MedShadow

Many hospitalized patients who are given opioids during and after invasive medical procedures commonly experience moderate to severe opioid-related adverse events, according to a new study

In more than 25 states, levothyroxine — a treatment for underactive thyroid — is the most-prescribed drug. And in 10 states, the most popular prescription medications are the opioid pain pills Vicodin and Norco (hydrocodone and acetaminophen).

While the nation continues to fight the opioid crisis, Vicodin and Norco are Continue Reading →

If you have a lot of pain in your leg or arm, you might be expecting (and hoping!) that your doctor will give you a powerful pain reliever like codeine or oxycodone. That would likely be a mistake.

A new study published today in JAMA (Journal Continue Reading →

Doctors who accept gifts from pharmaceutical companies have a tendency to prescribe more drugs, especially ones that are more expensive. Data was collected from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and the DC Department of Health. Researchers analyzed prescriptions written by doctors in Washington and gifts given to them Continue Reading →

More than 25% of dialysis patients received high doses of opioids that exceeded recommendations, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Researchers analyzed data collected from 2006-2010 that examined prescriptions patients received while undergoing dialysis therapy.

The study found Continue Reading →

Big Rise in Hospitalizations for Kids With Opioid Side Effects Researchers have found that young children are experiencing the harmful side effects of opioid painkillers at an increased rate. The research team collected data on adolescent hospital stays and examined children from 1 month to 17 years old. The preliminary Continue Reading →

Several medical and health organizations are calling on the FDA to remove ultra-high-dosage (UHD) opioid painkillers from the market since the risks of the potent meds, such as abuse and overdose, outweigh their benefits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that patients consume Continue Reading →

Concern expressed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians about the use of cough suppressants, and in particular opioid cough suppressants, in children has lead FDA chief Scott Gottlieb to make that the subject of an upcoming meeting of the Pediatric Advisory Committee.

Gottlieb Continue Reading →

A medication for lower back pain could be ineffective and cause side effects. A new study found that gabapentinoids –- an analgesic typically prescribed for lower back pain — may actually be ineffective and could cause unwanted side effects. A research team from Canada examined data from eight randomized trials Continue Reading →

Researchers are testing a potential replacement for opioids for chronic pain. A team at Japan’s Okayama University has discovered that the compound clodronate may relieve pain with few side effects.

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, clodronate obstructs the triggers for chronic pain while Continue Reading →

Abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) of opioids do not reduce the overall abuse of the painkillers according to a report from the Institute of Clinical and Economic Review (ICER). New research suggests that ADFs can possibly lead opioid abusers to switch to other harmful drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. Dan Ollendorf, PhD, Continue Reading →

In what seems to be another instance of opioid overprescription, researchers have found that cancer survivors — especially those who are young and rural — are given opioid painkillers over an extended period of time after their diagnosis compared to those never diagnosed with cancer.

Researchers from the University of Continue Reading →