Last week, researchers dropped a bombshell report on DFNZ, a developing new medicine derived from a class of drugs once considered too dangerous to even study. Their proposal sounded almost too good to be true: The drug might offer patients with chronic pain and injuries the benefits of an opioid without the threat of addiction … Read more
More good news in the battle against opioid addiction. Scientists have reopened research into a class of opioids that were once shelved from study — and have discovered a variant that’s a powerful pain reliever, but potentially much safer for sustained use. Though research into nitazenes, a long-overlooked synthetic opioid compound, was cut short in … Read more
A dose of hope for opioid withdrawal. The process of getting clean from opioid addiction can bring on intense physical symptoms that can last for weeks. But promising new research suggests one zen activity could cut the time of opioid withdrawal in half, slashing symptoms like heart rate variability, anxiety, sleep issues and pain. Promising … Read more
Vape shops are popping up in every neighborhood in America, but few people — even doctors — know that many of these shops are selling a dangerous new opioid. It’s concentrated 7-OH, a synthetic byproduct of the kratom plant that binds strongly to the body’s opioid receptors — making it up to 13 times more … Read more
Could sex hormones explain the difference in opioid use and misuse between genders? Since 1999, the American opioid epidemic has killed more than half a million people, and according to the National Institutes of Health, three quarters of those casualties were men. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests … Read more
Mike Wolfe is shedding light on the life of his late friend Frank Fritz. The two co-hosted “American Pickers” since 2010 and Wolfe, 60, took a moment to reflect on their decades-long friendship and Fritz’s private battle with opioid addiction. “Here’s the deal,” Wolfe told People on Monday. “I don’t have the right to tell his … Read more
College football fans know ESPN sideline reporter Lauren Sisler for her sunny personality, incisive interviews and exuberant dancing during games — what she calls her “sideline shimmy.” But the 39-year-old Birmingham resident has a painful history that she kept hidden for nearly two decades: When Sisler was in college, both her parents died of drug … Read more
Come to her window. Rock star Melissa Etheridge takes a leaf out of Johnny Cash’s book and performs at a prison in her new docuseries, “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken.” “I grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas, and most people know it from all the prisons,” Etheridge, 63, told The Post. “I could see [the federal … Read more
Bryan Greenberg’s scary brush with opioids led him to “Junction” — his directorial debut and the first film he’s ever written. More than a decade ago, the actor was prescribed oxycodone after undergoing a “a routine hernia surgery.” But soon, the actor found himself taking from anywhere between 10 to 15 pills a day. “I … Read more
Federal officials issued a stark warning about an easily found supplement known as “gas station heroin” after it caused users to have seizures and lose consciousness. Neptune’s Fix — aka “gas station heroin” — contains tianeptine, “a potentially dangerous substance that is not FDA-approved for any medical use but is illegally sold with claims to … Read more
A subclass of synthetic opioids called nitazenes could be more powerful than fentanyl — and 1,000 times more potent than morphine — according to a new study. The small study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Tuesday, found that those patients who overdosed on nitazenes had to receive two or more doses of … Read more
MINNEAPOLIS – It’s a struggle many in the East African community suffer through silently. Opioid addiction is impacting young and old, and now a documentary – “The Forgotten Ones” – is being released in order to break down stigmas and encourage support. Abdirahman Warsame is the film’s producer. “Through the storytelling you know, people will … Read more
In the nationwide battle against opioid abuse, New Jersey paramedics have found success with a treatment-focused approach. Camden County, in southwestern New Jersey near Philadelphia, has one of the highest overdose and drug-related death rates in the state. When responding to an overdose, paramedics use naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of opioids — … Read more
“Give me the epidural!” might soon be a saying of the past. A new fast-acting opioid administered during labor is being flagged as an alternative to epidurals. The opioid, remifentanil, would be given instead of an epidural, allowing them to be more mobile during labor. Under new draft guidelines from the UK health body, National … Read more
A nursery in Arizona is caring for the youngest victims of the opioid crisis. Hushabye Nursery, in Phoenix, treats babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a withdrawal-like condition caused by opiates. NAS develops when an infant’s mother uses drugs during pregnancy, causing their babies to become addicted to the substances. “When you see a baby withdraw, … Read more
The Food and Drug Administration approved Wednesday the first over-the-counter nasal spray that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Narcan, a 4mg naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, will not require a prescription and will be available in supermarkets, convenience and drug stores, gas stations, vending machines and online. “Today’s approval of OTC naloxone nasal spray … Read more
A type of synthetic opioid is increasing leading to overdose deaths, according to a new CDC report. Known as nitazenes, these opioids were developed more than 60 years ago as a potential pain reliever medication. They have never been approved for clinical use in the United States. Overdose deaths linked to a powerful group of … Read more