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Local addiction treatment doctor warns of prescription drug addiction
LV Health Magazine
February 2002
News & Views
For thousands, prescription painkillers are a blessing. Physician-prescribed drugs are indispensable in relieving painful medical conditions, such as cancer and arthritis, when used appropriately. However, the abuse and addiction of prescribed painkillers is on the rise nationwide, with studies showing 4 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs. According to Dr. Michael S. Levy, medical director of the Center for Addiction Medicine in Las Vegas, addiction to prescribed painkillers has become a national health issue with local consequences.
A patient that takes and addictive drug over a long period of time may become dependent as the body adjusts to the medication.
“Addiction specialists can help patients manage this dependence by detoxification methods to prevent severe withdrawal,” said Levy. “Continued use of the drug despite adverse legal, medical, or financial consequences is a hallmark of addictive disease.”
According to Levy, abusers snort or inject prescription painkillers for a narcotic rush that does more than eliminate physical pain. This type of illicit use dulls the senses and creates a feeling of well-being. Patients treated for acute or chronic pain rarely experience the feeling of euphoria associated with prescription drug abuse.
“Those with a psychological dependence take drugs to fulfill an emotional need, rather than to treat a medical condition,” Levy said. “A person may also become psychologically dependent because of a genetic tendency or an underlying psychiatric condition, such as depression.”
Depression is one factor that is prompting the trend of abuse. Incidence of depression has risen dramatically since Sept. 11 and the employment layoffs that ensued. Prescription drug abusers will do virtually anything to feed their habits, from faking toothaches in the emergency room to stealing from medicine cabinets at real estate open houses.
One of the most popular methods of obtaining the drugs is “doctor hopping” for prescriptions from multiple physicians. While not every state has a prescription monitoring program, Nevada’s program has been a model for other states. In addition to law enforcement and regulation, the program works to aid in the proper treatment of patients addicted to prescription painkillers.
“We have to remember that addiction in any form is an illness that requires treatment,” said Levy. “Early recognition and treatment may prevent the emotional, legal and physical manifestations of this disease.”
Established in 1995, the Center for Addiction Medicine is the only private medical practice in Southern Nevada specializing in addiction medicine. The center, located at 6000 W. Rochelle Ave., Suite 800, offers a full range of medical and therapeutic services to patients in the Las Vegas Valley. For more information, contact Dr. Levy at (702) 873-7800.