We have been hearing a lot about pain killers, sleeping pills and other medications that have been abused by celebrities and regular Americans. Besides knowing that these drugs cause tolerance and/or dependence leading to abuse, they may cause cardiovascular collapse, cardiac arrest and respiratory distress. What does that mean and how does this happen? Can you prevent this if you are taking these medications?
Basic definitions:
1. Cardiac arrest – sudden end of heart function
2. Cardiovascular collapse – a sudden loss of effective blood flow due to heart or vessel factors
3. Respiratory depression – slow and shallow breathing decreasing oxygen in the body
Example of abuse-potential medications and their adverse effects:
1. Pain Killers – Drugs such as Demerol are used to treat moderate to severe pain. Side effects: respiratory depression, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, hypotension, etc.
2. Sleeping Pills – Drugs such as Restoril, Ambien. Side effects: respiratory depression, dizziness, nausea, etc.
3. Anti-anxiety medications – Drugs such as Xanax, Valium. Side effects: respiratory depression, dizziness, hypotension, etc.
All have similar adverse/side effects. If taken in HIGH DOSES or COMBINED, they can slow both the heart and respiration, causing death.
Tell/ask your doctor/dentist/pharmacist about :
1. Prescribed medication, over-the-counter medications and herbs you are taking.
2. When, how often, and should you take it with or without food/water/other medicines or supplements?
3. Side effects.
4. When is the medication going to start working?
5. Ask for a medication card for your wallet or make your own.
6. Remember that drugs have two names. Could you be taking the same medication twice?
7. Improve your health so you do not need to rely on many medications.
Knowledge is power.
Some Americans might have two or more doctors if they travel, own two homes, visit relatives or end up in an urgent care or emergency room. It is very important that even transitional medications be known to the physician you are seeing. Remember Heath Ledger who overdosed on six medications, three of which were from the same class of drugs? He had a number of physicians and specialists throughout America and elsewhere as he traveled to be on set for his movies. Because there is no conjoined pharmacy system, physicians do not know what the other physician is prescribing. You must tell them to protect yourself. Sadly, you can’t rely on the physician or your chart to hold all the information.
No one else will care more about your health than you should.