Tag Archives: Opioid and Painkiller Addiction

Painkiller and Heroin Addiction

Prescription Painkillers can lead to Heroin Use in Kelowna, British Coulmbia

Can Prescription Painkillers lead to Heroin Use?

Senior Living Prescription Painkiller Abuse Opioids

In lots of ways, this world has come full circle from the early 20th century when heroin was utilized as cough medication. Nowadays, drugs which are equally as potent and powerful are prescribed by doctors as a solution and remedy for pain and discomfort, leading quickly to drug addiction for, possibly, the majority of patients and sufferers. From there, it may or may not actually progress to and reach heroin narcotic use and drug addiction. During the last five years alone, heroin deaths or fatalities have increased by 45 % — an increase and growth which officials blame on the rise of addictive prescription drugs and medications such as Codeine, Fentora, OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin all of which are opioids (derivatives and types of opium, just like heroin).

Individuals Living with Heroin and Prescription Painkiller Abuse in Kelowna

This connection and link finally and at last received some media and press attention following the death of Philip Hoffman, an actor and Oscar winner. Hoffman who was 46 died from a heroin overdose at the beginning of 2014. Not too long ago (2013), Philip Hoffman entered a rehabilitation treatment program when his addiction to doctor prescribed painkillers led him to change to heroin use. However, please do not be misled and confused that it requires heroin use in order to cause a fatal or deadly overdose. All opioids depress a person’s heart rate as well as breathing. Large dosages can cause sedation or sleep and slowed breathing to a stage that breathing actually stops entirely, resulting in death from this dangerous drug called heroin.

Opioid Activity and Heroin Abuse in Vancouver

Opioid and Painkiller Addiction

Information to Better Understand Opioid Addiction, Dependency, Reliance, Misuse and Abuse

Opioids are a type of drug that is usually distributed by medical doctors and health professionals to relieve pain and discomfort. Opioids can end up being typically categorized into two main groups, specifically natural opioids and synthetic, artificial opioids. Opium, morphine or morphia, and codeine tend to be types of natural opioids, while heroin narcotic and oxycodone are examples of synthetic opioids. Each one of these compounds, apart from heroin, is legal and legitimate to use; however, they will call for a medical doctor’s prescription before they can be administered. Due to the fact the ability to tolerate opioid is very probable; these substances are hugely controlled and managed in the majority of places throughout the world.

Living with People on Prescription Painkiller Opioids

However not everybody who normally takes opioid drugs for prolonged time periods are at high-risk of developing opioid abuse and addiction, research and analysis has revealed that many people who are on opioid pain and discomfort treatments and therapies will produce a certain degree of physical dependency or reliance towards the substance. It is when this dependence gets unmanageable that opioid addiction develops and shows itself.

The condition known as abuse of opioids does not really occur in just one day. In most all cases, opioid addiction only begins to occur when an individual’s body gets regularly exposed to opioid-based medications and medicines due to an ailment or health problem that triggers continuous and uninterrupted pain. More often than not, anytime an individual gets very much accustomed to prescription drugs pain killers like opioids, they no longer get the same amount of comfort from a lowered dosage of the drug. Due to the fact of the tolerance levels that they develop towards the opioid, the patient and sufferer begins to need an increase or boost in the opioid medication dosage to achieve the relief from the pain and discomfort they are enduring. Adjusting opioid medication dosages to higher amounts makes the affected individual increasingly and progressively more dependent upon the chemical substance as time passes which, subsequently, can result in opioid abuse or even full blown addiction.

Opioid Activity and Treatment in Vancouver

Tolerances as well as dependence are very common and distinctive complications and issues associated with taking these opioid drugs and medicines for extended periods of time. The good news is, they could be prevented under a medical doctor’s or healthcare provider’s proper care and treatment. Opioid abuse, misuse and addiction are not so likely to occur in people who consume the opioid drugs appropriately. Meaning, if a person gets the approved and permitted dosage, they can lower their risk and danger of developing drug addiction despite constant use of these addicting drugs.

As with many other types of substance drug abuses, opioid drug addiction is not quick to treat and deal with. If an individual is experiencing and going through such a problem, they need to understand and comprehend that they cannot treat addiction by themselves. Medical doctors play and perform a crucial and all-important part in rehabilitation as well as recovery in the same way that their family and friends can also help and support. Treatment and rehabilitation facilities and services can help people deal and cope with life issues and difficulties brought about by opioid addiction. To move into a drug-free life, seek help from these professionals in these facilities the second one identifies and recognizes the problem or big red flag of drug addiction .

Opioid and Painkiller Addiction

The Most Vulnerable to Opioids and Drug Addiction

There are 3 Groups Of People who are The Most Vulnerable to Opioids and Drug Addiction

Adolescents or Teens – Relating to a 2004 Countrywide Survey about Drug Usage and Health and Wellness, 10.4% of teenagers or adolescents aged twelve to seventeen had used doctor prescribed psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical or health-related reasons or motives in the previous year and also 5.3% have been current drug users. Doctor prescribed opioids really are a particularly serious and major problem in this age grouping.  A nationwide government agency in  2005 overseeing a long-term survey regarding 8th through 12th-graders discovered that 5.3% of 12th-graders had been abusing OxyContin in the previous year, as well as 9.7% who reported abusing Vicodin, making Vicodin just about the most commonly over used or abused prescription drug medication in this particular population. One more troubling and disturbing pattern is the particular recent phenomena referred to as “pharming,” in which young individuals mix prescription medications or prescription drugs and consume some or even  all of these drugs at one time, unaware and ignorant of the potential serious and severe drug interactions.

Senior Living Prescription Painkiller Abuse Opioids;

Elderly or Older Adults – Although individuals 65 years old and over comprise or consist of only about 14% of the population, they are prescribed roughly one-third of almost all medications or prescription drugs in North America. Furthermore, older or elderly individuals are oftentimes prescribed more long-term prescription medications, along with multiple medications, which might result in unintentional abusing these drugs. A huge percentage of elderly adults also utilize over the counter medicines or medications and also dietary and health supplements like vitamins, together with prescription drugs, which can lead to dangerous and grave outcomes. The elderly or seniors also are at risk regarding prescription substance abuse, in which they intentionally take medications or prescription drugs which are not medically required. As a result of high rates of comorbid illnesses and health problems among the elderly or seniors, changes within drug metabolic rate with age, and the likelihood or risk of drug interactions, prescription or doctor prescribed and over the counter drug abuse, misuse or improper usage can have more adverse health consequences and outcomes amongst this age bracket.

Opioid Activity in Vancouver;

Gender Distinctions – Studies and research claim that women are more inclined than men to be prescribed by doctors an abusable prescription drug or  medicine, specifically narcotics and anti-anxiety drugs or medications, in certain cases, 62% much more likely. Overall, men and women have more or less comparable rates of non-medical usage of prescription drugs and medications. An exception is identified involving 12- to 18-year-olds. Within this age group, young females are much more likely than young teenage boys to use psychotherapeutic drugs or medicines non-medically. Furthermore, research and analysis indicate that females are at increased risk and danger for non-medical use of narcotic analgesics, pain killers, medications and tranquilizers (e.g., benzodiazepines, diazepam). However, amongst women as well as men who use a sedative, anti-anxiety drug medication, or hypnotic, women are usually almost 2 times more prone to become addicted to these drugs.