Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Alert: Another Warning About a Deadly Cocktail

I somehow missed an update from January relating to a prescription drug, Gabapentin. The report out by WV Public Broadcasting says, 

"A West Virginia Board of Pharmacy report says a prescription drug used to treat nerve pain is contributing to a sharp increase of overdose deaths in the state. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the number of fatal overdoses involving gabapentin in West Virginia jumped from three in 2010 to 109 in 2015. 
The number of 2016 deaths are still being counted. Pharmacy board administrator Mike Goff, who oversees the state's drug-monitoring database, says gabapentin is showing up in cocktails of drugs that are linked to overdose deaths. Users seeking a euphoric high mix the drug with opioids or muscle-relaxants and anti-anxiety medications."
Just what the heck is Gabapentin anyway? I had to turn to the trusty website at drugs.com for that answer.
What is Gabapentin? 
Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant. It affects chemicals and nerves in the body that are involved in the cause of seizures and some types of pain.
Gabapentin is used in adults to treat nerve pain caused by herpes virus or shingles (herpes zoster).
The Horizant brand of gabapentin is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS).
The Neurontin brand of gabapentin is also used to treat seizures in adults and children who are at least 3 years old.
Use only the brand and form of gabapentin that your doctor has prescribed. Check your medicine each time you get a refill at the pharmacy, to make sure you have received the correct form of this medication.
Read more @ Drugs.com
As with all of your prescription drugs, keep them locked up.
Info here found at: drugs.com and from WV Public Broadcasting

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