Are you using benzodiazepines? Then this is the article for you. According to researchers, using “benzos” can be problematic, especially when combined with other medications. Substance abuse in the elderly is not discussed enough, but it is highly important to address this problem since the use of drugs is higher now than it used to be several years ago. The longer you use them, the higher your dependency will be. Thus, the whole family needs to know what medications you are using and for how long.
Drug Dependency and Seniors
The risk is higher when a senior uses both opiods and benzos. You should never mix Valium, Klonopin Ativan, and Xanax with OxyContin or Vicodin. When using both of these medications, the risk for overdosing is incredibly high.
The latest research conducted by the Center for Disease Control and prevention shows that among 431 seniors that died from benzo overdose, around 67 percent were also taking opiods. Two years ago, a huge warning was released regarding this issue. Co-prescribing these two medications is now officially under the spotlight of the Food and Drug Administration.
Let’s say you visit your psychiatrist and get a prescription for Xanax. Afterwards, you fall down and hurt your leg, so you go to a doctor and the doctor puts you on Vicodin. This can be a deadly combination, thus you always need to tell your physician what drugs you are using. They should be qualified enough to know you should never mix benzos with opiods.
There are a lot of side effects of using these drugs, so always think twice before consuming them. Life can seem easier when taking them, but these side effects are lurking from the dark. With almost 10 percent of adults taking benzos, this problem needs a higher awareness, so educate your parents and teach them never to take benzos and opiods at the same time. Also check out the list of drugs the elderly should avoid.
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