The FDA Just Released The Strangest Overdose Warning

Thousands of people overdose on common over the counter medications every day. The government is always issuing warnings to alert people of possible dangers, though most often people normally follow the directions for dosage on the box or container of drugs they keep in their medicine cabinets. However, this new warning to a very popular anti-diarrhea medication is causing a lot of concern.

#1 New FDA Warning

The days when you could walk into a drugstore and get medicine soaked in cocaine or amphetamines are long gone, but people still manage to find unique ways to use over the counter drugs to get high. The FDA made sure that crack and meth users couldn't get their hands on certain cough and flu medicines, and now they are after something else you may use regularly.

#2 Imodium AD Can Be Dangerous

The legal high du jour comes from the active ingredient in anti-diarrhea drugs: loperamide. The chemical is the main ingredient in Imodium tablets which are used to control diarrhea and are not for long term use because of the dangers associated with the substance.

#3 Clever Drug Users

The recommended does for anti-diarrhea medication is just 8 to 16 milligrams per day. And it is not recommended for use after five to seven days. However, some clever drug users have found that loperamide can get you high if taken in greater quantities.

#4 It's A Weak Opioid

The drug is a weak opioid that does not cross the blood barrier very well and acts by stimulating the receptors in the body without triggering the receptors in the brain. It's similar to getting high on something illegal like heroin but without the ramifications of the law. They can be addicting, however, and dangerous to the heart, kidney, intestines, bladder, and stomach.

#5 Effects Can Be Mild To Extremely Euphoric

Some abusers report effects ranging from moderate sedation to mild euphoria, similar to taking a mild and illegal narcotic. But you need to take up to 30 or more tablets to get the high feeling, and it can cause other serious issues in as little as 2-3 days of overuse. And, you are also bound up and can't go to the bathroom properly, which is not healthy.

#6 There Are Other Problems

The FDA recently warned doctors and patients that overdosing on these common drugs can create deadly heart problems, especially when someone is using higher than recommended doses on a continual basis. They stated that a wide scale warning was inevitable since the drugs are readily available currently.

#7 People Are Dying From Related Heart Issues

In recent months the FDA and the Department of Health have received reports of at least 40 people dying from taking more than the recommended dosage of Imodium tablets, and over 300 more people hospitalized with major heart issues including strokes and paralyzation. This is being considered an epidemic, as younger people can easily walk into a pharmacy and leave with thousands of tablets.

#8 The Drug Use Is On The Rise

The Department of Health has reported that in the last 18 months there has been a significant increase, maybe as much as 75%, in the calls related to drugs containing loperamide. Now officials are recommending that local pharmacies restrict the sale of over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication in order to curb the number of these catastrophic overdoses that are ruining families. Their next step will be to limit quantities available to purchase.

#9 Could Be Blocked From OTC Sale

They've already blocked the sales of abused drugs like pseudoephedrine, the decongestant that drug manufacturers use to create methamphetamine. If a dealer could extract the loperamide from the pills, they could sell them as street drugs. With the cost of 24 tablets as low as $1.99, the potential to overuse the drug is even greater since it's about one of the cheapest highs there is available.

#10 Addicts Like The High They Get

People like the experience of being high and will try just about anything to get there. A large population in the United States is already addicted to drugs of the opiate family. This new trend is latching on to that one. Some drug addicts who crave heroin or morphine find the drug a great substitute in between their regular fix of opiates.

#11 Drug Related Deaths On The Rise

Some users are taking the tablets as a way of weaning themselves off opiates, self-medicating an addiction because there is not enough treatment available. In 2014 alone there were 47,000 drug overdoses recorded in the US. Most go unreported to authorities. Opioids make up 61 percent of that total. Although the government has tried to reduce opioid abuse for years, overdose deaths continue to rise.

Categories

More