Worrisome facts about over-medication

We're drugging ourselves right into the grave... and bad meds are only part of the problem.

A new report finds a shocking rise in the number of hospitalizations due to prescription drug poisonings, and it's not because people are trying to copy their favorite Hollywood has-been.

It's because too many people are being given these drugs in the first place.

Hospital admissions for poisonings due to opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers rose 65 percent between 1999 and 2006, from 43,000 to 71,000. Don't chalk those up to suicides -- those made up barely a third of the total, while accidental poisonings rose by 37 percent, according to the study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Accidental poisoning is now the second-leading cause of unintentional injury and death in 35-to-54 year olds, killing more of them than traffic accidents. Next time you open that pill bottle, imagine you're stepping out into traffic -- yes, it's that bad.

Blame Big Pharma for this -- their push for easy access to dangerous meds has paid off... with doctors who should know better handing out these drugs to people who don't need them.

Back pain? Have a painkiller. Arthritis? Have another painkiller. Stress? Here's some Valium.

Most docs can't be bothered to find the real cause of the pain... and they wouldn't know where to look even if they wanted to. But they do know another prescription will shut the whiners up for 30, 60 or 90 days.

Sound like anyone you know? Sound like you?

Remember, there's no such thing as a safe med -- and if you're playing prescription roulette, it's just a matter of time before you're hit with a side effect, overdose or worse.

If you've got a problem and your doc is just pushing pills at it, find yourself a new doc before you find yourself in the emergency room -- or the morgue.

Popping off on pill-pushers,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

--

Back to Eden communities  Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com "Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care