Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.
If you’ve read the national news or even picked up a local
newspaper in the last year, you’ve heard of the opioid drug epidemic overcoming
the nation. Do you know who is taking these drugs and how they are getting
them? Are they prescription or illegal drugs, or both? Why are these drugs
killing people? Do these drugs work for pain control and are there safer
alternatives?
While any one reason may not be one hundred percent the
cause, we can put a large amount of blame on the drug makers themselves. Oxycontin,
Percocet, Duragesic and Fentanyl (a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than
heroin) are the brand names of these opioid drugs. Many believe the makers of
these drugs need to be held accountable for this trend, especially since
several have been caught lying about the benefits and risks of their
drugs. Heroin is the street drug of
choice, but all the others are used and sold illicitly as well.
Let’s start with some statistics. In 2014, more than 28,000 people
died from opioid overdoses. In 2013, 16,000 people died from prescribed opioid
painkillers. A 2016 study showed a 300% increase in heroin use from 2003 to
2014, reaching 1 million users. Americans use 80% of the world’s opioid drugs.
Alabama has the highest opioid prescription rates, 143 prescriptions per 100
people. As a result, more people now die from prescriptions of painkillers than
die from street drugs like heroin. “The CDC states that addiction to
painkillers is the strongest risk for heroin addiction, and among heroin users,
45% are also addicted to painkillers,” according to Dr. Mercola. How did we get
to this point in America?
How have the drug makers caused this epidemic? First, prior
to a 2010 remanufacturing, long-acting painkillers like Oxycontin could be
snorted or shot. In 2010, the pills were made harder to crush so it was more
difficult to inhale or shoot from a needle. Addicts claim this high was better
than heroin. This is chemically correct because Oxycontin is nearly identical
to heroin.
Second, the drug manufacturers were instrumental in getting
the prescription guidelines changed to favor opioids as the first choice for
lower back pain and other pain conditions that previously did not qualify for
these types of drugs. They were
originally designed for covering the breakthrough pain of cancer patients.
Third, they promoted long term use of opioids for pain
control even though there was no evidence that using them long term is safe and
effective. In fact, using them at all
has serious effects such as depressing the heart rate and slowing
breathing. Higher doses cause sedation
and slowed breathing to the point of stopping altogether, to the point of
death.
Fourth, they down played and misinformed doctors and
patients about the addictive nature of these drugs. The makers of Oxycontin
told doctors and sold their goods by telling people the pain control lasted a
full 12 hours. Instead, most people experienced nowhere near that relief, and
ended up taking more doses, becoming addicted and then when the drug was
removed, incurring painful withdrawal symptoms. The cycle of overuse and abuse continues
from that point.
Oxycontin was approved for use in 1996, the maker, Purdue,
has hauled in more than $31 billion from its sale. By 2007, Purdue and three of
its executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges of misleading regulators,
doctors and patients about the drugs addiction and abuse risk. They paid $600
million in fines. Purdue was ordered by the FDA in 2003 to pull its ads due to
being “grossly misrepresenting” the drug’s safety profile. Little was done
thereafter to rein in their use, and sales continue to soar.
How can the government continue to allow this epidemic to
balloon? The FDA claims to be our almighty caretaker overseeing our complete
safety in taking “approved” medications. Unfortunately, their response doesn’t
punish the drug makers for their criminal deeds. It simply adds profit to their
bottom line! Why? Because the response of government has been to focus on
treatment of users and the availability of anti-addiction drugs! More drugs to
treat their other drugs affects. So the industry that created the problem is
now rewarded as the government’s plan to address the epidemic simply puts more
money in their pockets.
Drug companies intentionally got people addicted and now they
are providing the treatment drugs, paid for by your tax dollars. You’ve heard
the recent bill passed right here in Pennsylvania of a standing prescription
for the anti-overdose drug Narcan/Naloxone by the top doctor in our state. This means
anyone can go to the pharmacy and request Narcan, no questions asked. Why
aren’t we doing more to prevent the misuse and overuse of narcotic painkillers,
especially since it’s proven they are a gateway drug to heroin?
We will look at the negative health effects of these opioids
and other, less deadly, pain treatments in the next article.