Deaths from Painkiller Overdoses Quadrupled in the Past Ten Years

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael H. Lowenstein M.D., medical director for the Waismann Method opiate treatment, warns that opioid overdose rates continue to rise, albeit at a slower rate.

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Overdose deaths associated with prescription painkillers increased fourfold in the last decade, according to a data brief released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Scientists in this study found the number of deaths rose from 2,749 in 1999 to 11,693 in 2011 – quadrupling in just over ten years.

Poisoning is the leading cause of injury death in the United States. Prescription and illegal drugs are the chief cause of these poisoning deaths, accounting for 90 percent of U.S. poisoning deaths in 2011. Many of the drugs involved are opioids, a class of drugs derived from the morphine or codeine extracted from the opium poppy plant. In fact, opioids were involved in 70 percent of drug overdose deaths.

Dr. Michael Lowenstein says that the news is not all bad – the number of opioid overdose deaths is not rising quite as quickly as it had in the past. The death rate from opioid overdoses rose at about 18 percent per year between 1999 and 2006 but fell back to only a 3 percent rise per year since then.

Dr. Lowenstein says the study underscores the need for targeted prevention strategies (such as patient and physician education, and closer supervision of patients on opioid pain relievers) to reduce the risk in populations at high risk for overdose deaths. Effective evaluation and prompt treatment including detoxification and rehabilitation are also essential at reducing the risk for overdose and death in individuals who are physically dependent on or addicted to opioid painkillers.

About Dr. Michael Lowenstein
Dr. Michael Lowenstein has been the Medical Director for Waismann Method® for over 15 years. Dr. Lowenstein is board-certified in Addiction Medicine, Pain Management and Anesthesiology. Most recently, Dr. Lowenstein completed a fellowship and earned board certification in Anti-aging, Restorative and Regenerative Medicine to enhance his understanding and treatment of the effects of opioid use on the brain and other body systems. 

About Waismann Method® Treatment
Waismann Method has been recognized as a premier opiate treatment since 1999, specializing in rapid opiate detox and utilizing the most advanced medical techniques available to treat prescription addiction. A major center for opioid dependency, treatment, and detoxification, Waismann Method offers a variety of programs from rapid opiate detox under sedation to medically assisted detoxification.  We also offer other forms of addiction treatment at an exclusive after-care facility called Domus Retreat.

Our doctors, therapists and staff work with patients to create personalized treatment and aftercare plans designed to ensure a healthy and effective transition to a life without opiates. Waismann Method patients achieve an extraordinarily high success rate, because our teams of professionals perform treatments that are most appropriate for each unique patient, based on individual needs and dependency histories.

The professionals at Waismann Method always put treatment and care over blame and punishment.

For more information about the Waismann Method, or for interviews with Dr. Michael H. Lowenstein, please contact:

Clare W. Kavin
(310) 205-0808
[email protected]
www.opiates.com

SOURCE Waismann Method