Tag Archives: drug abuse

Americans Abusing OTC Meds Along with Opioids: Study

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Prescription opioid pain medications aren’t the only drugs being abused by Americans. Over the counter (OTC) preparations are also falling into that category.

The results of a new study conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Health has revealed that close to one in five users of headache remedies like Advil and Aleve doesn’t use the medicine as recommended. They admitted to exceeding the maximum recommended dose during a one-week period.

OTC Medication Use by Consumers Unsafe

People who use too many of these NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers) likely won’t be starting on the slippery slope of moving toward heroin use. That doesn’t mean what they are doing is safe.

Dr. David Kaufman, the lead researcher on the study, and a professor of epidemiology at Boston University’s School of Public Health, explained that these drugs can produce serious side effects when taken. Even though they are readily available, it doesn’t mean that consumers can make up their own dose, no matter what the dosing instructions say on the label.

Consumers Don’t Read Medication Packages When Dosing

Consumers’ attitude that they can choose their own dose, no matter what the label states, along with lack of knowledge about dosing limits, is contributing to exceeding the daily limit, according to Dr. Kaufman.

The study was conducted in 2015-2016 by having 1,326 participants keep drug diaries for a week. Participants were, on average, 45 years of age. The majority of them (75 percent) were white, and 60 percent were women.

Most of the study participants (87 percent) took ibuprofen, which is sold OTC under brands like Motrin or Advil. Thirty-seven percent of the participants reported they took other NSAIDs like Aspirin or naproxen, such as Aleve.

Chronic Pain Patients More Likely to Take Higher Doses

The study results showed more than 15 percent of the study participants took too many of the pills at least one day of the week. Participants who live with chronic pain were even more likely to take more than the recommended dose.

When asked whether non-prescription pill abusers were trying to avoid taking opioids, Dr. Kaufman replied he didn’t think that scenario applied in this instance. He said that avoiding opioids may influence prescribing behavior for physicians, but it may not have a similar effect on consumers.

Alternate Method of Treating Injuries May Prevent Opioid Abuse

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One of the most common knee injuries is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear. These injuries are common because they can be caused by any sudden movement like; stopping quickly, landing from a jump or changing direction suddenly. And while this a common injury, it still generally needs to be repaired with surgery and the patient is oftentimes in a lot of pain before and after the procedure. In order to make the patient more comfortable, doctors are likely to prescribe painkillers before the surgery to handle the pain from the ACL tear.

However, new research suggests that consuming painkillers before an ACL surgery could be very dangerous to the patient, as it greatly increases their chances of developing an addiction to painkillers. Researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics released a study stating that patients who receive painkillers before an ACL surgery are ten times more likely to be on painkillers longer than patients who were not given painkillers before their surgery. And when it comes to painkillers, the length of time a patient uses the medication is extremely important. The longer a patient uses painkiller the more likely they are to develop a physical and mental addiction to the dangerous drugs.

The researchers gathered information from, 4,946 ACL repair cases in order to come up with their findings. While most of the patients healed nicely after their surgeries, not requiring painkillers three months after the procedure, seven percent of the patients were still filling painkiller prescriptions. These seven percent had a much higher rate of pre-operation painkiller use. And younger people are more likely to fall victim to this increased painkiller usage than older people, according to the study.

The study could provide doctors insight as to how dependent the body can become on opioids and may prevent further addiction cases.

“With the ever-increasing opioid epidemic our nation is facing, understanding the risk factors for postoperative narcotic use could aid surgeons and healthcare systems in identifying patients who could benefit from a different pain management and counselling regimen than previously identified,” explained Chris Anthony, co-author of the study.

Study Shows Drug Use Among Medical Students

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Despite the knowledge and understanding of the dangers of drug use, a new study shows that many medical students are experimenting with, and misusing drugs. Marijuana, alcohol and prescription drug use seem to be the most prevalent among medical students, although other illicit drugs are also used on campuses throughout the country.

The study includes information gathered from nine medical schools within the state of Florida and provides a comprehensive snapshot at what types of drugs are being abused by future doctors. According to the data collected, nearly 50% of medical students have used marijuana in their lives. Almost 25% of students used marijuana during medical school. 46.9% of medical students surveyed stated that their prescription drug use got worse in medical school, and most of these students admitted that these prescriptions were not their own. Of those that drink alcohol, 6.7% feel that they have a drinking problem.

Additional probing into the drug problem among medical students revealed the reasons behind the misuse. For instance, 16% of the future doctors that are abusing painkillers do so because it helps to relieve stress associated with medical school and work. For those doctors that are abusing ADHD medication, like Adderall, their primary reason (90%) was to help study, the same motivator for many college students throughout the country.

Perhaps what is most alarming about these figures is that these are the professionals that many families hope will prevent, stop, or intervene on their loved one’s drug use may be struggling with the same issue.

It is clear that medical schools need to step in and adjust the academic and social culture of their institutions. And for their part, schools are trying to help their students. Many school have implemented different early screening techniques to catch potential drug problems before they spiral out of control. Some colleges are implementing different relaxation techniques like yoga, wellness days and other personal services.

“I think the take away for medical schools is you have an opportunity and an obligation to help students develop into the healthiest physicians they can be. It’s much easier treating addiction problems or psychiatric issues early as opposed to waiting until they become more severe,” said Dr. Lisa Merlo, a clinical psychologist at the University of Florida and Director of Research for the Professionals Resource Network.

This Often-Ignored Disorder Can Lead to Future Drug Abuse

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Intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is a condition where a person has frequent outbursts. These outbursts can be verbal and/or violent in nature. While no one understands what causes the disorder, it does seem to effect people under the age of forty and is most likely to surface in childhood. Little is known about the problem, therefore many people witness characteristics of the disorder in children and chalk it up to some sort of social problem, instead of acknowledging it as a disorder. And while there is not a lot of research on this problem, a new study has been released that shows people who suffer from IED are more likely to abuse drugs and/or alcohol than those that do not have IED.

“People don’t see this as a medical problem. They think of it as simply bad behavior they have developed over the course of their lives, but it isn’t. It has significant biology and neuroscience behind it,” explained Emil Coccaro, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at University of Chicago and one of the authors of the study. In fact, according to recent data, approximately 16 million people in the United States suffer from this disorder. This is especially important as health officials; law enforcement and government leaders are scrambling to figure out an effective solution to the growing drug problem in this country.

The study was performed by using data from the National Comorbidity Survey, a national survey centered around mental health issues in this country. From the information gathered there, researchers were able to note that as a patient’s behavior worsened the tended to use more and more drugs and alcohol. This is likely because patients are seeking a way to control their behavior and are self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. However, researchers also point out that if they are given treatment for their aggression disorder they are less likely to abuse substances.

And while some patients use drugs despite their treatment for IED, the authors state that effective treatment of their disorder could prolong drug use, and make it easier to spot when drug use is occurring.

Drug Use Increases Chance of Suicide

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In order to help prevent the sudden loss of life, researchers at Brown University conducted a study to better predict what causes people to attempt or commit suicide. They found that there is a direct correlation between drug use and suicide.

Researchers conducted the study by polling several hospitals between 2010 and 2012. After receiving data from 800 Emergency Room admissions, it was determined that while alcohol use and cocaine use alone did not substantially increase the risk for suicide, the combination of alcohol and cocaine greatly increased the chance of suicide. This important discovery will hopefully lead to more effective interventions to prevent future alcohol and cocaine induced suicide attempts.

So, why does the combination of alcohol and cocaine cause people to feel that suicide is an option? Researchers of the study point out that both drugs are responsible for extreme highs that lower a person’s ability to reason with current stressors, leading some to believe that suicide is the only way out. Additionally, alcohol is a depressant, while cocaine is a stimulant. When a person who has consumed alcohol becomes distraught over situations in their life and then they add cocaine into the mix they may feel more courage to go through with suicide. This risk is yet another reason why friends and family members need to consider moving forward with an intervention.

In addition to figuring out the link between dual use of cocaine and alcohol, researchers were also encouraged to find that screening in hospitals were able to lead to this conclusion. “Before the study, it was unclear if it was even feasible to get staff to complete suicide risk screening on all patients and, if you did, whether it would actually result in identifying people who were at risk,” explained Edwin Boudreaux.

Researchers are hopeful that further screening measures will be implemented in hospitals throughout the country, specifically in the Emergency Room. Oftentimes ER doctors are the first people to witness potential suicide indicators. Spotting a person who regularly abuses cocaine and alcohol may help guide medical professionals into taking action before suicide is attempted. Researchers also caution that other factors need to be considered as well, sex and race are other areas that need to be investigated in order to come up with a comprehensive suicide prevention and intervention plan.