People are addicted to a wide range of opioids. These include but are not limited to codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and meperidine. You would know these by the brand names: Tylenol 3, Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Dilaudid, Opana, and Demerol. We’re also seeing addiction medications such as Ultram and Suboxone.
More troubling, we’re seeing an incredible increase in the number of people who are taking more than one prescription medication, specifically people mixing benzodiazepines with opioids. Benzodiazepines are some of the most commonly used medications in psychiatry and include the brand names Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Atavan. While they can have legitimate anti-anxiety effects, they are also sedatives. When used in combination with analgesic opioids (prescription pain killers), the results can be disastrous. Accidental overdoses using combinations of medications are increasingly common. Unfortunately, they can also result in death.