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Health News Results - 14
Valium, Xanax Prescriptions Could Raise Overdose Risk in Youth
- Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
- November 29, 2022
- Full Page
Teenagers and young adults who use benzodiazepines to treat insomnia may be at heightened risk of overdose, a new study finds.
Benzodiazepines include anxiety medications like Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Xanax, as well as prescription sleep aids such as estazolam (...
Dangerous Prescriptions of Opioids-Plus-Sedatives Plummet in U.S.
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- June 7, 2022
- Full Page
Reacting to the nation's opioid epidemic, doctors in the United States are co-prescribing fewer opioid painkillers and benzodiazepines such as Ativan and Xanax, federal health officials report.
When these drugs are taken together, the odds of an overdose, even a fatal ov...
Animal Sedative Is Driving Rise in Fatal Drug ODs
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- September 21, 2021
- Full Page
An animal tranquilizer, xylazine, is increasingly linked to drug overdose deaths across the United States, health officials say.
According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, xylazine has turned up in overdose deaths in 25 of 38 stat...
Loneliness Raises Opioid Dangers in Seniors: Study
- Robert Preidt
- July 29, 2021
- Full Page
Illustrating a heartbreaking cycle, new research finds that lonely seniors are much more likely to take opioid painkillers, sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs and other medications.
This puts them at increased risk for drug dependency, attention problems, falls, accidents and...
'Laughing Gas' Shows Promise Against Tough-to-Treat Depression
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- June 10, 2021
- Full Page
When antidepressants fail to rein in hard-to-treat depression, the common anesthetic most know as "laughing gas" might be a safe and effective alternative, new research suggests.
The finding follows work with 28 patients struggling with "treatment-resistant major depress...
1 in 3 Young Americans Prescribed a Psychiatric Drug Misuses Them: Study
- Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
- February 3, 2021
- Full Page
Many young Americans are prescribed psychiatric drugs to treat medical conditions, but nearly one-third of them wind up misusing the medications, a new study finds.
"Misuse of prescription substances is alarmingly high among U.S. youth and young adults," said lead resear...
In Philadelphia, an Animal Tranquilizer Is Driving Deadly Rise in Opioid ODs
- Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
- February 3, 2021
- Full Page
Philadelphia is seeing a surge in overdose fatalities involving heroin and/or fentanyl plus an animal tranquilizer not approved for human use, according to a new study.
The tranquilizer -- called xylazine -- is a non-opioid sedative and painkiller approved by the U.S. Fo...
Kids Aren't Scared by Medical Workers' PPE, Study Finds
- Robert Preidt
- January 26, 2021
- Full Page
Kids aren't scared when surgical staff wear personal protective equipment (PPE), and many feel reassured by use of the gear, researchers say.
Anxiety is common before, during and after surgery, and can result in complications such as pain and delayed recovery. Concerns h...
Not Harmless: Rubber Bullets, Pepper Spray Rob Vision
- Alan Mozes
- November 3, 2020
- Full Page
Last summer, the American Academy of Ophthalmology condemned the use of rubber bullets as a law enforcement tactic for crowd control during protests that rocked the United States. The argument: rubber bullets can cause serious eye injury.
Now, a new study backs up that c...
Why Are Dementia Patients Getting Risky Psychiatric Drugs?
- Serena Gordon
- August 18, 2020
- Full Page
As many as 3 in 4 older adults with dementia have been prescribed drugs that may pose a risk to them, researchers report.
The drugs in the study included commonly prescribed medications that can affect the brain or nervous system, such as sedatives, painkillers and a...
Meds Like Valium, Xanax Linked to Higher Risk of Ectopic Pregnancy
- Serena Gordon
- June 3, 2020
- Full Page
Taking benzodiazepines -- drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Halcion or Ativan -- to treat anxiety or insomnia before pregnancy boosts the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, new research suggests.
Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus, typ...
For Insomniacs, Sleep Aids Can Ease a Troubled Mind
- Steven Reinberg
- October 3, 2019
- Full Page
People with severe insomnia may find that a sedative helps them sleep and banishes thoughts of suicide, a new study suggests.
"If you have a patient who complains that their sleep has taken a turn for the worse, then there is reason to open the door to a question ab...
Music Soothes the Stressed Soul Before Surgery
- Robert Preidt
- July 19, 2019
- Full Page
Music may be as powerful as drugs in calming patients before they undergo surgery, new research suggests.
It worked just as well as a tranquilizer before patients received a peripheral nerve block prior to their procedure, the researchers said. Peripheral nerve bloc...
More Americans Mixing Opioids With Sedatives
- Robert Preidt
- January 17, 2019
- Full Page
As if the opioid crisis wasn't already bad enough, new research shows a sharp rise in the number of Americans taking dangerous combinations of opioids and sedatives.
These sedatives, known as benzodiazepines, are prescribed for pain, insomnia and anxiety. And another...