Oxycodone, a type of opioid, is a highly addictive substance available only through obtaining a prescription. Because of the addictive qualities of this medication, there are limits placed on how much of the substance a person can be prescribed, along with other safeguards to help prevent individuals from abusing...
Two generations ago, heroin was the most feared of addictive drugs. Today, it receives less public attention but is no less dangerous; heroin effects include addiction, overdose, and death. In 2020 the National Institute on Drug Abuse recorded over 68,000 overdose fatalities from heroin and other opioids. As with most...
Medical professionals define chronic pain as pain that lasts six months or more, with little prospect for total relief. The pain may be “achy” or severe, constant or intermittent. It can be due to nerve damage, physical injury, or the accumulated effects of excessive muscle use, poor posture, and/or...
Prescription opioids are not to be taken lightly. Drugs like OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin are prescribed at unbelievably high rates, even amid an opioid addiction epidemic. While such drugs can alleviate pain, they are highly addictive and can dramatically alter the course of one's life. Last week, we shared the...
Opioids are most often prescribed for the management of chronic pain. However, new research suggests that these medications may actually increase a person’s sensitivity to pain over time. This phenomenon, called hyperalgesia, provides further caution to healthcare providers about the long-term prescription of opioid pain medication.Opioid-Induced HyperalgesiaThe word hyperalgesia...
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives due to overdose over the last two decades. The opioid addiction epidemic has impacted millions more; loved ones lost, and families separated – torn apart by substance use disorder – the cost of this public health crisis is steep.Headlines and...
Despite the warnings and some 130 overdose deaths per day in America, surgeons still prescribe painkillers at alarming rates. A new report from Kaiser Health News (KHN) and Johns Hopkins shows that they are prescribing many times the recommended number of opioids.Surgeons continue to prescribe far more opioids for...
The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate reached bipartisan alignment on the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act in the twelfth hour of September. Now roughly a month later, the White House has given its stamp of approval on the legislation which aims to combat the opioid...
