There have been a lot of high profile drug deaths over the years.  Many of these people have been using illicit drugs.  Heroin, cocaine, etc… have led to the end of a lot of great actors, musicians and even famous pitchmen (i.e. Billy Mayes).  The number of people killed by these drugs doesn’t even come close to the number killed by drugs that are not only legal, but may be found in your very own medicine cabinet.

It is scary to think that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention linked prescription medications to the deaths of 37,485 people in 2009 alone.  According to Unknown News (Unknown News), a site has tracked the number of deaths and injuries throughout the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, 35,302 United States Service members have been seriously injured and another 5,554 had been killed (as of Aug. 10, 2010).  When comparing those numbers directly, in a 7-plus year WAR only 3,371more people had their lives affected (most of them through injury, not death), than those that lost their lives from prescription drugs in ONE YEAR (comparing deaths to deaths it is even more staggering, as 31,931 more deaths were caused in one year by prescription drugs than were caused in 7 years of war).  This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed more in the media.

To break this down even further, a death related to prescription drugs occurs every 14 minutes.   This makes deaths due to prescription drugs more common than traffic fatalities.  A Los Angeles Times article on this topic ("Drug Deaths Outnumber Traffic Deaths in US") shows the following statistics from 2000 to 2008:

-          “(Prescription) drug fatalities more than doubled among teens and young adults”

-          “Deaths more than tripled among people aged 50-69”

-          “The death toll is highest among people in their 40’s”

There are a lot of thing that can account for this.  Younger people can be affected by “pharm parties.”  These parties involve kids taking various types of prescription medications to get a buzz.  Unfortunately they don’t realize the severe consequences that can occur from taking, or mixing, these drugs.

Older people are on more and more medications every year.  I see very few patients in their upper years that aren’t on at least 5 different types of medication.  This situation gets more complicated as you add in the fact that many of the medications are prescribed to them by different doctors.  A rheumatologist may give them an arthritis medication, a cardiologist doles out a beta blocker and a general practitioner may give them pain medication.  Most doctors are really good about looking at what you are currently on, but the more people doing different things, the higher the risk of a mistake occurring.  This is one instance where a centralized medical record would save some lives.

The death toll among people in their 40’s is the hardest to explain, but there are some things that can account for this upswing as well.  According to the Los Angeles Times article, the most deadly drugs are pain medications and anti-anxiety drugs.  There are a lot of instances when people in their 40’s are on these drugs.  They have a lot of pain due to the stresses that they are under.  Financial stress, family stress, work stress and health issues play a huge role in the lives of many people in this age group.  And most of them think that they can continue what they need to do by continuing to take prescription drugs.  Unfortunately this combination can get the best of them.

Here are my recommendations to avoid joining this group:

1.        Whenever possible, seek out natural healthcare.  If a prescription medication is not a necessity, don’t seek them out.  If they are necessary, follow the doctor’s orders, but be sure to get off of pain medications, anti-inflammatories, etc… as soon as you safely can.  When they aren’t necessary seek out practitioners that can fix the problem, not just treat the symptoms.  Chiropractors are great at this, but there are other professionals that do a good job as well.

2.       Know what your doctor is putting you on, why you are on it, when you can get off of it and the potential dangers of being on it.  You are the person in control of your healthcare at all times.  You need to remember that.  If you don’t want to be on a drug, can’t get answers to the questions that you have or want a second opinion, wait until you get what you need.  The doctor may not be real happy with you, but you have to be comfortable with what they are doing.  You know your body better than anyone else.  It is your job to help them reach the best decision.

  Lock up all prescription drugs, and dispose of them properly when they are no longer needed.  There are a lot of drives to collect prescription drugs these days.  They should be used to dispose of any medication (not just prescription medications), as flushing them down the toilet, throwing them into the garbage, and other forms can lead to ground water contamination, which has a lot of more severe consequences linked to it.

Also be sure to have them safely locked up.  Obviously little kids can get into them and poison themselves, but the problems can’t be limited to little kids that don’t know better anymore.  As I mentioned, many high school students are grabbing these medications without knowing the dangers.  By keeping them from them, you will eliminate some of their risk.

4.        Get educated on prescription medications.  Nobody expects you to become a doctor or a pharmacist, but get a little education on what drugs can be dangerous and in what combinations.  There are a lot of resources that you can use.  Your local pharmacist, the Internet or your doctor are always great places to start.  Learn what you can and trust them on the rest.  By asking questions you make them better at what they do.  You help them eliminate mistakes.  Do your part.

Prescription drugs are sometimes your only option.  Just be aware that they are not always as safe as everyone thinks they are.  Just because your doctor told you to take them, doesn’t mean you aren’t going to have any problems.  YOU must take the initiative when it comes to your health.  Help your healthcare team operate at the highest level that they can.

By taking action, you can avoid the same fate as some of the great performers that we have lost.

 

If you have questions, or would like to discuss this further, please contact me at:

Jeffrey L. Cumro, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Personal Trainer
Better Life Chiropractic and Wellness, LLC
          Better Care > Better Health > Better Life
402-210-1472
BetterLifeNE@gmail.com
www.BetterLifeNE.com