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Most Pain Patients Don’t Obey Doctor’s Orders

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According to a recently-concluded study, out of 240,000 long-term patients suffering from chronic pain, 77 percent did not follow the instructions of their physician.

The study, by Texas-based Ameritox, revealed that 75 percent of the patients were either taking excessive medication, inadequate medication, no medication or some other medications that were not originally prescribed to them. These extra medicines were illegal or were not recommended by the doctor.

According to the study, even the consumption of legitimate drugs might inflict a sort of addiction or substance abuse. More than 90 per cent of cases related to the misuse of prescribed drugs are not revealed until the patient discloses it.

Ameritox performs urine analysis for physicians’ patients in order to provide better information about what medications patients are taking.

Party Drugs Likely Help Spread HIV Infections

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A recent survey in the US has revealed that the increasing use of party drugs such as the stimulant “ice” (a methamphetamine) may be the cause behind escalating HIV-infections among gay men.

Although the study does not confirm that these party drugs are the direct causes of HIV infections, constantly increasing trends cannot be ignored.
Methamphetamine that is used in these drugs stimulates the male libido and enables them to stay awake for hours and have marathon sex sessions. And, a higher rate of risky sexual behavior is likely to lead to higher HIV infection rates.

In addition to drug use, many infected men have also confirmed that they either met their sex partners in a club or used the services provided on the Internet to arrange for anonymous sex partners. This also increases the risk of HIV infection.


Source: AAP (7/24/07)

Does Stimulant Treatment For ADHD Increase Risk Of Drug Abuse?

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Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse.
The answer may depend on the age at which treatment is started and how long it lasts, say the authors of a new brain-imaging and behavioral study conducted in animals at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

AMA Stops Short of Classifying Excessive Video Gaming as “Addiction”

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An AMA report prepared for the American Medical Association’s annual policy meeting had proposed including video game addiction in a manual of psychiatric illnesses.

The report was prepared by the AMA’s Council on Science and Public Health.
After some debate, the organization declared that more study is needed before classifying excessive video gaming as an addiction.

The organization acknowledged that over-use of video games can certainly be a problem for both children and adults. The report indicated that children who start playing video games earlier, are more likely to become hooked on video gaming.

According to the report, up to 90 percent of American youngsters play video games and that more than 5 million of them may be addicted.

Source: American Medical Association