Your Painkillers Could Kill You

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced that deaths from prescription drug overdoses, especially painkillers, has indeed reached epidemic proportions. The CDC conducted a study in West Virginia, which they call the 'tip of the iceberg', but said the problem exists all through the U.S. In West Virginia, the number of deaths from prescription drug overdoses increased by 550% over just a few years ago. Two-thirds of those who died never had a prescription but perhaps even more startling is the 21% who did. Even those who get the drugs from their doctor aren't safe.

As a result of their study, which was published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the CDC recommends that doctors take more time to educate their patients on the dangers of prescription painkillers and other addictive prescription drugs but, truth be told, addiction is not an area most physicians know much about.

They generally rely on drug companies for their information about drugs and, as drug companies are out to make money, they're not going to say anything to the doctor that might discourage writing prescriptions. In fact, some drug manufacturers have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and lawsuit settlements for lying to doctors.

True, most of the deaths involved people who haven't seen a doctor at all and therefore hadn't had their own situation or condition evaluated to determine whether or not the drugs were right for them. Nevertheless, more than one out of five deaths involved people who had a prescription so, really, we can't rely on the doctors.

The answer is to educate ourselves. There's plenty of information out there on prescription drug side effects - and even those are enough to discourage their use, let alone the dangers of addiction and overdose. People have to understand the risks and decide for themselves whether or not it's worth it.

Also recommended by the CDC is an expansion of available addiction treatment. In fact, it's not hard to get help, although it is important to find an addiction treatment center that is experienced in dealing with prescription drug addiction. Some prescription drugs can be even harder to kick than illegal drugs, and more dangerous.

The safest way to avoid addiction and overdose is:

-Ensure that all other non-drug avenues have been explored. If the problem is chronic pain, for instance, make sure you've tried chiropractic, acupuncture, and natural pain relief.

-If nothing else works, make sure you speak with your doctor about the drugs he's recommending. Find out if the drug was approved by the FDA for your specific condition, ensure your doctor knows about any other drugs you're taking so you don't risk drug combinations that may be deadly, and get the lowest dose possible of the least dangerous drug possible and take them for the shortest period of time possible. Also, follow all your doctor's other recommendations - e.g. doing exercises he recommends, reducing stress on the body, cutting down on certain foods, and so on.

-Lock up your painkillers. Don't let anyone else near them. Realize that by doing so you actually are putting their life at risk.

If you're already hooked, find an addiction treatment center that can help you. Then get busy finding other solutions to your problem.

Deaths from prescription drug overdoses have reached epidemic proportions. What can you do to protect yourself and your loved ones?

Gloria MacTaggart is a freelance writer that contributes articles on health.

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