Articles of Interest

Drug epidemic ensnares 25-year-old pill for nerve pain

Why Not? –

May 4, 2018 – The story line sounds familiar: a popular pain drug becomes a new way to get high as prescribing by doctors soars. But the latest drug raising red flags is not part of the opioid family at the center of the nation’s drug epidemic. It’s a 25-year-old generic pill long seen as a low risk way to treat seizures, nerve pain and other ailments. The drug, called gabapentin, is one of the most prescribed medications in the U.S., ranking ninth over the last year, according to prescription tracker GoodRx. Researchers attribute the recent surge to tighter restrictions on opioid painkillers, which have left doctors searching for alternatives for their patients. Those same forces are changing the drugs that Americans abuse, according to experts. “We’re basically squeezing people into other drugs because the prescription opioids are becoming a lot harder to get,” said Dr. Richard Dart, who tracks drug abuse through a national data network owned by the state of Colorado. While prescriptions for opioids like Vicodin and Oxycontin have been falling since 2012, health regulators have seen increased overdoses with unexpected medications, including the over-the-counter diarrhea drug Imodium.

Full Story @ HeraldTribune.com

Leonard Buschel

Recent Posts

An Interview with NuQI’s John Wright

EMR MATTERS – October 2024 - The challenge is that many in the behavioral health…

2 days ago

California Wants Social Media To Have ‘black box warning’ For Kids

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE? – Dec. 19, 2024 - Assembly Bill 56 (AB 56) proposes…

5 days ago

Lily Allen Shares the Moment She Hit ‘Rock Bottom’

AND STOPPED DIGGING – Dec. 4, 2024 - In a new interview with The Times,…

5 days ago

170 Million Americans Learn Deadly Toxin is Toxic

NOT JUST IN PENCILS – Dec. 8, 2024 - Americans born before 1966 experienced “significantly…

5 days ago

Famous Child Star After Opening Up About Addiction

AS SUCCESSFUL AS EVER – Dec. 3, 2024 - Family Affair actor Johnny Whitaker looked…

5 days ago

Top 10 Things Families Can Do to Avoid Common Rehab Pitfalls

ALANON Plus – Dec. 7, 2024 - A high percentage of treatment failures occur due…

5 days ago