Both the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend opioids be considered for short-term pain if acetaminophen and ibuprofen are inadequate.
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No parent wants to see their child suffer and untreated pain can have health consequences. But parents may have concerns about use of opioids for their child’s acute pain. Here are tips for safer use.
Buvidal, or long-acting injectable buprenorphine, was approved for use in the UK in 2019.
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Poppy seeds can become contaminated with opiates during harvesting. For the US Defense Department, invoking a ‘poppy seed defense’ may not be enough to rule out a positive drug test result.
The cannabis plant produces both THC – the psychoactive component in marijuana – and the compound commonly known as CBD, which does not lead to a ‘high.’
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Some people seek out the herbal drug Kamini to stay awake – but it contains up to 21% morphine so doesn’t have that effect. And dependency can escalate quickly.
We researched how much difference opioids like codeine, oxycodone or morphine make to osteoarthritis pain. We found they helped about as much as paracetamol. Yet they are far more dangerous.
One potential way to make opioids less addictive is to make them target injured tissue rather than the healthy brain.
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While the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, the opioid epidemic got worse as drug overdose deaths soared. New research proposes a way to chemically modify opioids to reduce the risk of addiction.
CRISPR/Cas is a tool for editing genes.
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A person dies of opioid overdose once every 13 minutes in the US. A researcher proposes a way using existing technology to remove the opioid target in people to prevent overdoses.
Opium played a fascinating role in southern African colonial politics, conflict and social change - from the poppy fields of Mozambique to the early days of Johannesburg city.
Naloxone counteracts the effects of an overdose.
Ethypharm
Tao Che, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Scientists have taken atomic resolution snapshots of an opioid receptor interacting with a drug. Now they are using these images to design “biased” opioids that block pain without the dangerous side effects.
Pain of the sick: ‘Anatomy of Expression,’ by Sir Charles Bell, 1806.
Wellcome Collection
In today’s opioid crisis, why are some people with addictions treated with empathy and others with disdain? The answer to that question has roots in the 19th century.
Vivitrol, a non-opioid medication, is used to treat some cases of opioid dependence. Addiction specialists stress that not all patients need medication, but that many do.
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The U.S. has had multiple drug epidemics, and, until recently, has not had evidence-tested ways to help people. That has changed. New medicines can help. But other medical issues should also be addressed.
It’s only natural for parents to want to help their children when they suffer from a cold. Here’s why the best treatment may be no treatment, except for natural remedies like honey and a little TLC.
Ever wondered how the small, white ibuprofen pill turns off your headache?
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Have you ever wondered how the small white ibuprofen pill turns off your headache? Or how a regular antidepressant keeps your brain chemistry in balance?
Hard to get.
Morphine pills image via www.shutterstock.com.
Exciting news from the world of horseracing: the Queen’s racehorse Estimate has tested positive for morphine. With the Lance Armstrong and Tyson Gay doping scandals fresh in their minds, reporters are…
The side effects of morphine could eventually be eliminated.
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Australian and American scientists have found a way to halt a reaction in the brain that causes the side effects of morphine, potentially laying the groundwork for more effective therapeutic drugs. The…