MIXING PRESCRIPTION PILLS
 

It seems like not a year can go by when one or the other celebrity isn’t found in their room, having overdosed on alcohol and prescription drugs.  Most recently the death of Whitney Houstan being an example. Both alcohol and Xanax, were found in her hotel room shortly after she died. Combined these substances inhibit the central nervous system and depend on the same enzyme for bodily clearance.
 

Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith are just 3 other celebrities who are said to have died similarly. So if its occurring so often with celebrities, it is probably also affecting the ordinary man of the street as well, just receiving less publicity.
 

I recently came across statistics that showed that in 2007 alone 27,000 Americans died from unintentional prescription drug overdoses, more lives than those claimed by car crashes.  This is an epidemic which seems to be on the rise.
 

Painkillers and alcohol are probably the worst to mix, because both slow breathing by different mechanisms and inhibit the coughing reflex.
 

According to research conducted in The States mixing alcohol and drugs places you at risk of internal bleeding, heart problems, difficulty breathing, headaches, drowsiness, fainting or loss of coordination.  The scary part is that many of the medications that have an adverse effect when mixed with alcohol are available over the counter.
 

Some prescription and over-the-counter medications also contain alcohol, which increases the effect of alcohol. Alcohol also affects women differently from men and the elderly differently from those who are younger so no one should take a chance.
 

Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it decreases your motor coordination, rate of breathing and the digestive process. When combined with other depressant drugs it has the potential to shut the body down entirely.  Because some drugs and alcohol also compete for the same method of absorption into the body, the potency of the drug or the alcohol is increased.
 

Each person is different and the result of mixing alcohol and drugs is unique and unpredictable, which is one of the reasons why mixing is such a dangerous risk to take. Chronic use or intermittent use of drugs and alcohol will lead to liver damage, gastric ulcers, dangerous rise in blood pressure, unusual behavior, memory problems, stroke, coma or sudden death.
 

Another sad and shocking statistic is the number of teenagers that are engaging in this dangerous practice. While it is being documented in the USA, it can also be beneficial for parents in Oz to be aware of. This post on Livestrong.com.au details the problem:
 

Teenagers abuse many forms of prescription drugs in an effort to get high, fit in, lose weight, increase academic performance and improve their athletic abilities. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2009, 20 percent of high school students in the United States had at some time abused prescription medication.
 

 Basics
 

 Teens remove prescription medications from their parents’ medicine cabinets or buy the drugs illegally via the Internet. They often sell these drugs to other teens, abuse them themselves or provide them for peer groups or at parties.
 

Parties in which prescription drugs are abused are often termed pharm parties, at which bowls or bags contain a plethora of random pills and are labeled trail mix, according to USA Today.
 

Teens also mix prescription medication abuse with alcohol. Mixing drugs with drugs or drugs with alcohol can be dangerous combinations. Mixing prescription drugs with other prescription medications can lead to addiction, the use of more addictive drugs, poor judgment, academic failure, relationship problems, mental health disorders and overdose.
 

 Considerations
 

 Abuse of prescription drugs is as common among teenagers as illicit drug abuse and has continued to rise, notes the Teen Drug Abuse website. Teens abuse prescription medications for several reasons: They are generally easily accessible, the teens feel that prescription medications are less risky than other drugs, and their knowledge on the risks associated with mixing prescription drugs for use is limited, reports MayoClinic.com.
 

 Types
 

 According to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy, there are three classes of prescription drugs commonly abused by teens: opioids, central nervous system depressants and stimulants. Some of the specific drugs include but are not limited to codeine, oxycodone, morphine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate, according to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy.
 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/234284-about-teenagers-mixing-prescription-pills/#ixzz23BXBTZAg

Posted by Peter Cutforth