By Jeanene Swanson — The use and misuse of prescription opioids by pregnant women has increased from 1.2 per 1,000 hospital live births in 2000 to 5.6 in 2009 in the last 10 years. What’s even more unsettling is that even in light of these statistics, several recent studies have found that doctors are prescribing …
Study Finds Spike in Opioid Use During Pregnancy Read More »
Prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic levels not only in the United States but in the United Kingdom as well. Recent UK research has focused to identify specific triggers for prescription pain reliever addiction. The University of Derby conducted a three month study using an anonymous online survey which identified 112 patients taking prescription pain …
Intravenous heroin users rely on a needle and syringe to inject the powerful opioid narcotic heroin directly into the bloodstream. In addition to the risks for drug addiction common to all people who take the drug, IV users have increased risks for serious or fatal bloodborne infections such as hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. In a …
‘Every “Never” I Ever Said Came True’: Transitions From Opioid Pills to Heroin Injecting Read More »
A new super-potent narcotic painkiller called Zohydro is set to enter the marketplace and critics fear the country will see a spike in opioid addiction and overdose deaths as a result. Zohydro, which was approved by the FDA last year in a controversial decision, is an extended release formula of pure hydrocodone. In spite of the warnings from …
Super Painkiller Zohydro Could Lead to More Overdose Deaths Read More »
A new federal study has found that U.S. doctors are the leading source of prescription painkillers for hardcore addicts — those at highest risk for overdose. Amid epidemic abuse of prescription painkillers, which leads to more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings upend notions about where the …
Is Justin Bieber addicted to sizzurp? The pop star, who was arrested early Thursday morning while street racing in Miami Beach, smelled of alcohol and had a “stupor look” on his face, according to a police report. After failing a field sobriety test, Bieber was taken into custody.
Self-medication and prescription drug abuse are problems that almost all doctors have to deal with in some form or another. Self-medication is defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as “the selection and use of medications by individuals to treat self-recognized or self-diagnosed conditions.” The practice of self-medication is risky for a variety of …
Prescription drug abuse always has the potential to cause physical and emotional harm to an addict and his or her loved ones. This type of substance abuse is serious enough that it often requires professional addiction treatment in order to recover. However, when the addict is a pregnant woman, the risk of harm extends to …
ADHD, which stands for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, is not uncommon in children in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.2 million children have been diagnosed with the disorder. Twelve percent of boys and close to 5 percent of girls in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD.
Opioid dependence is the term used to describe a reliance on the effects of opioid drugs or medications. In some cases, dependent people go on to develop the drug cravings and dysfunctional behaviors associated with opioid addiction. Opioid-dependent people often use cannabis in the form of marijuana, hashish or hashish oil. In a study published …
Does Cannabis Use Change Outcome of Opioid Dependence Treatment? Read More »