Dear Sirs,
I felt compelled to write a brief response to the article that appeared on Sunday's front page, regarding the medication Vicodin. The generic name for Vicodin is Hydrocodone, and it usually is combined with Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen and it is an excellent medication when prescribed and used properly. The human brain, like many other animals that are studied by researchers, has a phenomenon called tolerance. Many of the readers of this essay might be familiar how tolerance develops with most medications or substances. For example, if you used to drink two beers and get intoxicated, after a brief period of time, you will develop tolerance to alcohol, and you might have to drink three or four beers to get the same kind of feeling. Hydrocodone is no different. If you hurt yourself or incur an injury, you may be prescribed Hydrocodone as an analgesic to relieve the pain. It usually works well.
Here is where problems begin. After taking 1 pill every four hours for five days, it might not have as good of analgesic effect as you needed. So, maybe you try two, and all of sudden, it works. You feel better, so now you take 2 pills four times a day, and the problems begin. You will run out of your prescription early and ask for a refill or another prescription. Since your physician is trying to help you, they might comment or ask why you need more so soon? A logical question. You are honest and nave at this point and you tell the truth, 1 pill just didn't seem to be enough in the morning when I woke up. The physician chides you for changing your dosage without consulting him or her, but gives you a new prescription because of the legitimate pain problem that you are experiencing.
(2 of 3)
I would like to touch on a more familiar substance for a moment, Alcohol. Yesterday was the Superbowl, and it was a great game, and many people watched it in about 140 countries. The sponsor of the NFL is Coor's. Their main product is beer, which is a vehicle to deliver alcohol to your brain. An interesting statistic is that approximately 6% of the people that try alcohol, become addicted to alcohol or alcoholic as we commonly refer to it. So this presents a problem for me. If 100 million people try Coor's Light, 6% of them will become addicted. That is 6,000,000. That's a lot of twelve packs! In the United States, 100,000 people die annually due to alcohol and alcohol related problems. Our laws need to be looked at, for example: a colleague of mine Larry Gentilillo MD is has been studying alcohol and drug related accidents which cause people to come or be brought to Hospital Emergency Rooms for treatment. The ER's don't check for intoxicants, because if the person driving the vehicle is found to be under the influence, their insurance company can refuse to pay the bill. Therefore, the hospitals don't tell this side of the story. Dr. Gentililo has proven statistically that would be the best time for an intervention by the attending physician.
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Which brings me to my next point. Most physicians are not well trained in the treatment of pain, especially when it turns into addiction. The percentage that I quoted above for alcohol works for most drugs as well. Therefore, when many physicians see a patient exhibit the basic symptoms of dependence, as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV TR, they assume, illogically that the patient is in addiction. Why? Because they are demonstrating tolerance and withdrawal, those are not the qualifiers of the disease of addiction. Moreover, they represent what is called “pseudo-addiction.” A medication such as Hydrocodone should never be prescribed as the main medication in a chronic pain situation, because pseudo-addiction will always appear; at that point the thought that this person needs addiction treatment is not based in sound medical training. An addiction medicine physician would be able to treat that person with the proper, long acting medications necessary to treat chronic pain.
(3 of 3)
To sum up what I am saying, is alcohol bad or good? It is neither. If you were stuck on a desert island and you accidentally cut your leg, pouring alcohol over it, may act as a disinfectant. In that case the alcohol is good. However, if a person with the disease of addiction to the drug alcohol (fondly known as alcoholism) it would then be a bad thing. So, one can see, it is not the substance that is bad or good; it is a very complicated understanding of brain chemistry to know whether that Hydrocodone or Vicodin is either bad or good. Actually, it is neither, once again, it is just a tablet. Helpful if you have acute pain, dangerous if you have developed the co-morbid diseases of pain and addiction.
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The new medicines and psycho-social counseling that are offered by the office that I work at, have about a 90% success rate of being able to manage the disease of addiction and treat pain, if necessary. Please do not throw the baby out with the bath water as your article implied.
Sincerely,
Barry Schecter, LCSW-R, CASAC, MAC, SAP
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Karo Parisyan Fails Drug Test
Well that’s not good…
According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Karo Parisyan, who defeated Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94 back on January 31st, tested positive for the painkillers Hydrocodone, Hydromorophe and Oxymorphone.
So far, all other fighters that were tested at UFC 94 have had their tests come back negative for recreational and performance enhancing drugs.
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According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Karo Parisyan, who defeated Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94 back on January 31st, tested positive for the painkillers Hydrocodone, Hydromorophe and Oxymorphone.
So far, all other fighters that were tested at UFC 94 have had their tests come back negative for recreational and performance enhancing drugs.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Drug abuse to get attention in forum
Vanessa tapped the worn kitchen table as she talked about how she had become addicted to Vicodin and how a pharmacist's suspicion both ruined and saved her life.
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The 27-year-old woman, now living in Battle Creek, asked that her last name be withheld to protect her children's privacy. She tells her story here in order to help doctors, police, families and policy makers halt a growing problem nationally and locally.
The community will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion with law enforcement, mental health workers and the media at a town hall forum at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5, "A Dose of Prevention: Stopping Medicine Abuse," sponsored by the Substance Abuse Council, Summit Pointe and the Enquirer at Burnham Brook Community Center, 200 W. Michigan Ave.
There, people can learn how to help protect against prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse and its ensuing effects.
"You hear about it more and more," Vanessa said. "People overdosing, people dying. And they were prescription drugs people thought they were OK to take just because it came from their doctor. And that's how a lot of people also have become addicted in thinking, well, I don't have a problem. They're legit. And that's how it started out with me."
Vanessa first used Vicodin when she was 15 years old and got into a car accident. Her doctor prescribed the potent painkiller in doses higher than necessary for her pain, she said.
She said she didn't abuse it then, but after another car accident at age 19, several doctor's visits and news that the pain in her back was due to a degenerative spinal condition, the addiction began.
"I started using them more as an antidepressant than I did a pain pill," she said. "So it didn't take long for me, after taking them more than I should have, to become very addicted to them."
When her doctor left town, she started writing her own prescriptions from the medical office where she worked.
"It started with me and my best friend, we were joking around one day about, why don't we just get a prescription, you know? Because I worked in a dental office. We actually went through it a couple times," she said.
Vanessa also turned to buying the drug on the streets — $2 for a 500 mg pill or $4 for 1000 mg — with money she had saved for retirement, taking between 10 and 24 pills a day. When that money ran out, she'd do odd jobs for friends or scrap metal for cash.
"If you really wanted it, there was a way to get it," she said.
Her workplace eventually caught her when a suspicious pharmacist alerted the authorities and she ended up with a felony.
"It ruined my whole life," she said of the pharmacist's call. "In a way it was good, because I probably would have ended up killing myself, taking as many pills as I was doing and not meaning to. Probably would have ODed, or something. But, no, I am thankful that that happened. I'm more mad at myself for even doing that, not thinking about the consequences."
Now clean and getting help, Vanessa said she's turning her life around so she can regain custody of her kids.
She regrets the choices she made to abuse a medicine, but also hopes someone will figure out how to stop it from happening to others.
"And especially prescription drugs are so easy to get because they are legal for a lot of people," she said. "I actually have known people that just get a prescription to sell them, because they know people will buy them."
These are issues law enforcement, doctors and families need to face. At the town hall meeting, they hope to have a dialogue with the community to find out what they can do better and inform the community of what it can do to stop medicine abuse.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
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The 27-year-old woman, now living in Battle Creek, asked that her last name be withheld to protect her children's privacy. She tells her story here in order to help doctors, police, families and policy makers halt a growing problem nationally and locally.
The community will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion with law enforcement, mental health workers and the media at a town hall forum at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 5, "A Dose of Prevention: Stopping Medicine Abuse," sponsored by the Substance Abuse Council, Summit Pointe and the Enquirer at Burnham Brook Community Center, 200 W. Michigan Ave.
There, people can learn how to help protect against prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse and its ensuing effects.
"You hear about it more and more," Vanessa said. "People overdosing, people dying. And they were prescription drugs people thought they were OK to take just because it came from their doctor. And that's how a lot of people also have become addicted in thinking, well, I don't have a problem. They're legit. And that's how it started out with me."
Vanessa first used Vicodin when she was 15 years old and got into a car accident. Her doctor prescribed the potent painkiller in doses higher than necessary for her pain, she said.
She said she didn't abuse it then, but after another car accident at age 19, several doctor's visits and news that the pain in her back was due to a degenerative spinal condition, the addiction began.
"I started using them more as an antidepressant than I did a pain pill," she said. "So it didn't take long for me, after taking them more than I should have, to become very addicted to them."
When her doctor left town, she started writing her own prescriptions from the medical office where she worked.
"It started with me and my best friend, we were joking around one day about, why don't we just get a prescription, you know? Because I worked in a dental office. We actually went through it a couple times," she said.
Vanessa also turned to buying the drug on the streets — $2 for a 500 mg pill or $4 for 1000 mg — with money she had saved for retirement, taking between 10 and 24 pills a day. When that money ran out, she'd do odd jobs for friends or scrap metal for cash.
"If you really wanted it, there was a way to get it," she said.
Her workplace eventually caught her when a suspicious pharmacist alerted the authorities and she ended up with a felony.
"It ruined my whole life," she said of the pharmacist's call. "In a way it was good, because I probably would have ended up killing myself, taking as many pills as I was doing and not meaning to. Probably would have ODed, or something. But, no, I am thankful that that happened. I'm more mad at myself for even doing that, not thinking about the consequences."
Now clean and getting help, Vanessa said she's turning her life around so she can regain custody of her kids.
She regrets the choices she made to abuse a medicine, but also hopes someone will figure out how to stop it from happening to others.
"And especially prescription drugs are so easy to get because they are legal for a lot of people," she said. "I actually have known people that just get a prescription to sell them, because they know people will buy them."
These are issues law enforcement, doctors and families need to face. At the town hall meeting, they hope to have a dialogue with the community to find out what they can do better and inform the community of what it can do to stop medicine abuse.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Relaxation and imagery
Would you like to learn how to:
* relieve stress with a personalized action plan from HealthMedia Relax®?
* learn how well you bounce back from stressful situations?
* find out your stress level?
* manage your natural reaction to stress through relaxation?
* reduce the effects of stress on your body and mind with easy-to-learn exercises?
* relax anytime, anywhere with quick and easy relaxation techniques?
* reduce muscle tension and mental stress with muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, guided imagery, and autogenic training?
* slow down and become more focused on the present moment through mindfulness and meditation?
* change negative habits and thoughts with self-hypnosis and affirmations?
* alleviate symptoms from illness or injury?
* create your own at-home spa to pamper yourself without spending a fortune?
* find calm with yoga?
When you think of relaxing, what images come to mind? Sitting quietly? Reading? Meditating? Contemplating a sunset? For some people, thrilling stimulation relaxes them much more than sitting quietly. Playing a competitive game of basketball, driving a race car at high speed, or jumping out of an airplane can bring relaxation for some people.
Imagery is a type of relaxation in which you use the power of your imagination combined with relaxation techniques to produce calming, energizing, or healing responses in your body. If you have ever closed your eyes and pictured yourself lying on the beach as a way to relax yourself, you have used imagery techniques.
Whatever your method, relaxation and imagery are powerful medicine. They can help you:
* reduce anxiety, fear, and panic
* decrease chronic tension
* decrease pain and the need for pain medications
* reduce blood pressure in stress-related hypertension
* decrease heart disease risk
* improve comfort during medical, surgical, and dental procedures
* reduce the length of labor and discomfort of childbirth
* lessen the stress of infertility and improve the chances of conception
* speed healing and recovery from surgery, injury, or skin problems (such as warts or psoriasis)
* boost immune function
* improve management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, lung, and heart disease
Read more on what research shows about relaxation, imagery, and your health.
There are many more advantages to relaxation: you can do it on your own; you don't need any special equipment; it's free; and it can be done anywhere, at any time.
* relieve stress with a personalized action plan from HealthMedia Relax®?
* learn how well you bounce back from stressful situations?
* find out your stress level?
* manage your natural reaction to stress through relaxation?
* reduce the effects of stress on your body and mind with easy-to-learn exercises?
* relax anytime, anywhere with quick and easy relaxation techniques?
* reduce muscle tension and mental stress with muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, guided imagery, and autogenic training?
* slow down and become more focused on the present moment through mindfulness and meditation?
* change negative habits and thoughts with self-hypnosis and affirmations?
* alleviate symptoms from illness or injury?
* create your own at-home spa to pamper yourself without spending a fortune?
* find calm with yoga?
When you think of relaxing, what images come to mind? Sitting quietly? Reading? Meditating? Contemplating a sunset? For some people, thrilling stimulation relaxes them much more than sitting quietly. Playing a competitive game of basketball, driving a race car at high speed, or jumping out of an airplane can bring relaxation for some people.
Imagery is a type of relaxation in which you use the power of your imagination combined with relaxation techniques to produce calming, energizing, or healing responses in your body. If you have ever closed your eyes and pictured yourself lying on the beach as a way to relax yourself, you have used imagery techniques.
Whatever your method, relaxation and imagery are powerful medicine. They can help you:
* reduce anxiety, fear, and panic
* decrease chronic tension
* decrease pain and the need for pain medications
* reduce blood pressure in stress-related hypertension
* decrease heart disease risk
* improve comfort during medical, surgical, and dental procedures
* reduce the length of labor and discomfort of childbirth
* lessen the stress of infertility and improve the chances of conception
* speed healing and recovery from surgery, injury, or skin problems (such as warts or psoriasis)
* boost immune function
* improve management of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, lung, and heart disease
Read more on what research shows about relaxation, imagery, and your health.
There are many more advantages to relaxation: you can do it on your own; you don't need any special equipment; it's free; and it can be done anywhere, at any time.
Time pressure
Would you like to learn how to:
* change your perception of time?
* relax time's grip on your life?
* discover your top goals and priorities?
* simplify your life?
* minimize the time you spend focusing on the past or worrying about the future?
* become more organized?
* reduce time- and energy-wasters?
* manage your time more effectively?
* overcome procrastination?
We all have 24 hours in a day. Some of us feel like we have no time at all. Others manage to get their work done and still have lots of time to relax and enjoy themselves. They are people who have learned to structure their lives so that they focus most of their time and energy on what is most important to them and minimize time spent on things they don't really value. The key is to discover what's really important for you to do and do those things well.
For those of us who don't seem to have enough time, we imagine what an organized, on-time, relaxed life would be like. Not only would it be more pleasurable, but it is healthier, too.
Time pressure can take a negative toll on your well-being such as:
* tension and anxiety
* sleep loss and the health problems related to sleep loss (such as daytime sleepiness, impaired memory, depression, slow thinking, poor health, and irritability or erratic behavior)
* slipping into bad habits, such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking, and artificial stimulants to control your energy (caffeine or pills to rev you up or calm you down)
* a negative effect on your mood and self-esteem, and possibly your relationships with others
Read more on what research shows about time pressure and your health.
While a stress-free life may not be completely realistic for most of us, there are many things you can do to manage your time, deal with procrastination, and accomplish your most important priorities in a more relaxed, enjoyable way.
Learn how to stop your struggle with time pressure and put time on your side.
* change your perception of time?
* relax time's grip on your life?
* discover your top goals and priorities?
* simplify your life?
* minimize the time you spend focusing on the past or worrying about the future?
* become more organized?
* reduce time- and energy-wasters?
* manage your time more effectively?
* overcome procrastination?
We all have 24 hours in a day. Some of us feel like we have no time at all. Others manage to get their work done and still have lots of time to relax and enjoy themselves. They are people who have learned to structure their lives so that they focus most of their time and energy on what is most important to them and minimize time spent on things they don't really value. The key is to discover what's really important for you to do and do those things well.
For those of us who don't seem to have enough time, we imagine what an organized, on-time, relaxed life would be like. Not only would it be more pleasurable, but it is healthier, too.
Time pressure can take a negative toll on your well-being such as:
* tension and anxiety
* sleep loss and the health problems related to sleep loss (such as daytime sleepiness, impaired memory, depression, slow thinking, poor health, and irritability or erratic behavior)
* slipping into bad habits, such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking, and artificial stimulants to control your energy (caffeine or pills to rev you up or calm you down)
* a negative effect on your mood and self-esteem, and possibly your relationships with others
Read more on what research shows about time pressure and your health.
While a stress-free life may not be completely realistic for most of us, there are many things you can do to manage your time, deal with procrastination, and accomplish your most important priorities in a more relaxed, enjoyable way.
Learn how to stop your struggle with time pressure and put time on your side.
secrets to a successful relationship
If you love well you are more likely to live well. Studies show people in successful relationships are generally healthier and happier. So what's their secret?
Successful partners appreciate what one another brings to the relationship and actively work to keep the spark alive. They put the same amount of time and energy into their relationship as they put into other areas of their lives. Couples who continue to renew and enrich their relationships also know that trust and commitment are essential ingredients to nurture their partnership.
Here are ways you can strengthen your relationship each and every day.
1. Show affection—small gestures count. Quiet acts like being tender, stroking, pecks on the cheek, or holding hands can send big messages of love.
2. Be patient—learn to accept your partner's unique qualities. Some things can't be changed, so learn ways that you and your partner can compromise and accept each other's differences.
3. Listen carefully—showing interest is as simple as listening and participating in a conversation. Be a good listener by nodding, responding with "uh-huhs," and looking directly into your partner's eyes.
4. Be thoughtful—small acts that show you care help to increase the love in a relationship. Take out the trash, plan a special meal, surprise your partner with flowers, or plan a special date with your partner.
5. Show appreciation—you can create a circle of love simply by appreciating your relationship. Tell your partner the ways that he pleases you and makes you happy. Recognizing all the little things that your partner does day to day helps him feel loved and confident enough to show his love in return.
6. Be gentle and understanding—be supportive of your partner and show your concern when he tells you about his worries or unloads his stress. Put yourself in his shoes and try to relate to his situation.
7. Be open-minded—listen to your partner's point of view before you disagree. Part of accepting someone else's point of view is being a good listener. You don't have to agree, but try to see where your partner is coming from and validate his opinions.
8. No blows below the belt—learn to fight fair, since disagreements are part of any healthy relationship. Listen and respond with respect. Losing control and becoming emotional rarely helps solve any problem.
Learn to emphasize the positives of your relationships and downplay your weaknesses. Successful partners take responsibility for their relationships, respect each other, and foster love and trust for each other.
Successful partners appreciate what one another brings to the relationship and actively work to keep the spark alive. They put the same amount of time and energy into their relationship as they put into other areas of their lives. Couples who continue to renew and enrich their relationships also know that trust and commitment are essential ingredients to nurture their partnership.
Here are ways you can strengthen your relationship each and every day.
1. Show affection—small gestures count. Quiet acts like being tender, stroking, pecks on the cheek, or holding hands can send big messages of love.
2. Be patient—learn to accept your partner's unique qualities. Some things can't be changed, so learn ways that you and your partner can compromise and accept each other's differences.
3. Listen carefully—showing interest is as simple as listening and participating in a conversation. Be a good listener by nodding, responding with "uh-huhs," and looking directly into your partner's eyes.
4. Be thoughtful—small acts that show you care help to increase the love in a relationship. Take out the trash, plan a special meal, surprise your partner with flowers, or plan a special date with your partner.
5. Show appreciation—you can create a circle of love simply by appreciating your relationship. Tell your partner the ways that he pleases you and makes you happy. Recognizing all the little things that your partner does day to day helps him feel loved and confident enough to show his love in return.
6. Be gentle and understanding—be supportive of your partner and show your concern when he tells you about his worries or unloads his stress. Put yourself in his shoes and try to relate to his situation.
7. Be open-minded—listen to your partner's point of view before you disagree. Part of accepting someone else's point of view is being a good listener. You don't have to agree, but try to see where your partner is coming from and validate his opinions.
8. No blows below the belt—learn to fight fair, since disagreements are part of any healthy relationship. Listen and respond with respect. Losing control and becoming emotional rarely helps solve any problem.
Learn to emphasize the positives of your relationships and downplay your weaknesses. Successful partners take responsibility for their relationships, respect each other, and foster love and trust for each other.
Power to change
Different people have different styles of change. For example, some people make elaborate written plans and follow them; others don't bother to plan at all. It's important to discover the style of change that works for you, and in what situation.
Many big changes—such as stopping smoking or getting into better physical shape—happen as the result of a series of small steps (getting rid of ashtrays and buying fewer cigarettes, for instance, or using the stairs instead of the elevator). Other changes come from more radical conversion; they often involve a major shift in our hearts and minds. The change may result from a conviction that the old way of behaving is no longer compatible with who you are.
Read what research says about how people change.
We have identified three of the basic pathways to change: pleasurable change, breakthrough change, and step-by-step change.
Back to top
Pleasurable change
We make some changes just because they are so enjoyable—things like getting a massage, drinking a glass of wine, taking a nap, or watching a funny movie, for instance. And all of this fun pays off in immediate gratification as well as better health.
So try changing the easiest and most fun things first! Playing with a pet, taking a siesta, or listening to your favorite music all can make you feel good. And they may fit easily into your life, so you're likely to keep doing them.
Changing some unhealthy habits can even be a healthy pleasure. An immediate reward for successfully giving up a bad habit or addiction is the increased sense of mastery and control you feel. The pleasure from the increased self-confidence can sometimes more than make up for the lost enjoyment of smoking, excessive drinking, or other bad habits.
Back to top
Breakthrough change
Some changes, even controlling addiction and other bad habits, occur without much planning. People "just do it." Sometimes these changes involve a major crisis or trauma, and they are not always comfortable.
Many people who face life-threatening illness, family crises, or natural disaster make sweeping changes in their lives. A person suffers a heart attack and suddenly his life priorities undergo a radical shift. These changes often occur as dramatic breakthroughs, shattering old beliefs and habits. They also give rise to new ways of thinking and acting. For some, the change results from a profound spiritual experience, a religious conversion, or deep insight.
The Chinese ideogram for "crisis" contains two symbols—one means "danger," the other "opportunity." It is difficult to engineer a crisis, but when such an opportunity occurs, you may take advantage of it to make some rapid progress and health improvements.
Back to top
Step-by-step change
For some people, small incremental stages of change work best. Here's where deliberate planning is most helpful.
Are you ready for change? If you are not prepared to "just do it," then start by determining how ready you are to make a particular change. Start by asking yourself these four key questions:
* What's the problem?
* Do I really want to change?
* How ready am I to make that change?
* What are the best strategies for me to use to be successful?
In some areas you may be ready for action; in others, you just need some help maintaining the positive change. In still others you may need more information before deciding to take action.
Back to top
Five stages of change
Whether you want to break a bad habit or start a new healthy one, you can learn how to increase your chances of success. Start by understanding your own readiness to change. Then choose the strategies that are likely to be most effective for you. Don't worry about the ultimate goal. Just focus on moving to the next stage. Your success will boost your confidence.
Decide which of the following stages of change you're in:
Stage 1: Not interested in changing
Stage 2: Considering change
Stage 3: Ready to make plans
Stage 4: Ready to take action
Stage 5: Maintaining the change
You can click on any stage above to read about specific techniques that match your stage of change.
Learn about Stage 1: Not interested in changing.
Select any of the links to the left to explore other areas of mind and body health. Or return to the power to change main page.
If you are looking to make healthy changes in your life, our healthy lifestyle programs can help you lose weight, relieve stress, eat well, and quit smoking for good.
Many big changes—such as stopping smoking or getting into better physical shape—happen as the result of a series of small steps (getting rid of ashtrays and buying fewer cigarettes, for instance, or using the stairs instead of the elevator). Other changes come from more radical conversion; they often involve a major shift in our hearts and minds. The change may result from a conviction that the old way of behaving is no longer compatible with who you are.
Read what research says about how people change.
We have identified three of the basic pathways to change: pleasurable change, breakthrough change, and step-by-step change.
Back to top
Pleasurable change
We make some changes just because they are so enjoyable—things like getting a massage, drinking a glass of wine, taking a nap, or watching a funny movie, for instance. And all of this fun pays off in immediate gratification as well as better health.
So try changing the easiest and most fun things first! Playing with a pet, taking a siesta, or listening to your favorite music all can make you feel good. And they may fit easily into your life, so you're likely to keep doing them.
Changing some unhealthy habits can even be a healthy pleasure. An immediate reward for successfully giving up a bad habit or addiction is the increased sense of mastery and control you feel. The pleasure from the increased self-confidence can sometimes more than make up for the lost enjoyment of smoking, excessive drinking, or other bad habits.
Back to top
Breakthrough change
Some changes, even controlling addiction and other bad habits, occur without much planning. People "just do it." Sometimes these changes involve a major crisis or trauma, and they are not always comfortable.
Many people who face life-threatening illness, family crises, or natural disaster make sweeping changes in their lives. A person suffers a heart attack and suddenly his life priorities undergo a radical shift. These changes often occur as dramatic breakthroughs, shattering old beliefs and habits. They also give rise to new ways of thinking and acting. For some, the change results from a profound spiritual experience, a religious conversion, or deep insight.
The Chinese ideogram for "crisis" contains two symbols—one means "danger," the other "opportunity." It is difficult to engineer a crisis, but when such an opportunity occurs, you may take advantage of it to make some rapid progress and health improvements.
Back to top
Step-by-step change
For some people, small incremental stages of change work best. Here's where deliberate planning is most helpful.
Are you ready for change? If you are not prepared to "just do it," then start by determining how ready you are to make a particular change. Start by asking yourself these four key questions:
* What's the problem?
* Do I really want to change?
* How ready am I to make that change?
* What are the best strategies for me to use to be successful?
In some areas you may be ready for action; in others, you just need some help maintaining the positive change. In still others you may need more information before deciding to take action.
Back to top
Five stages of change
Whether you want to break a bad habit or start a new healthy one, you can learn how to increase your chances of success. Start by understanding your own readiness to change. Then choose the strategies that are likely to be most effective for you. Don't worry about the ultimate goal. Just focus on moving to the next stage. Your success will boost your confidence.
Decide which of the following stages of change you're in:
Stage 1: Not interested in changing
Stage 2: Considering change
Stage 3: Ready to make plans
Stage 4: Ready to take action
Stage 5: Maintaining the change
You can click on any stage above to read about specific techniques that match your stage of change.
Learn about Stage 1: Not interested in changing.
Select any of the links to the left to explore other areas of mind and body health. Or return to the power to change main page.
If you are looking to make healthy changes in your life, our healthy lifestyle programs can help you lose weight, relieve stress, eat well, and quit smoking for good.
Healthy Thinking
* Would you like to learn how to be an optimist and change your negative thinking?
* Would you like to learn techniques that help you think optimistically?
Do you know someone who is generally cheerful and in a good mood, someone who looks on the bright side of things and lets bad situations roll off her back? You may be envious of this person's positive attitude and wish you were born with the same sunny disposition.
Your friend wasn't necessarily born with a positive outlook, but cultivated one through deliberate optimistic thinking. And you are not destined to be a pessimist the rest of your life. You, too, can learn to be an optimist by practicing and applying healthy, optimistic thinking.
Healthy, optimistic thinking has many (serious) benefits to your health, not the least of which is feeling good. It can help you:
* improve your mood and self-esteem
* decrease depression, anxiety, and hostility
* lessen pain and other bodily symptoms
* speed recovery from surgery
* enhance your immune function
* possibly extend your life
Read more on what research shows about optimistic thinking and your health.
You may think that optimism and pessimism are traits you're stuck with, but they're not. To a large extent, optimism and pessimism are just learned habits. Changing the way that you think and talk to yourself can improve your physical and emotional well-being.
Learn how to become a healthy, optimistic thinker.
* Would you like to learn techniques that help you think optimistically?
Do you know someone who is generally cheerful and in a good mood, someone who looks on the bright side of things and lets bad situations roll off her back? You may be envious of this person's positive attitude and wish you were born with the same sunny disposition.
Your friend wasn't necessarily born with a positive outlook, but cultivated one through deliberate optimistic thinking. And you are not destined to be a pessimist the rest of your life. You, too, can learn to be an optimist by practicing and applying healthy, optimistic thinking.
Healthy, optimistic thinking has many (serious) benefits to your health, not the least of which is feeling good. It can help you:
* improve your mood and self-esteem
* decrease depression, anxiety, and hostility
* lessen pain and other bodily symptoms
* speed recovery from surgery
* enhance your immune function
* possibly extend your life
Read more on what research shows about optimistic thinking and your health.
You may think that optimism and pessimism are traits you're stuck with, but they're not. To a large extent, optimism and pessimism are just learned habits. Changing the way that you think and talk to yourself can improve your physical and emotional well-being.
Learn how to become a healthy, optimistic thinker.
Communication
Effective communication starts with good listening skills. Being a good listener is not easy. Listening is a process that requires openness, receptivity, and concentration. Our minds are filled with a continuous stream of reactions, questions, and ideas, and often we're too busy thinking of what we're going to say next to pay attention to what is being said.
Listening well goes beyond just not talking. It requires you to actively participate in listening so you can really hear what the person is trying to say.
Here are four keys to help you become a better listener:
1. Ask for clarification
Asking friendly questions when something is unclear allows you to get more information. It also demonstrates your interest and concern. You might say "Please tell me more about that?" or "Can you give me an example?" Even "I don't understand" or a simple "umm hmm" will encourage the speaker. Some people feel threatened by questions, so make your probing gentle and supportive. Be especially careful with "why" questions. Instead of asking, "Why do you say it like that?" try instead, "Are you angry at me for something?" Instead of "Why didn't you call me?" try "Was there something that held you up?"
2. Say back what you hear
Paraphrasing (saying back what you hear) is not the same as parroting. It's repeating, in your own words, what you think the other person is saying. Here are some examples:
* "So even though it's expensive, you think a night course in desktop publishing will help your career."
* "If I understand you correctly, you are unhappy with the teacher's handling of the children."
* "It sounds like you want help with the project. Is that correct?"
Your summary may be off base, but the purpose of paraphrasing is to correct such misunderstandings.
Paraphrasing sometimes works best as a question:
More skillful: "Are you saying that you'd rather stay home than go to the party with me?"
Less skillful: "Obviously you're telling me you don't want to go to the party with me."
3. Say what you think the other person is feeling
Let him or her know that you heard the emotional content. Listen between the lines. What is the person feeling but not saying? Asking for, but not directly? Be empathetic. Say to yourself: "If I were having this experience, what would I be feeling?"
Body language gives you clues: posture, facial expression, and gestures often reveal underlying emotions. Then check out your guesses. Say, "You seem very disappointed. Is that true?"
4. Interpret the meaning
As you listen attentively, you may begin to sense links between feelings and facts. Offer your tentative interpretations as feedback in an accepting, nonjudgmental way. Use the word "because" to link feelings and facts. For example, "You feel scared because this is something you've never done before. Does that make sense?" This type of communication helps you gain both understanding and insight.
Listening well goes beyond just not talking. It requires you to actively participate in listening so you can really hear what the person is trying to say.
Here are four keys to help you become a better listener:
1. Ask for clarification
Asking friendly questions when something is unclear allows you to get more information. It also demonstrates your interest and concern. You might say "Please tell me more about that?" or "Can you give me an example?" Even "I don't understand" or a simple "umm hmm" will encourage the speaker. Some people feel threatened by questions, so make your probing gentle and supportive. Be especially careful with "why" questions. Instead of asking, "Why do you say it like that?" try instead, "Are you angry at me for something?" Instead of "Why didn't you call me?" try "Was there something that held you up?"
2. Say back what you hear
Paraphrasing (saying back what you hear) is not the same as parroting. It's repeating, in your own words, what you think the other person is saying. Here are some examples:
* "So even though it's expensive, you think a night course in desktop publishing will help your career."
* "If I understand you correctly, you are unhappy with the teacher's handling of the children."
* "It sounds like you want help with the project. Is that correct?"
Your summary may be off base, but the purpose of paraphrasing is to correct such misunderstandings.
Paraphrasing sometimes works best as a question:
More skillful: "Are you saying that you'd rather stay home than go to the party with me?"
Less skillful: "Obviously you're telling me you don't want to go to the party with me."
3. Say what you think the other person is feeling
Let him or her know that you heard the emotional content. Listen between the lines. What is the person feeling but not saying? Asking for, but not directly? Be empathetic. Say to yourself: "If I were having this experience, what would I be feeling?"
Body language gives you clues: posture, facial expression, and gestures often reveal underlying emotions. Then check out your guesses. Say, "You seem very disappointed. Is that true?"
4. Interpret the meaning
As you listen attentively, you may begin to sense links between feelings and facts. Offer your tentative interpretations as feedback in an accepting, nonjudgmental way. Use the word "because" to link feelings and facts. For example, "You feel scared because this is something you've never done before. Does that make sense?" This type of communication helps you gain both understanding and insight.
Vicodin: Help or Hurt
I felt compelled to write a brief response to the article that appeared on Sunday's front page, regarding the medication Vicodin. The generic name for Vicodin is Hydrocodone, and it usually is combined with Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen and it is an excellent medication when prescribed and used properly. The human brain, like many other animals that are studied by researchers, has a phenomenon called tolerance. Many of the readers of this essay might be familiar how tolerance develops with most medications or substances. For example, if you used to drink two beers and get intoxicated, after a brief period of time, you will develop tolerance to alcohol, and you might have to drink three or four beers to get the same kind of feeling. Hydrocodone is no different. If you hurt yourself or incur an injury, you may be prescribed Hydrocodone as an analgesic to relieve the pain. It usually works well.
Here is where problems begin. After taking 1 pill every four hours for five days, it might not have as good of analgesic effect as you needed. So, maybe you try two, and all of sudden, it works. You feel better, so now you take 2 pills four times a day, and the problems begin. You will run out of your prescription early and ask for a refill or another prescription. Since your physician is trying to help you, they might comment or ask why you need more so soon? A logical question. You are honest and nave at this point and you tell the truth, 1 pill just didn't seem to be enough in the morning when I woke up. The physician chides you for changing your dosage without consulting him or her, but gives you a new prescription because of the legitimate pain problem that you are experiencing.
I would like to touch on a more familiar substance for a moment, Alcohol. Yesterday was the Superbowl, and it was a great game, and many people watched it in about 140 countries. The sponsor of the NFL is Coor's. Their main product is beer, which is a vehicle to deliver alcohol to your brain. An interesting statistic is that approximately 6% of the people that try alcohol, become addicted to alcohol or alcoholic as we commonly refer to it. So this presents a problem for me. If 100 million people try Coor's Light, 6% of them will become addicted. That is 6,000,000. That's a lot of twelve packs! In the United States, 100,000 people die annually due to alcohol and alcohol related problems. Our laws need to be looked at, for example: a colleague of mine Larry Gentilillo MD is has been studying alcohol and drug related accidents which cause people to come or be brought to Hospital Emergency Rooms for treatment. The ER's don't check for intoxicants, because if the person driving the vehicle is found to be under the influence, their insurance company can refuse to pay the bill. Therefore, the hospitals don't tell this side of the story. Dr. Gentililo has proven statistically that would be the best time for an intervention by the attending physician.
Which brings me to my next point. Most physicians are not well trained in the treatment of pain, especially when it turns into addiction. The percentage that I quoted above for alcohol works for most drugs as well. Therefore, when many physicians see a patient exhibit the basic symptoms of dependence, as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV TR, they assume, illogically that the patient is in addiction. Why? Because they are demonstrating tolerance and withdrawal, those are not the qualifiers of the disease of addiction. Moreover, they represent what is called “pseudo-addiction.” A medication such as Hydrocodone should never be prescribed as the main medication in a chronic pain situation, because pseudo-addiction will always appear; at that point the thought that this person needs addiction treatment is not based in sound medical training. An addiction medicine physician would be able to treat that person with the proper, long acting medications necessary to treat chronic pain.
To sum up what I am saying, is alcohol bad or good? It is neither. If you were stuck on a desert island and you accidentally cut your leg, pouring alcohol over it, may act as a disinfectant. In that case the alcohol is good. However, if a person with the disease of addiction to the drug alcohol (fondly known as alcoholism) it would then be a bad thing. So, one can see, it is not the substance that is bad or good; it is a very complicated understanding of brain chemistry to know whether that Hydrocodone or Vicodin is either bad or good. Actually, it is neither, once again, it is just a tablet. Helpful if you have acute pain, dangerous if you have developed the co-morbid diseases of pain and addiction.
The new medicines and psycho-social counseling that are offered by the office that I work at, have about a 90% success rate of being able to manage the disease of addiction and treat pain, if necessary. Please do not throw the baby out with the bath water as your article implied.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Here is where problems begin. After taking 1 pill every four hours for five days, it might not have as good of analgesic effect as you needed. So, maybe you try two, and all of sudden, it works. You feel better, so now you take 2 pills four times a day, and the problems begin. You will run out of your prescription early and ask for a refill or another prescription. Since your physician is trying to help you, they might comment or ask why you need more so soon? A logical question. You are honest and nave at this point and you tell the truth, 1 pill just didn't seem to be enough in the morning when I woke up. The physician chides you for changing your dosage without consulting him or her, but gives you a new prescription because of the legitimate pain problem that you are experiencing.
I would like to touch on a more familiar substance for a moment, Alcohol. Yesterday was the Superbowl, and it was a great game, and many people watched it in about 140 countries. The sponsor of the NFL is Coor's. Their main product is beer, which is a vehicle to deliver alcohol to your brain. An interesting statistic is that approximately 6% of the people that try alcohol, become addicted to alcohol or alcoholic as we commonly refer to it. So this presents a problem for me. If 100 million people try Coor's Light, 6% of them will become addicted. That is 6,000,000. That's a lot of twelve packs! In the United States, 100,000 people die annually due to alcohol and alcohol related problems. Our laws need to be looked at, for example: a colleague of mine Larry Gentilillo MD is has been studying alcohol and drug related accidents which cause people to come or be brought to Hospital Emergency Rooms for treatment. The ER's don't check for intoxicants, because if the person driving the vehicle is found to be under the influence, their insurance company can refuse to pay the bill. Therefore, the hospitals don't tell this side of the story. Dr. Gentililo has proven statistically that would be the best time for an intervention by the attending physician.
Which brings me to my next point. Most physicians are not well trained in the treatment of pain, especially when it turns into addiction. The percentage that I quoted above for alcohol works for most drugs as well. Therefore, when many physicians see a patient exhibit the basic symptoms of dependence, as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV TR, they assume, illogically that the patient is in addiction. Why? Because they are demonstrating tolerance and withdrawal, those are not the qualifiers of the disease of addiction. Moreover, they represent what is called “pseudo-addiction.” A medication such as Hydrocodone should never be prescribed as the main medication in a chronic pain situation, because pseudo-addiction will always appear; at that point the thought that this person needs addiction treatment is not based in sound medical training. An addiction medicine physician would be able to treat that person with the proper, long acting medications necessary to treat chronic pain.
To sum up what I am saying, is alcohol bad or good? It is neither. If you were stuck on a desert island and you accidentally cut your leg, pouring alcohol over it, may act as a disinfectant. In that case the alcohol is good. However, if a person with the disease of addiction to the drug alcohol (fondly known as alcoholism) it would then be a bad thing. So, one can see, it is not the substance that is bad or good; it is a very complicated understanding of brain chemistry to know whether that Hydrocodone or Vicodin is either bad or good. Actually, it is neither, once again, it is just a tablet. Helpful if you have acute pain, dangerous if you have developed the co-morbid diseases of pain and addiction.
The new medicines and psycho-social counseling that are offered by the office that I work at, have about a 90% success rate of being able to manage the disease of addiction and treat pain, if necessary. Please do not throw the baby out with the bath water as your article implied.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Opioid makers need plan to curb risks: FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators will require 16 manufacturers of brand-name and generic opioid painkillers to impose stronger measures to curb misuse and abuse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Monday.
The FDA sent letters inviting the companies to a meeting in March to discuss ways to reduce dangerous use of the medicines. Companies that received the letters include Johnson & Johnson, King Pharmaceuticals Inc, Endo Pharmaceuticals Holding Inc and privately held Purdue Pharma.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
The FDA sent letters inviting the companies to a meeting in March to discuss ways to reduce dangerous use of the medicines. Companies that received the letters include Johnson & Johnson, King Pharmaceuticals Inc, Endo Pharmaceuticals Holding Inc and privately held Purdue Pharma.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your opiate dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Methamphetamine Abuse Costs U.S. $23.4 Billion
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- In 2005, the economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States was $23.4 billion, according to a RAND Corporation study of the financial impact of addiction, premature death and other issues associated with the drug.
While methamphetamine causes some unique types of harm, many of the costs associated with its use are the same as those identified in economic assessments of other illicit drugs, the study found.
Almost two-thirds of the costs caused by methamphetamine use resulted from the burden of addiction and the estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. The second largest cost category was crime and criminal justice, including the costs of arresting and jailing drug offenders and dealing with non-drug crimes committed by methamphetamine users, such as thefts committed to support their drug habit.
Loss of productivity, the removal of children from their parents' homes because of methamphetamine use, and drug treatment were among the other factors associated with the economic cost of the drug.
The study cited the production of methamphetamine as another cost category, explaining that producing the drug requires toxic chemicals that can result in fire, explosions and other dangerous events. The resulting costs cover such things as cleaning up the hazardous waste generated by methamphetamine production and injuries suffered by emergency workers and other victims.
"Estimates of the economic costs of illicit drug use can highlight the consequences of illegal drug use on our society and focus attention on the primary drivers of these costs," study lead author Nancy Nicosia, an economist at RAND, said in a news release from the nonprofit research organization. "But more work is needed to identify areas where interventions to reduce these harms could prove most effective."
The study was sponsored by the nonprofit Meth Project Foundation and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"We commissioned this study to provide decision-makers with the best possible estimate of the financial burden that methamphetamine use places on the American public," Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project, which aims to reduce first-time use of the drug, said in the news release.
"This is the first comprehensive economic impact study ever to be conducted with the rigor of a traditional cost-of-illness study, applied specifically to methamphetamine," Siebel said. "It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work."
While methamphetamine causes some unique types of harm, many of the costs associated with its use are the same as those identified in economic assessments of other illicit drugs, the study found.
Almost two-thirds of the costs caused by methamphetamine use resulted from the burden of addiction and the estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. The second largest cost category was crime and criminal justice, including the costs of arresting and jailing drug offenders and dealing with non-drug crimes committed by methamphetamine users, such as thefts committed to support their drug habit.
Loss of productivity, the removal of children from their parents' homes because of methamphetamine use, and drug treatment were among the other factors associated with the economic cost of the drug.
The study cited the production of methamphetamine as another cost category, explaining that producing the drug requires toxic chemicals that can result in fire, explosions and other dangerous events. The resulting costs cover such things as cleaning up the hazardous waste generated by methamphetamine production and injuries suffered by emergency workers and other victims.
"Estimates of the economic costs of illicit drug use can highlight the consequences of illegal drug use on our society and focus attention on the primary drivers of these costs," study lead author Nancy Nicosia, an economist at RAND, said in a news release from the nonprofit research organization. "But more work is needed to identify areas where interventions to reduce these harms could prove most effective."
The study was sponsored by the nonprofit Meth Project Foundation and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"We commissioned this study to provide decision-makers with the best possible estimate of the financial burden that methamphetamine use places on the American public," Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project, which aims to reduce first-time use of the drug, said in the news release.
"This is the first comprehensive economic impact study ever to be conducted with the rigor of a traditional cost-of-illness study, applied specifically to methamphetamine," Siebel said. "It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work."
Monday, February 9, 2009
FDA seeks plans to reduce misuse of painkillers
WASHINGTON – Federal health regulators are requiring more than a dozen drugmakers to develop plans to reduce the misuse of their painkillers, which cause hundreds of deaths each year.
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it has issued letters to companies that make opioid drugs, including morphine, oxycodone and methadone.
The drugs are typically used by people already taking narcotics, such as cancer patients, to treat severe flare-ups of pain. Despite their ability to relieve chronic pain, the drugs can be highly addictive and are often abused for their euphoric effects.
The FDA has issued a number of warnings on the drugs in recent years and some companies already have plans to manage the drug's risks.
"Despite these efforts, the rates of misuse and abuse, and of accidental overdose of opioids, have risen over the past decade," said Dr. John Jenkins, FDA's chief of new drugs. According to FDA, about 21 million prescriptions for opioids were dispensed in 2007.
FDA said it will meet with 16 drugmakers March 3 to discuss risk-management plans for the medications. Such plans can include bolstered warning labeling, restrictions on patients who can receive the drugs and cautionary letters to physicians.
Companies asked to attend include makers of generic pills as well as brand-name products, like those from Johnson & Johnson, King Pharmaceuticals and Purdue Pharma.
Regulators said continuing deaths from the drugs are due to both abuse by patients and inappropriate prescribing by physicians. The agency has documented many cases of physicians prescribing the potent painkillers for patients with migraine headaches, an unapproved use. The FDA said patients will also sometimes chew extended-release pills that are designed to be swallowed, causing an overdose of the drug.
"We're focusing on these products because they generally contain very high doses of the drugs and need to be used very carefully," Jenkins said.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it has issued letters to companies that make opioid drugs, including morphine, oxycodone and methadone.
The drugs are typically used by people already taking narcotics, such as cancer patients, to treat severe flare-ups of pain. Despite their ability to relieve chronic pain, the drugs can be highly addictive and are often abused for their euphoric effects.
The FDA has issued a number of warnings on the drugs in recent years and some companies already have plans to manage the drug's risks.
"Despite these efforts, the rates of misuse and abuse, and of accidental overdose of opioids, have risen over the past decade," said Dr. John Jenkins, FDA's chief of new drugs. According to FDA, about 21 million prescriptions for opioids were dispensed in 2007.
FDA said it will meet with 16 drugmakers March 3 to discuss risk-management plans for the medications. Such plans can include bolstered warning labeling, restrictions on patients who can receive the drugs and cautionary letters to physicians.
Companies asked to attend include makers of generic pills as well as brand-name products, like those from Johnson & Johnson, King Pharmaceuticals and Purdue Pharma.
Regulators said continuing deaths from the drugs are due to both abuse by patients and inappropriate prescribing by physicians. The agency has documented many cases of physicians prescribing the potent painkillers for patients with migraine headaches, an unapproved use. The FDA said patients will also sometimes chew extended-release pills that are designed to be swallowed, causing an overdose of the drug.
"We're focusing on these products because they generally contain very high doses of the drugs and need to be used very carefully," Jenkins said.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Users of Rx drugs tracked in Arizona
Have you taken the painkillers OxyContin or Vicodin in the past 10 months? How about the sleep aid Ambien or the stimulant Ritalin?
If you have and you obtained the drug legally, your prescription information is likely being stored in a centralized, state-managed database that can be accessed by doctors and pharmacists around Arizona.
The program, which debuted in December and is overseen by the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, is designed to cut down on the persistent problem of prescription-drug abuse. But it also has raised concerns among privacy-rights groups that fear computer hackers or unscrupulous health workers will access patients' personal information.
State health officials who pushed for the program say they know of no breach of any similar database in another state.
The system, they say, allows physicians and pharmacists to more easily identify "doctor shoppers," people who visit various doctors to obtain drugs that are potentially addictive.
Doctors and pharmacists who learn of a patient's overuse through the system can stop providing him or her the drug, alert other doctors and pharmacists treating the patient, counsel the patient or even contact law-enforcement agencies.
"I am so excited that we are finally getting this for our state," said Dr. Stephen Borowsky, an anesthesiologist and pain-management specialist.
"It's absolutely necessary. . . . These medicines have such great potential for addiction."
The first prescription-monitoring database in the country was set up 13 years ago in Nevada. Now, more than 30 states have authorized or created such lists after deciding that the potential benefits outweigh privacy concerns.
How program works
The Controlled Substance Prescription Monitoring program still is in its infancy, but its database already contains more than 6.5 million prescriptions dating back to April 1, 2008.
Here's how it works:
When any Arizona pharmacy or doctor who dispenses medication fills an order for a drug listed on Schedules II, III or IV of the federal Controlled Substances Act, the details are forwarded to the outside contractor that maintains the database and are entered within a week or two. The data include the patient's name, date of birth, prescribing doctor, medication, the date the prescription was filled and the mailing addresses of the pharmacy and patient.
The drugs on the lists include potentially addictive painkillers, sleep aids, medications that contain morphine or certain forms of codeine, and hormone drugs, including steroids.
Accessing the database
Doctors and pharmacists must register to access the database. They then can type in the name of a patient requesting a medication to see whether the person had other similar prescriptions filled and when.
An automatic notice about a patient's drug use will be sent to the Pharmacy Board when a patient requests or fills at least seven prescriptions for the listed drugs from seven different doctors or pharmacies within a month.
The board is obligated to notify doctors and pharmacies about potential abuse but typically will not take action against the prescriber or patient. The board does not have to notify law- enforcement officials.
Borowsky said he recently used the database to check on a patient seeking medication and discovered that the individual had visited 23 doctors and 18 pharmacies seeking controlled painkillers over the past eight months. Borowsky is in the process of calling those practitioners to alert them.
To date, more than 200 physicians and 50 pharmacists have been granted access to the database.
"More (requests) are coming in every day," said pharmacist Dean Wright, who is responsible for the program's implementation. "We think that number will continue to grow."
Drug-abuse problem
Health agencies and lawmakers who support such programs say they help fight the problem of prescription-drug abuse in the United States.
In a 2007 survey, 7 million Americans age 12 and older reported using prescription drugs, mostly painkillers, for non-medical needs during the previous month, the federal Health and Human Services Department reported.
In Arizona, much of the attention has focused on young people. Drug-related deaths among children and teenagers jumped 41 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to a state Department of Health Services report released in January.
The Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership, established by the Governor's Office in 2007, has targeted prescription-drug abuse as an area of strategic focus for the coming year.
Privacy concerns
Privacy-rights advocates are skeptical of states' arguments that the greater public bene- fit outweighs the privacy risks.
"There is a noble goal there, to stop the abuse of narcotic drugs," said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy for the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. "But obviously, any database is subject to breach."
For the most part, there has been little public outcry over the programs, Stephens said.
"They really haven't gotten much publicity," he said.
More insurers are keeping prescription-history databases that members can access on the Web.
But with the Arizona system, Pharmacy Board officials say, access to the database is recorded and limited to pharmacists and doctors.
Patients can ask to see their files by submitting a written, notarized request.
Insurance and drug companies are barred from accessing patients' data kept by the Pharmacy Board.
The board is allowed to provide data only to public or private entities for statistical research or educational purposes after removing information that potentially identifies patients.
Misuse of the database is considered a Class 6 felony.
Plan called overdue
Debbie Divello, a Prescott Valley mother, thinks the database is long overdue. She believes it could have helped save her son's life if it had been in place a few years ago.
Shaun was prescribed the painkiller methadone after a 2004 motorbike accident and became addicted to the drug. He repeatedly obtained prescriptions at area pain clinics and urgent-care centers and filled them at different pharmacies, she said. He died of an overdose in 2006.
"If they had something like this, they could have typed his name or his Social Security number or whatever in and seen what he was doing," Divello said. "But all the pharmacy had was what was in front of them for their store."
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
If you have and you obtained the drug legally, your prescription information is likely being stored in a centralized, state-managed database that can be accessed by doctors and pharmacists around Arizona.
The program, which debuted in December and is overseen by the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, is designed to cut down on the persistent problem of prescription-drug abuse. But it also has raised concerns among privacy-rights groups that fear computer hackers or unscrupulous health workers will access patients' personal information.
State health officials who pushed for the program say they know of no breach of any similar database in another state.
The system, they say, allows physicians and pharmacists to more easily identify "doctor shoppers," people who visit various doctors to obtain drugs that are potentially addictive.
Doctors and pharmacists who learn of a patient's overuse through the system can stop providing him or her the drug, alert other doctors and pharmacists treating the patient, counsel the patient or even contact law-enforcement agencies.
"I am so excited that we are finally getting this for our state," said Dr. Stephen Borowsky, an anesthesiologist and pain-management specialist.
"It's absolutely necessary. . . . These medicines have such great potential for addiction."
The first prescription-monitoring database in the country was set up 13 years ago in Nevada. Now, more than 30 states have authorized or created such lists after deciding that the potential benefits outweigh privacy concerns.
How program works
The Controlled Substance Prescription Monitoring program still is in its infancy, but its database already contains more than 6.5 million prescriptions dating back to April 1, 2008.
Here's how it works:
When any Arizona pharmacy or doctor who dispenses medication fills an order for a drug listed on Schedules II, III or IV of the federal Controlled Substances Act, the details are forwarded to the outside contractor that maintains the database and are entered within a week or two. The data include the patient's name, date of birth, prescribing doctor, medication, the date the prescription was filled and the mailing addresses of the pharmacy and patient.
The drugs on the lists include potentially addictive painkillers, sleep aids, medications that contain morphine or certain forms of codeine, and hormone drugs, including steroids.
Accessing the database
Doctors and pharmacists must register to access the database. They then can type in the name of a patient requesting a medication to see whether the person had other similar prescriptions filled and when.
An automatic notice about a patient's drug use will be sent to the Pharmacy Board when a patient requests or fills at least seven prescriptions for the listed drugs from seven different doctors or pharmacies within a month.
The board is obligated to notify doctors and pharmacies about potential abuse but typically will not take action against the prescriber or patient. The board does not have to notify law- enforcement officials.
Borowsky said he recently used the database to check on a patient seeking medication and discovered that the individual had visited 23 doctors and 18 pharmacies seeking controlled painkillers over the past eight months. Borowsky is in the process of calling those practitioners to alert them.
To date, more than 200 physicians and 50 pharmacists have been granted access to the database.
"More (requests) are coming in every day," said pharmacist Dean Wright, who is responsible for the program's implementation. "We think that number will continue to grow."
Drug-abuse problem
Health agencies and lawmakers who support such programs say they help fight the problem of prescription-drug abuse in the United States.
In a 2007 survey, 7 million Americans age 12 and older reported using prescription drugs, mostly painkillers, for non-medical needs during the previous month, the federal Health and Human Services Department reported.
In Arizona, much of the attention has focused on young people. Drug-related deaths among children and teenagers jumped 41 percent from 2006 to 2007, according to a state Department of Health Services report released in January.
The Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership, established by the Governor's Office in 2007, has targeted prescription-drug abuse as an area of strategic focus for the coming year.
Privacy concerns
Privacy-rights advocates are skeptical of states' arguments that the greater public bene- fit outweighs the privacy risks.
"There is a noble goal there, to stop the abuse of narcotic drugs," said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy for the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. "But obviously, any database is subject to breach."
For the most part, there has been little public outcry over the programs, Stephens said.
"They really haven't gotten much publicity," he said.
More insurers are keeping prescription-history databases that members can access on the Web.
But with the Arizona system, Pharmacy Board officials say, access to the database is recorded and limited to pharmacists and doctors.
Patients can ask to see their files by submitting a written, notarized request.
Insurance and drug companies are barred from accessing patients' data kept by the Pharmacy Board.
The board is allowed to provide data only to public or private entities for statistical research or educational purposes after removing information that potentially identifies patients.
Misuse of the database is considered a Class 6 felony.
Plan called overdue
Debbie Divello, a Prescott Valley mother, thinks the database is long overdue. She believes it could have helped save her son's life if it had been in place a few years ago.
Shaun was prescribed the painkiller methadone after a 2004 motorbike accident and became addicted to the drug. He repeatedly obtained prescriptions at area pain clinics and urgent-care centers and filled them at different pharmacies, she said. He died of an overdose in 2006.
"If they had something like this, they could have typed his name or his Social Security number or whatever in and seen what he was doing," Divello said. "But all the pharmacy had was what was in front of them for their store."
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Alleged pharmacy burglar foiled
A burglar who staged a sophisticated break-in and stole $400,000 worth of prescription drugs from an Upper Darby pharmacy last Monday was foiled when he left the drugs in the unlocked trunk of a car that he left unattended in the snow, police said.
A neighbor called police, who found the drugs in a gym bag bearing the suspect's name and phone number.
"We're calling this Operation Dumb and Dumber," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said yesterday.
Thomas Ferkler, 43, of Hartley Road in Upper Darby, was arrested Friday night on charges of burglary, theft, trespass and related crimes.
Chitwood said Ferkler carefully planned the drug heist: Wearing a ski mask and carrying a portable scanner to monitor police communications, he cut the phone lines, dismantled the alarm system, and disabled the surveillance cameras at Corus Pharmacy in the 7600 block of West Chester Pike.
Armed with a diagram of the building's interior, Ferkler entered through an air-conditioning system on the roof, Chitwood said. Once inside, he opened two safes and stole drugs including Valium, Xanax and OxyContin that police said are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street, Chitwood said.
"This guy was very sophisticated," said Chitwood. "We had nothing. No forensics. Just a first-class, well-thought-out operation."
Well, almost.
After carefully packaging the drugs for street sales, Chitwood said, Ferkler left them in his gym bag in the unlocked trunk of an unregistered car that he parked down the street from his house. The car was left unattended in the snow for several days, with the car keys still in the trunk.
A neighbor called police, who discovered the drugs. A name tag on the gym bag led them to Ferkler, who police said had a criminal record dating to 1985.
At the time of his arrest, police said, Ferkler was awaiting trial in Philadelphia for allegedly stealing a car. He is in jail after failing to post $100,000 bail.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
A neighbor called police, who found the drugs in a gym bag bearing the suspect's name and phone number.
"We're calling this Operation Dumb and Dumber," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said yesterday.
Thomas Ferkler, 43, of Hartley Road in Upper Darby, was arrested Friday night on charges of burglary, theft, trespass and related crimes.
Chitwood said Ferkler carefully planned the drug heist: Wearing a ski mask and carrying a portable scanner to monitor police communications, he cut the phone lines, dismantled the alarm system, and disabled the surveillance cameras at Corus Pharmacy in the 7600 block of West Chester Pike.
Armed with a diagram of the building's interior, Ferkler entered through an air-conditioning system on the roof, Chitwood said. Once inside, he opened two safes and stole drugs including Valium, Xanax and OxyContin that police said are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street, Chitwood said.
"This guy was very sophisticated," said Chitwood. "We had nothing. No forensics. Just a first-class, well-thought-out operation."
Well, almost.
After carefully packaging the drugs for street sales, Chitwood said, Ferkler left them in his gym bag in the unlocked trunk of an unregistered car that he parked down the street from his house. The car was left unattended in the snow for several days, with the car keys still in the trunk.
A neighbor called police, who discovered the drugs. A name tag on the gym bag led them to Ferkler, who police said had a criminal record dating to 1985.
At the time of his arrest, police said, Ferkler was awaiting trial in Philadelphia for allegedly stealing a car. He is in jail after failing to post $100,000 bail.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
Newark Men Arrested in Pharmacy Robbery
Two Newark men were arrested on Sunday in connection with an alleged robbery at the Walgreens store on Hebron Road in Heath.
40-year old James Tapia and 37-year old Jesse Douglas are in jail.
Authorities say they were apparently robbing the pharmacy of the prescription drug Oxycontin.
The pair face several charges from possesion criminal tools to resisting arrest. The pair were detained inside the store by a customer until authorities arrived.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
40-year old James Tapia and 37-year old Jesse Douglas are in jail.
Authorities say they were apparently robbing the pharmacy of the prescription drug Oxycontin.
The pair face several charges from possesion criminal tools to resisting arrest. The pair were detained inside the store by a customer until authorities arrived.
Call us today to discuss how the V.I.P. Way can free you from your Vicodin dependency and get your life back. Call today: (800)276-7021 or (702)308-6353 Email: info@rapiddetoxlasvegas.com Medical Director: Board-Certified by American Board of Anesthesiology 1994, former chief of cardiac anesthesia, University of Nevada School of Medicine. Board-Certified by American Board of Pain Medicine 1997, Clinical Assistant Professor University Nevada School of Medicine.
FDA seeks plans to reduce misuse of painkillers
WASHINGTON—Federal health regulators are requiring more than a dozen drugmakers to develop plans to reduce the misuse of their painkillers, which cause hundreds of deaths each year.
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it has issued letters to companies that make 24 opioid drugs, including morphine, oxycodone and methadone. Opioids are drugs that simulate the effects of natural opiates, such as opium poppy.
The products targeted by FDA, which come in both pill and patch forms, generally feature extended-release formulas designed to give long-lasting effects. But regulators warned that potency carries serious risks.
"We're focusing on these products because they generally contain very high doses of the drugs and need to be used very carefully," said Dr. John Jenkins, FDA's chief of new drugs.
The drugs are typically used by people already taking narcotics, such as cancer patients, to treat severe flare-ups of pain. Despite their ability to relieve chronic pain the drugs can be highly addictive and are often abused for their euphoric effects.
The FDA has issued a number of warnings on prescription pain relievers in recent years and some companies already have plans to manage the drugs' risks.
"Despite these efforts, the rates of misuse and abuse, and of accidental overdose of opioids, have risen over the past decade," said Jenkins. According to FDA, about 3.7 million patients were taking the drugs under scrutiny in 2007. A
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federal survey conducted that year found 5.2 million people in the U.S. reported using prescription pain drugs inappropriately.
"This is an ongoing problem that's getting worse," said Bob Rappaport, head of FDA's anesthesia drugs division.
FDA said it will meet with 16 drugmakers March 3 to discuss risk-management plans for the medications. Such plans can include bolstered warning labeling, restrictions on patients who can receive the drugs and cautionary letters to physicians.
Companies asked to attend include makers of generic pills as well as brand-name products, like Johnson & Johnson's Duragesic patch, King Pharmaceuticals' extended-releases Avinza pills and Purdue Pharma's extended-release OxyContin.
The risk-managing plans are unlikely to appear until later this year, as FDA said it hopes to hold a public meeting to gather opinions on the issue in the late spring or summer. Until then, regulators said physicians should be diligent about prescribing the drugs only where appropriate.
Regulators said continuing deaths from the drugs are due to both abuse by patients and inappropriate prescribing by physicians. The agency has documented many cases of physicians prescribing the potent painkillers for patients with migraine headaches, an unapproved use. The FDA said patients will also sometimes chew extended-release pills that are designed to be swallowed, causing an overdose of the drug.
The FDA only gained the power to require risk-management plans in 2007, after Congress passed a law designed to improve drug safety. Previously the agency negotiated any changes to drug labeling and promotion with manufacturers.
Regulators are reviewing two experimental painkillers designed to discourage abuse.
Bridgewater, N.J.-based Alpharma has asked the FDA to approve its drug Embeda as a tamper proof version of morphine for patients with chronic pain. The pills are formulated so that the euphoric effects of morphine are blocked when a patient crushes, dissolves or chews them. Rival drugmaker Pain Therapeutics, based in San Mateo, Calif., is waiting for an agency decision on its own abuse-resistant version of oxycodone.
FDA said its announcement Monday only applies to companies with drugs already on the market.
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it has issued letters to companies that make 24 opioid drugs, including morphine, oxycodone and methadone. Opioids are drugs that simulate the effects of natural opiates, such as opium poppy.
The products targeted by FDA, which come in both pill and patch forms, generally feature extended-release formulas designed to give long-lasting effects. But regulators warned that potency carries serious risks.
"We're focusing on these products because they generally contain very high doses of the drugs and need to be used very carefully," said Dr. John Jenkins, FDA's chief of new drugs.
The drugs are typically used by people already taking narcotics, such as cancer patients, to treat severe flare-ups of pain. Despite their ability to relieve chronic pain the drugs can be highly addictive and are often abused for their euphoric effects.
The FDA has issued a number of warnings on prescription pain relievers in recent years and some companies already have plans to manage the drugs' risks.
"Despite these efforts, the rates of misuse and abuse, and of accidental overdose of opioids, have risen over the past decade," said Jenkins. According to FDA, about 3.7 million patients were taking the drugs under scrutiny in 2007. A
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federal survey conducted that year found 5.2 million people in the U.S. reported using prescription pain drugs inappropriately.
"This is an ongoing problem that's getting worse," said Bob Rappaport, head of FDA's anesthesia drugs division.
FDA said it will meet with 16 drugmakers March 3 to discuss risk-management plans for the medications. Such plans can include bolstered warning labeling, restrictions on patients who can receive the drugs and cautionary letters to physicians.
Companies asked to attend include makers of generic pills as well as brand-name products, like Johnson & Johnson's Duragesic patch, King Pharmaceuticals' extended-releases Avinza pills and Purdue Pharma's extended-release OxyContin.
The risk-managing plans are unlikely to appear until later this year, as FDA said it hopes to hold a public meeting to gather opinions on the issue in the late spring or summer. Until then, regulators said physicians should be diligent about prescribing the drugs only where appropriate.
Regulators said continuing deaths from the drugs are due to both abuse by patients and inappropriate prescribing by physicians. The agency has documented many cases of physicians prescribing the potent painkillers for patients with migraine headaches, an unapproved use. The FDA said patients will also sometimes chew extended-release pills that are designed to be swallowed, causing an overdose of the drug.
The FDA only gained the power to require risk-management plans in 2007, after Congress passed a law designed to improve drug safety. Previously the agency negotiated any changes to drug labeling and promotion with manufacturers.
Regulators are reviewing two experimental painkillers designed to discourage abuse.
Bridgewater, N.J.-based Alpharma has asked the FDA to approve its drug Embeda as a tamper proof version of morphine for patients with chronic pain. The pills are formulated so that the euphoric effects of morphine are blocked when a patient crushes, dissolves or chews them. Rival drugmaker Pain Therapeutics, based in San Mateo, Calif., is waiting for an agency decision on its own abuse-resistant version of oxycodone.
FDA said its announcement Monday only applies to companies with drugs already on the market.
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