Opioid Addiction News and Research

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Meth vs. opioids: America has two drug epidemics, but focuses on one

Kim had been wine tasting with a friend in Sonoma, Calif. They got into an argument in the car that night and Kim thought someone was following them. She was utterly convinced. And she had to get away.

7 May 2019

Research on Reddit identifies risks associated with unproven treatments for opioid addiction

Using advanced machine-learning techniques, Georgia Tech researchers have examined nearly 1.5 million Reddit posts to identify risks associated with several of the most common alternative - and unproven - "treatments" for opioid addiction.

2 May 2019

Cancer patients and those with anemia should not be denied opioids, says CDC

The U.S. CDC has issued a letter clarifying that people suffering from severe pain caused by cancer or sickle-cell anemia should not be denied prescriptions for opioid pain-killers.

11 Apr 2019

Penn State-led project focuses on opioid addiction treatment in teens

Substance use disorders continue to rise at alarming rates among adolescents, with opioid abuse contributing to this significant public health problem.

10 Apr 2019

Bringing Maine researchers together to identify solutions to opioid epidemic in Maine

The MDI Biological Laboratory and the University of New England are bringing Maine researchers together to discuss how they can collaborate to identify solutions to the opioid epidemic in Maine.

10 Apr 2019

Impact of legalizing cannabis on the opioid crisis

Legislators believe that the passage of cannabis access laws will play a significant role in addressing the ongoing opioid crisis.

26 Mar 2019

Naltrexone implant more effective in reducing relapses in HIV patients with opioid addiction

When patients with HIV who are also battling opioid dependence go without addiction treatment, they are more likely to stop taking their HIV medications than drug-free patients.

22 Mar 2019

UTSA professor helps train first responders to detect prescription opioid overdoses

James Bray, professor and chair of the UTSA Department of Psychology, is working on a research project with agencies in Houston to train first responders in how to detect prescription opioid overdoses and provide life-saving outreach services.

20 Mar 2019

FDA warns marketer of unapproved products claiming to treat addiction, chronic pain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today posted a warning letter to Nutra Pharma Corp. for illegally marketing unapproved products labeled as homeopathic with claims about their ability to treat addiction and chronic pain, including pain associated with cancer, diabetes, shingles, fibromyalgia and other serious conditions.

19 Mar 2019

Scientists reverse alcohol-seeking behavior in rats with flip of a switch

Scientists at Scripps Research have found that they can reverse the desire to drink in alcohol-dependent rats--with the flip of a switch.

19 Mar 2019

US opioid prescriptions drop by a half but it’s not all good news

The number of opioid prescriptions issued each month in the US dropped to less than a half. However, experts remain concerned about the number of high-risk prescriptions.

15 Mar 2019

$1.5 million grant to develop opioid treatment program for jail detainees

In what could serve as a model for tackling one of the nation's top public health crises, a University of Massachusetts Amherst epidemiology researcher is teaming up with two Western Massachusetts sheriff's offices to design, implement and study an opioid treatment program for jail detainees in Franklin and Hampshire counties.

22 Feb 2019

More states say doctors must offer overdose reversal drug along with opioids

In a growing number of states, patients who get opioids for serious pain may leave their doctors' offices with a second prescription — for naloxone, a drug that can save their lives if they overdose on the powerful painkillers.

21 Feb 2019

Breakthrough test developed to measure pain

A breakthrough test developed by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers to measure pain in patients could help stem the tide of the opioid crisis in Indiana, and throughout the rest of the nation.

14 Feb 2019

FDA issues warning letters to companies for selling unapproved products that claim to treat Alzheimer’s

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today posted 12 warning letters and 5 online advisory letters issued to foreign and domestic companies that are illegally selling more than 58 products, many that are sold as dietary supplements, which are unapproved new drugs and/or misbranded drugs that claim to prevent, treat or cure Alzheimer's disease and a number of other serious diseases and health conditions.

12 Feb 2019

What ‘dope sick’ really feels like

Detoxing off heroin or opioids without medication is sheer hell. I should know. For many users, full-blown withdrawal is often foreshadowed by a yawn, or perhaps a runny nose, a sore back, sensitive skin or a restless leg. For me, the telltale sign that the heroin was wearing off was a slight tingling sensation when I urinated.

8 Feb 2019

HEROES awarded two grants to support opioid intervention program in Houston

The Houston Emergency Response Opioid Engagement System was recently awarded two grants that will help fund the opioid intervention program through the end of 2020.

6 Feb 2019

Lawsuit details how the Sackler family allegedly built an Oxycontin fortune

The first nine months of 2013 started off as a banner year for the Sackler family, owners of the pharmaceutical company that produces OxyContin, the addictive opioid pain medication. Purdue Pharma paid the family $400 million from its profits during that time, claims a lawsuit filed by the Massachusetts attorney general.

4 Feb 2019

Forensic anthropologist to study impact of opioid addiction on bones

Bones are a living record that constantly change over a person's life. Forensic anthropologists are tasked with deciphering clues from bones, and their study of skeletal remains aids in the identification of unknown individuals.

30 Jan 2019

CHOP physician-researchers analyze opioid prescription patterns in children

As the opioid epidemic continues to plague the United States, physician-researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed prescription patterns in children.

29 Jan 2019