The Pandemic of Prescription Drugs

DISCLAIMER: This list is not complete, and is not intended as medical advice! This is simply a warning, and some amateur observations. Everyone should seek the advice of a Medical Professional, do their own research, and take charge of their own treatment as informed consumers!

Ok, the Whitney Houston death has fueled this in regular circles that were somehow unaware of it before now, so I supposed I should put some input into the topic.

Prescription Drugs are more dangerous than illicit drugs in many ways!

Drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities!

Fueling the surge are prescription pain and anxiety drugs that are potent, highly addictive and especially dangerous when combined with one another or with other drugs or alcohol.

Prescription Drug Deaths Skyrocket

More people die in America every year from prescription drug abuse than die from heroin and coc aine combined. That stunning finding comes in a new report Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Houston's Death spurs look at her doctors.

That effort is well under way in the death of Whitney Houston, with investigators saying Wednesday they have subpoenaed records from the singer's doctors and pharmacies who dispensed medication found in her hotel room.

The thing is, no one has to overdose, or be an addict, or do anything inappropriate to die from these drugs. People trust their doctors. People often have multiple doctors. My wife has a lethal combination of prescriptions at this very moment. She could walk into her medicine cabinet, take each of the prescribed medicines that doctors have given her over the past month, and lie down for bed, and she would soon join Heath Ledger, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Anna Nicole Smith, Britanny Murphy, Bruce Lee, Chris Penn, ODB, Casey Johnson, and many, many others, including a cousin of mine.

Actor Heath Ledger died from prescription medications including OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Valium and Xanax, and the sleep aids Restoril and Unisom. Anna Nicole Smith died at 39 while on choral hydrate, Klonepin, Ativan, Benadryl and Topamax. This occurred just a few months after her son Daniel died from a combination of Zoloft, Lexapro, Serax, Valium, and methadone. Another young actress, Brittany Murphy, died at 33. She had pneumonia, but she got tipped over from her combination of prescribed medications including hydrocodone, acetominophen, methamphetamine, and chlorpheniramal.

Source

My wife would very possibly already be dead if she didn't have a skeptic for a husband. It helps that I work in a field where we are intimately aware of these dangers. 7 people per day die in Florida alone from Prescription Drugs. Some of these deaths are of course related to addicts and overdoses, but many of them are tragic accidents.

A combination of common drugs can lead to a slowing of the heart rate or breathing to dangerous levels during sleep. Certain drugs can dampen the body's natural emergency response to recover from the dangerously low levels, and sadly, some people take their prescriptions, and go to sleep, and they just never wake up.

In Whitney's case, she apparently slipped below the water in her bath and inhaled the water, and died from drowning. It wasn't her years of illicit drug abuse that finally did her in, it was a simple, relaxing bath, with prescription medications!

Drug Interaction Checker

There are many drug interaction warnings on prescriptions, and there are sites like the one above to get more information, but the key thing to remember is this.........

Narcotics and other Pain Killers, combined with Muscle Relaxers, and/or Anti-Depressants are very dangerous. Combine either of those combinations with Sleep Aids or Sedatives and the danger is increased dramatically. Combine some of the above with Alcohol, and your chances of death become far too high!

Sleep Aid Abuse

Commonly Prescribed and Abused Drugs
***Try not to take these in combinations, or with alcohol, or just before bed

Sleep Aids
Brand names like Ambien, and Lunesta

Prescription Sleep Aids to help with falling asleep:

Ramelteon
Zolpidem
Eszopiclone
Triazolam
Zaleplon

Prescription Sleep Aids that help to maintain sleep:

Zolpidem
Eszopiclone
Estazolam
Temazepam

Prescription Sleep Aids to treat insomnia among patients with depression:

Ramelteon
Zolpidem
Eszopiclone
Zaleplon
Trazodone
Nortriptyline
Amitriptyline

Muscle Relaxers w/pics
Brand names like Soma, Lorzone, Flexeril, Flexmid, Amrix, Norflex, Zanaflex, Robaxin, Skelaxin

Generic chemical names:
Baclofen
CARISOPRODOL
CHLORZOXAZONE
CYCLOBENZAPRINE
DANTROLENE
DIAZEPAM
METAXALONE
METHOCARBAMOL
ORPHENADRINE
TIZANADINE

Anti-Depressants, and Mood Enhancers
Name Brands such as Xanax, Paxil, Zoloft,
Citalopram (Celexa, Cipramil)
Escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Seroplex, Lexamil)
Fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Aropax)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Vilazodone (Viibryd)

And Finally, Narcotics/Painkillers
Name Brands such as Vicodin, Ultram, Demerol, Lorcet, Percocet, Dilaudid, Celebrex, Oxycontin

Chemical Names:
Celecoxib
Tramadol
Meperidine
Hydrocodone
Oxycodone
Morphine Sulfate
Fentanyl
Hydromorphone
Oxymorphone

Let me reiterate one additional time.... this list is not a complete list, there are many other dangerous drugs, and new drugs emerging daily. Everyone should seek out the help of a Medical Professional. Each person should also do their own due diligence in researching meds, and taking charge of their own treatments.

A couple of other random things to be aware of:
Pain reliever patches should never be cut, or altered in any way. Altering a patch gives an uneven, and dangerous dosage of medicine. It might not be effective at all, or it might flood the system with an overdose. Never cut or alter a patch, and never combine patches.

Time Release meds can be more dangerous than other Meds. Drug interactions with Time Release meds are harder to judge for a layman. The level of drugs in the system stays higher for a longer period of time, and people often make mistakes combining drugs because of this.

Good luck folks, be careful out there, and look out for your loved ones!

Great thread and story. It's very timely. It was after Michael Jackson died that I looked around at my own family and friends..and realized with a shock, there aren't more than a couple I know who don't take Rx drugs at least once a day on a long term basis. Age doesn't matter...health doesn't matter. If it isn't pain killers for an old injury, it's legal speed for ADHD. If not either of those, then sleep meds or blood pressure..whatever it was, ALMOST every single person I know is on one or more of them daily.

When I was growing up....it was hard to name someone who was taking prescription drugs on a long term, chronic basis. That was the stuff that brought grandparents to mind....now everyone from small children to middle aged adults. Scary stuff these days.....and you're right.

NO ONE can predict the infinite variety of interactions as the meds grow in number................and people use the bathrooms which puts measurable amounts in the water we drink and the food we eat. More interactions....

Star and Flag!

This is what needs to be known!

Thank you for a very informative post.

Anything that helps to inform the general population about the dangers of prescription drugs is highly applauded.

As a former Police officer I have seen the very real effects that such under estimated drugs can have upon lives.
Not only by the destruction they can cause but by the addiction also.

I have seen Tramadol cause hallucinations that appear very real and frightening to the user. I have seen the same hallucinations applied to an 83 year old woman and the results were not nice.

I myself am prescribed Paracetamol and Codeine for a neck injury, I am sure the US has another name for codeine.
I'm fully aware of the risk of overdose but also blindingly aware at how easy it can be to forget that you have already taken your dosage and in effect double the safe consumption level.
This combined with alcohol can in certain situations prove fatal.

Thank you for this post and increasing awareness of what appear to be harmless safe drugs with potentially deadly consequences.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Yes, the water supply, and effect on natural fish habitats is another thread entirely! I've seen studies in my Organic Chemistry classes that fish species in large waterways, where urban runoff ends up, are becoming lethargic, and emasculated, and they just don't care about avoiding dangers, or breeding. This is having an impact on our whole ecology.

Plus, the fertility rate among human men is dropping, and some of that is blamed on prescription meds.

4th graders showing signs of depression

This was a 20-year study that was just recently completed, I wonder if they checked up on any of the kids they labeled "depressed". I wonder how many of those kids went on to live normal healthy lives? I get the feeling they would exclude something like that...

The entire study was just absurd. When a doctor tells a CHILD that they are depressed, that sticks with them and now they have to wait for the doctor to remove their "affliction", with whatever anti-depressants they'll prescribe. I think it's completely normal for a kid to experience every emotion, and even get stuck on one for a while; I also think it's normal to feel like you don't belong, and since when did having 1 or 2 friends become unhealthy? All it is cyclical and prescription drugs and diagnosis are stigmas that stop the cycle.

reply to post by studio500

I'm fully aware of the risk of overdose but also blindingly aware at how easy it can be to forget that you have already taken your dosage and in effect double the safe consumption level.

When I was a kid, my Father had a prescription for Codeine after some dental work. He was still in a lot of pain, so Mom called the Dentist, and the Dentist said to double the dosage. A few hours later, Dad was still in pain, so Mom called the Dentist, and the Dentist said to take the meds every 2 hours, instead of 4 hours.

A couple of doses later, Dad went to sleep, and Mom couldn't wake him up. She called the Dentist, and the Dentist realized she had given the Double Dosage, Twice as often, but instead of telling her to call an ambulance, he just told her to keep checking Dad's breathing and let him sleep it off.

Luckily, Dad ended up being fine, he slept straight through for 2 days, and Mom didn't sleep a wink, because she checked on him every 20 minutes like clockwork.

It is so easy to get a little bad advice, and take it too literally, and have major consequences. These things are dangerous, but they have become so mainstream that people don't realize the danger they are in.

reply to post by getreadyalready


My god your Father was a very lucky man as the consequences could have been far worse but thanks to your mothers dilligence and commitment he survived thank god.

I spoke to my doctor and told him that I was unhappy taking Codeine as I was aware of the addiction factor associated with it. He assured me that I would be fine and that the only alternative was Tramadol which I rejected.

I never thought for one minute that I myself could become addicted to this prescribed pain relief but last year my wife and I drove from Vegas to San rancisco enjoying our road trip of a lifetime. Whilst staying in a hotel I began sweating profusely and my legs became so restless I could not lie still or sleep.
This continued for 11 straight days and almost ruined our vacation. It was only halfway through the trip that I realised that I had not brought with me, or been taking my Solpadol Tablets, (Paracetamol and Codeine).
The withdrawal process I went through was like a living hell. An internet search revealed hundreds of similar accounts with codeine being referred to as the evil dragon within, that needed to be fed.

Needless to say we returned home and due to increasing pain I was put back on the Codeine trail as nothing else was available.
So I guess in many ways I am a legal junky!
It's nothing at all to be proud of but patient awareness should be a priority and our Doctors should make us aware of all the possible side effects rather than leaving up to a very small leaflet that I couldn't read even if I had a microscope handy.

reply to post by CaptainNemo


It is absurd!

What does a 4th Grader know about depression? What is the source of stress and dread in their life?

If a 4th grader is truly depressed, with just cause, then the parents need a wake up call!

The other thing that really bugs me is the meds for people who are depressed over a loved one dying, or a divorce, or a failed pregnancy. Yes, you are depressed, you are supposed to be depressed. You suffered a loss, or a tragedy, and you need to experience your grief and work through it, and grow as a human being.

These days, there is a pill to wake up, a pill to go to sleep, a pill to focus on work or school, and a pill to relax when you are done. A pill to give you energy, and a pill to kill the pain when you get sore from too much energy.

In fact, you don't even need a pill!! There are morphine patches and lollipops!

From an earlier source...

One relative newcomer to the scene is Fentanyl, a painkiller that comes in the form of patches and lollipops and is 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Such drugs now cause more deaths than heroin and coc aine combined.

Good post. Most people do not understand the synergistic effect that certain drugs have with each other, and yes, it is easy to forget that one took their dose so they end up double-dosing accidentally. Tranquilizers, sleeping pills, narcotic pain killers, and alcohol are a deadly combination.

I am afraid that it is going to get a lot worse.

It seems that doctors no longer believe in medication in moderation. They hand out vitamin "D" like it is candy.

Every little ache or pain comes with a prescription for 1 to 4 milligrams of vitamin "D" IV every two to four hours. It is so addictive that I watch people puking their guts up and scratching like crazy but they won't give up the vitamin "D". Just add some Benedryl and some Zofran or Reglan with that if you please.

One thing is guaranteed. That is that they will be back in the ER every other week with some vague, unidentifiable, unprovable list of complaints and of course excruciating pain that is only resolved with vitamin "D". As soon as they get their shot, you can bet they will be playing games on their I pads or cell phones and demanding food from the cafeteria.

Sometimes I think that it is part of the master plan in some way.

Color me jaded but it really is getting ridiculous and extremely deadly.

Who needs illegal drug trafficking when we got legal prescribed drugs that are as profiting as the illegal ones.

In America all you have to do is find a dealer (I mean a doctor) that can give you a fix (I mean a prescription).

If I let the doctors work their magic on me I would be in over 10 different drugs right now, my mother was hook ( I mean on prescribed drugs) for years thanks to happy pill pusher doctors.

Every time I see the dealers (I mean the big pharma drug pushers I mean prescribe drugs sellers) in our Starbucks located at one of the local hospital wing like scavengers waiting for their victims ( I mean doctors ) to offer their goods I just feel sick to my stomach that one of those same doctors are the ones I have to trust my health with.

Pitiful.

Apologies for my earlier spelling mistakes but it is 03.40hrs here and my matress beckons with great appeal.

I shall catch up with this thread in the morning and wish all a good prescription free night.

You're right, and people don't talk about this enough, but pharma drugs really have taken over as the biggest addiction I see. People just don't take these drugs serious enough like how they think of other illicit 'street' drugs. I'm glad I got over all my "addictions", even recently cigs!

Cause before that,,,,,,,i was on some tyrone biggums ish

It's the doctors. Narcotics are insanely addictive and the doctors don't want to or refuse to admit it. I deal with people all day long who look 20-30 years older then they are because of pain med addiction. These people got addicted because they were prescribed them without proper education to the addiction risk. Not to mention the government and health care pays for it so it's virtually free for them to keep using.

Obviously some people do need to be medicated but oddly enough the people with serious conditions never look or act the way addicts do even if they have been on the meds for years.

I don't know how I should feel about the fact that I've got 3 of those prescriptions in my medicine cabinet (Trazodone for the occasional sleeping problems, Zoloft for depression, and Hydrocodone for pain that seems to be originating in my back).

I only have 3 prescriptions that I have to take each day (one is actually aspirin), but I make sure to always use a pill organizer so that I know when I've taken it and I don't accidentally forget or double a dose.

Regardless of my reasons for being on all of those, that doesn't stop me from realizing how dangerous even over the counter medications can be, let alone prescriptions. I have a friend that made the mistake of mentioning to me that she was thinking about taking a double dose of her anti-depressant because she was having a really bad day. Sadly she didn't seem to really understand why I flipped out at the idea.

Well it's been fun whilst on the prescription meds. I didn't end up killing myself because of the help they provided, and when i was on them for too long and started getting emotional on them thinking about killing myself, i got off them, and havn't felt this good and clear in a while.

In escence this is how I feel:
They saved my life by getting on to them.
I saved my life by getting off of them.

Like everything,
They have a good side and a bad side.

reply to post by riddle6


Yep, I think a lot of people have a similar combination in their cabinet!

Just be careful, don't take them all together, don't take them all right before bed, and don't combine them with alcohol.

reply to post by NightSkyeB4Dawn

I just read your note here on Vitamin D and it's a little startling. I appreciate the note. It so happens that my son's doctors have started talking about him having a Vitamin D deficiency issue within just this past month. We're being told the store stuff isn't good enough...so they have a prescription for it. Hmm.... Something kinda smelled funny about that, but with your information added now...I think I have some serious research to do and it's more important than making a good thread. Thanks for the info. It may come in quite handy.

Unfortunately, you've hit the nail right on the head. People don't do enough of their own research, instead trusting and believing in the "professional expertise" of their own doctors or counsellors.
People, please be proactive concerning your own medications and possible interactions. There is no one to look out for you but yourself ( or, if you're fortunate, a diligent and aware loved one ).