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) is an electronic database, which is used statewide in the U.S. to assess the prescription of a controlled substance to a patient. Based on that knowledge, the health authorities are informed about the prescribing and patient behaviors, which can play a critical role in controlling the opioid epidemic affecting millions..
The rapidly growing number of people addicted to opioids and heroin is shattering the social fabric of the United States. The epidemic is now being labelled as one of the worst disasters the country has ever faced. Thousands of Americans die every year due to opioid overdose. With hordes of youngsters falling prey to addiction..
Opioids are generally prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. They include drugs, such as oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine and fentanyl, as well as heroin, which is an illegal drug. These medications provide a sense of well-being and pleasure because they stimulate certain regions of the brain that involve the reward system. Since..
“Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself.” Dr. Albert Schweitzer, French physician, 1931 The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), defined pain as an “unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.” Since pain has troubled and perplexed humans for generations, various cures have..
Growing up in a family where one or more of the adults are addicted to prescription drugs or even alcohol can be quite a challenge. Such experiences affect the emotional, physical and cognitive personality of children. Here are some painful realities children encounter who grow up in an atmosphere of addiction and sometimes mental illnesses..
Numerous efforts have been taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government bodies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to control the prevalence of prescription drug misuse across communities. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the United States housed nearly 3.8 million people..
Cataclysm struck the United States when the nonmedical use of prescriptions painkillers hit unprecedented levels. This resulted in an increase in overdose-related deaths by over 2.5 times from 1999 to 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite the continuous effort of the federal government, the misuse of prescription medications has not been..
It is unfortunate that drugs used to relieve pain can pose danger for many users, who unknowingly develop a dependence on these painkillers. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), around 3.8 million people aged 12 or older (1.4 percent of the population in the respective age group) were current misusers of..