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What do you do when you discover that someone you love is abusing not just one substance but two? Over the past decade, the number of people who felt the impact of that shocking revelation actually quintupled. From the year 2000 to 2010, annual cases of those battling addiction to both benzodiazepines and narcotic pain relievers increased from about 6,000 to almost 34,000. That’s quite a jump!

Benzodiazepines include the drugs used to combat generalized anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and agitation. The most familiar medications include Valium, Librium, Xanax, and Tranxene. Some “bennies,” as abusers affectionately call them, have been used as muscle relaxants. Some doctors prescribe them to relieve the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal or insomnia.

Narcotic pain relievers (NPRs) are prescribed for people who are recovering from muscle pain caused by some kind of trauma or illness, joint pain from arthritis, or the common pain of postoperative recovery. Most commonly prescribed medications include Tylenol with Codeine, Vicodin, Percocet, and OxyContin. They all are morphine or codeine derivatives.

Dosage issues for these NPRs include a tolerance that quickly develops; the patient might soon request a higher dose. They are also very addictive, and once someone begins a course of therapy he may find it very difficult to stop taking this medication.  With benzodiazepines, they stay in the system longer in older patients; someone who took Valium in his 20s will have more difficulty shaking it off if he’s still using it when he’s in his 50s.  Both types of medications are very dangerous for people who drink alcohol.

Some patients present with interrelated problems—a person who suffers an auto accident may well develop anxieties during his recovery process, for example. A common scenario involves a patient seeing an orthopedic doctor for joint injury, for example, and then visiting his family physician for help in dealing with related anxiety.

Statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) in a study of people with this dual addiction show:

• Non-Hispanic Whites in the 18-34 age group were the largest population segment taking this combination, with men and women equally affected. The average patient age was 31.2 years. 
• 38 percent began taking both medications in the same year.
• Of the remaining 62 percent, 34 percent began first with the benzodiazepine medication; the other 28 percent started with the NPR.
• Just under 50 percent of those taking both medications had a co-occurring mental health diagnosis—such as anxiety or panic disorders.

But the most significant statistic is the shocking increase in treatment admissions for benzodiazepines with NPR addiction compared to other addictions. The benzodiazepine/NRP group increased 569.7 percent in the decade between 2000 and 2010. For that same time period, admissions for all other addictions rose 9.5 percent.  While an increase in either type of admissions is bad, the huge difference between the two numbers reveals the alarming increase of benzo/NPR abusers.

What should you do if someone in your family is taking this deadly combination—or what if it’s you? The good news is that of those who sought treatment, few of them were referred through the criminal justice system. That means abusers are accepting the realization that an addiction issue has developed.

The bad news is that someone who takes both benzodiazepines and narcotic pain relievers has dual withdrawal problems. He or she not only has to deal with the anxiety of withdrawing from medications that were helping him but also with the underlying emotional or mental health issues that led him to taking the benzodiazepines in the first place. In addition, withdrawal from benzodiazepines can worsen the symptoms of withdrawal from narcotic pain relievers.

Addiction treatment specialists are seeing an increase in treatment admissions for people who want to kick this dual addiction, and almost half of them are self-referrals. Armed with the knowledge that these patients come with treatment-resistant problems, counselors are successfully working to engage them in recovery. 

Resource:

SAMSHA. Admissions Reporting Benzodiazepine and Narcotic Pain Reliever Abuse at Treatment Entry, published 12/13/12 http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k12/TEDS-064/TEDS-Short-Report-064-Benzodiazepines-2012.htm

Hundreds of children and adults in need of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prescription medication have been unable to fill  them recently. Pharmacies across the nation are in short supply of the generic form of ADHD pills, the name brand of which are called Ritalin and Adderall.

This shortage is due in part to the drugs’ manufacturers trying to limit the supply of generic brands to maximize their profits in sales of the name-brand drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is also to blame; the DEA must set limits on the numbers of drugs that each manufacturer may produce, in an effort to decrease the potential for misuse among adults and particularly among college students.

College students have taken to snorting the ADHD medications because when non-ADHD adults take ADHD medication, the pills often have the completely opposite effect from their intended treatment. Instead of becoming calmer from the drug, non-ADHD adults can become hyperactive, which can result in an almost super-human ability to accomplish tasks. For the college crowd, this hyperactivity can help them study – often late into the night with cram sessions before big tests.  

For the DEA, the increase in the prescription pill misuse is difficult to control. The agency estimates that one in four adults who receive ADHD prescriptions may be faking symptoms. Once the non-ADHD adults have the prescription, they can abuse the pills themselves or sell them on the black market.

Unfortunately, the abuse of ADHD medication and the subsequent shortage of generic brands could continue for a while until the DEA can better police the misuse. Eventually, the DEA may be able to crack down on black market rings, but until then, users who need prescription pill treatment will have to seek centers like Vista Taos for assistance.

Reports are readily available with statistics to show that students who abuse these drugs in the name of getting better grades are actually doing worse in school before they starting using. There is no positive side to abusing ADHD medication. Don’t start. If you’ve already started, get help.

If you or someone you love is in need of prescription pill treatment, please seek out the assistance of a prescription pill treatment center  like Vista Taos Renewal Center.  Their expert staff can talk to you about their programs for prescription drug addiction; get the help you need before it destroys your life.

Popping pills may not be the recreational past time people once thought it to be. Prescription drug death rates are rising across the United States, topping the death rates for cocaine and heroin use combined. Particularly, the death rate for narcotic pain pills has increased to four times the narcotic pill death rate in the previous decade.

Of course, pain pill use of this magnitude must be prescribed, and there has also been in increase in the numbers of prescriptions written that corresponds with the death rate. Sometimes narcotic drugs are prescribed for legitimate pain, but other times the narcotics are prescribed by “pill mill” doctors, who hand out prescriptions to addicts for cash. These doctors only have interest in money, not treating people for the betterment of their lives. If reviewed further, many of these doctors have faced legal issues surrounding malpractice laws and find that pill mills are the best way to make money and not be held accountable for their diagnosis.

Often, the start of addiction begins because of legitimate pain. When the patient is prescribed heavy-duty narcotic pain meds, they could become addicted quite quickly. Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a caution to doctors, requesting that they carefully screen their patients before prescribing narcotic pain pills.

 The death rate for narcotic pain medications is highest in New Mexico, and the highest abuse rate is in Oklahoma. Overall, the death rates are the highest in poor or rural counties, and the death toll is higher among whites and Native Americans, including Alaskan Natives than other races.

Prescription drug abuse can be treated, so if you know anyone suffering from prescription drug abuse, getting them to treatment centers like the Vista Taos Renewal Center, located in the number one state for pill deaths: New Mexico, could save their lives and improve their level of life enjoyment. Prescription drug abuse is not automatically a death sentence; help is waiting. Don’t become another statistic.    

Prescription drug abuse is on the rise in seniors and disabled beneficiaries who use the Medicare program. It was recently reported that this abuse cost the program nearly $150 million in 2008. In the report, it shows that some patients went to at least five doctors in order to receive multiple prescriptions for drugs that are often misused or abused. These are drugs on the FDA “Controlled Substances” list. They are prescription drugs like: Oxycontin, Vicodin, Percocet, Xanax and Valium.

About 170,000 individuals enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription program were found to be “doctor shopping” for drugs ranging from oxycodone to hydrocodone. That means that approximately 1.8 percent of the total 43 million Medicare patients had these prescriptions. The study was started in 2010, using the data obtained in 2008.

One shocking example shows a patient who received prescriptions from 87 different doctors in a single year. That means some patients have gone to great lengths to have the government feed their drug addiction and need for these medications. Not only are these patients taking advantage of the system, but they are also fueling an addiction to medications that will ultimately land them in trouble.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have also been receiving many complaints lately regarding this type of drug abuse. When CMS receives these complaints, they then notify doctors about patients who could be abusing prescription drugs in order to stop abuse on their end. Prescription drug abuse is very dangerous and many people believe just because a doctor writes a prescription that it makes it okay to for them to ingest. This is far from the case and can lead to deadly consequences.

If you or a loved one needs help with prescription drug abuse, please contact Vista Taos Renewal Center today. They are a holistic drug abuse treatment center located 85 miles north of Santa Fe in New Mexico that can help anyone and everyone get their life back on track. Now is the time to get help and live a better life.

Many health and drug agencies in the United States are doing their best to warn people about the dangers of prescription drug abuse. Vicodin addiction, in particular, has almost tripled since 2001.  Reported police seizures of hydrocodone pills are coming in second to the amount being confiscated containing OxyContin.  According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, 8% of surveyed 18 year olds still attending high schools have abused Vicodin within the past year.

Many people who suffer from Vicodin addiction do not know the specific risks involved with the drug. They may realize that too much of the drug can cause a fatal overdose, as 910 people in the state of Florida in the past year died because of a narcotic overdose. But they may not be aware of the other risks. Vicodin, when used for its stated and prescribed purpose, is a safe and effective way to treat moderate pain. It’s widely used to treat people who have suffered broken bones or had surgery. It is a blended drug, meaning that hydrocodone is not the only ingredient in pill. It contains a moderate level of acetaminophen. Many people know acetaminophen by its brand name: Tylenol. When these two drugs are combined together, they make the pain pill more effective at doing its job. The problem is: acetaminophen can be risky with long-term use.

Stopping Vicodin addiction as soon as possible means you can give your body a chance to heal. Vista Taos Renewal Center is a drug treatment facility located in Taos, New Mexico. Staffed with experts in the field of substance abuse, they can work with you to break the cycle of addiction. Years of Vicodin addiction can cause severe damage to your liver. There will become a point where the damage is beyond repair. Your body deserves better than to suffer degeneration because of Vicodin addiction. Please let Vista Taos educate you more about narcotic substance abuse and get you on the road to recovery. Visit www.VistaTaos.com to learn more.

Online pharmacies are popping up left and right, providing prescription drugs without a prescription and causing quite a stir in the medical community. These pharmacies are often located outside the United States, but provide pills like Xanax, Percocet, Vicodin, Oxycontin and more to those who only take the drug to abuse it.

It wasn’t long ago that the method to getting these drugs was to purchase them without a prescription at a Mexican pharmacy. Prescription pill smuggling is a billion-dollar industry, leaving many southern cities like Dallas, Texas or Albuquerque, New Mexico with some of the easiest access to narcotics without a prescription. Because of the internet, these pills can be shipped anywhere. It is not only that these pills are being abused, but that often times, people are not getting the medicine they ordered, leaving them with other, dangerous side effects to treat.

Pill addiction is quickly replacing other illegal drugs, like marijuana, cocaine and heroin. People feel that because these pills were created in a laboratory, by medical scientists and doctors, they can provide a safe high. That is completely false. These pills can treat pain safely under a doctor’s care and only for a limited time. Products like Vicodin have acetaminophen in them; it can be detrimental to your liver over long-time usage. There is no safe high. Each pain pill and sedative on the market come with dangerous side effects if misused. So many lose their lives each year because of pill addiction.

Vista Taos Renewal Center in Taos, New Mexico knows how hard it can be to overcome pill addiction. That’s why they’re ready to talk to you about treatment options 24 hours a day. It is possible to more comfortably detox from pain pills and overcome aching process your body goes through while it retunes itself to live healthily, free from narcotics. Please call Vista Taos today, don’t be a pain pill addiction statistic.

Jeff Conaway entertained America with his roles in Taxi and Grease. His most recent role, however was on Celebrity Rehab, a reality show cousin to Sober House. In the reality show, Conaway opened up about his past; cocaine, alcoholism and pain pill addiction plagued him. A back injury fueled his opiate addiction; Conaway has had 5 back surgeries to date. After each surgery, opiate pills like Vicodin or Percocet are used to treat the pain for a week or so following the operation. Conaway admits his pain has not gone away; his depression and chronic pain are what pushes him to drink and continue to abuse opiates.

In mid-May, Conaway was reported in critical condition at a hospital because of a suspected overdose because of his opiate addiction. At the time, he was in a coma and completely unresponsive. Conaway died on May 27th. The cause of death was stated as pneumonia, however his physician stated that his many years of dependence on prescription painkillers ultimately cost him his life.

Conaway’s health had deteriorated through the years, most likely because of his addiction to prescription drugs, cocaine and alcohol. In 2008’s season of Celebrity Rehab, he was often seen in a wheelchair, needing help to get around, use the bathroom and general grooming. His attitude was more about getting pills then working with physical therapists or drug addiction specialists to get better.

Opiate addiction is not something to let drag on, as it takes years away from you quickly. Prescription drug abuse is hard on your organs and body systems. After a short period of addiction, your heart, kidneys and liver can be damaged beyond repair. Opiate addiction is a death sentence. Please contact Vista Taos Renewal Center to learn more about the dangers surrounding pill abuse. A premier southwestern rehabilitation facility located just 85 miles north of Santa Fe, Vista Taos is the healthy environment you or your loved one needs to experience successful opiate abuse treatment.

Medicines used to treat ADHD are being abused by college students to make the grade. Drugs like Adderall are being called “study buddies,” and are about as easy to locate and purchase as marijuana. It’s actually easier, because you can easily fake symptoms and have a sympathetic doctor hand you a legal, legit prescription. Many students are selling these pills for $5 apiece.

What college students aren’t realizing is that Adderall and other ADD/ADHD medications are basically speed. It’s hard on your body and you can become easily addicted. Without a controlled dosage, or even a need to really take the pills, it won’t be long before an abuser is feeling nauseated, paranoid and out of control. Addiction help may be the best answer when someone is facing an Adderall substance abuse problem. What seems like a good idea to help you cram for a test can actually turn into a habit that can actually make you fail tests, suffer psychotic episodes and even kill you. One student in a recent article said that Adderall cost her everything. She lost her scholarship and was removed from her university because of poor grades. Poor grades while on Adderall; it’s the reality of what will happen if you don’t get addiction help.

Education is important, don’t waste your chance to get the college education you need to be successful and independent in the world. If you need addiction help for Adderall or speed addiction, please contact Vista Taos Addiction Treatment Center in Taos, New Mexico. Take control of your substance abuse problem before it causes any more damage.

Reports on death totals from accidental overdose due to opiate use have shocked physicians worldwide, leading to discussion on other ways chronic pain can be controlled. While opiate abuse is a common, much publicized issue among substance abusers, the alarming discoveries are in the sheer number of people affected by overdose. It was reported that an estimated 27,500 individuals died in 2007 from unintentional drug overdose, with a large majority of these overdoses due to opiate abuse.

While it is certainly a shock to learn of the numbers of people losing their lives due to accidental overdose, what is truly surprising is that there were more accidental overdose deaths reported from prescription opiate abuse than for heroin and cocaine combined. This helps to put the danger of abusing these types of medications into better perspective.

It is not necessarily that the people falling victim to accidental overdose exhibit symptoms of opiate abuse; it is highly likely that many of these individuals are not receiving adequate education about the dangers of these substances, as well as information about proper use. Many of these people are also on medications for depression, anxiety, or sleeping disorders. The use of sleep aids, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants that are commonly prescribed for these issues are often used in combination with opiates, and are generally prescribed by different physicians. This can lead to a lack of awareness on the part of the physician about the combination of medications being used, therefore resulting in possibly dangerous drug interactions. Many of these substances can cause opiates to become more effective, especially those with sedative-like qualities. Often, by the time a person realizes the danger of using multiple types of medications, it is too late.

Physicians are now focusing more heavily on managing pain in other ways. Non-narcotic medications, as well as non-drug focused therapies like psychotherapy, physical therapy, and exercise are all at the forefront of ways physicians are attempting to manage chronic pain without resorting to powerful opiate medications.

If you are managing an opiate abuse problem, or suspect that someone close to you may be struggling with addiction, contact the staff at Vista Taos Renewal Center, located just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, to learn about the programs available to assist with a holistic addiction recovery.

New studies show that concurrent use of painkillers, including NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as Tylenol, Advil, and naproxen with anti-depressant medications like Prozac actually decreases the effectiveness of the anti-depressant medication. This is bad news for psychiatric patients that depend on anti-depressant medications to lead a normal day-to-day life, and for other patients who suffer from pill addiction due to chronic, daily pain. While it may be safe for a patient taking an anti-depressant to take the occasional NSAID to relieve mild headaches or muscle pain, studies have not yet determined what dosage of painkillers will begin to have an effect on the way the body and mind interpret anti-depressant medications.

For some people, anti-depressants are not very effective – and this new research identifies one of the reasons that treatment may be more effective for some than others. By eliminating painkillers, a patient may be able to determine if that is a contributing factor to the reason their anti-depressants seem to have a lackluster effect. This can also help to stave off pill addiction, which can be developed after extended use of even over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol. The body becomes used to a certain amount of pain relief, and will eventually require a higher amount of the medication in more frequent intervals.

There are a multitude of other options for those who suffer from chronic pain to explore as an alternative to painkillers, and the possibility of developing a pill addiction. Consistent, holistic therapies have often proven to be more effective in the long-term sense, rather than relying on medication to treat pain symptoms. Options such as massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, meditation, and even hypnotherapy have provided thousands of sufferers with natural relief, without feeding their bodies with a variety of chemicals that are found in painkillers.

For more information on the different types of therapy available to naturally heal your body from pill addiction, contact the caring staff at Vista Taos Addiction Center in Taos, New Mexico.