Antihypertensive Medications.
The majority of antihypertensive medications have been implicated in sexual disorders. However, some substances are more likely than others to cause ED. For example, diuretics (e.g., chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide, and spironolactone), central antiadrenergic agents (e.g., clonidine, methyldopa, reserpine), and guanethidine are commonly cited as causes of ED. However, β-blockers, with the exception of propranolol, are less likely to cause ED, but can cause desire disorders. Angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitors may be least likely to cause ED. In addition, minoxidil, hydralazine, prazosin, and furosemide rarely cause sexual side effects, although hydralazine and prazosin have been associated with priapism in case reports.

Psychiatric Medications.
Psychiatric medications also commonly affect sexual function. Antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline, protriptyline) have frequently been associated with ED and can cause a delayed or absent orgasmic response. Similar side effects have been reported with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine and sertraline. Antipsychotic medications (e.g., thioridazine, chlorpromazine), without exception, have the potential for disrupting sexual response. Lithium and monoaminooxidase inhibitors may impair sexual desire and erectile function. Many other prescription medications in diverse therapeutic classes are frequently cited as causing sexual dysfunctions. These include carbamazepine, digoxin, disulfiram, and ketoconazole. In addition, antihyperlipidemic agents like clofibrate and gemfibrozil have been associated with ED. The statins appear to have a lower risk. Hormonal agents, including antiandrogens, LH-RH analogs, and estrogens, also increase the risk of ED. Other drugs associated with ED include protease inhibitors, cytotoxic agents, and H2-receptor antagonists.

Psychogenic Causes of ED
Psychogenic ED frequently coexists with other sexual dysfunctions, notably hypoactive sexual desire, and with major psychiatric disorders, particularly depression and anxiety disorders. In the latter cases, a primary diagnosis may be difficult to establish, and concomitant treatment of the patient’s psychiatric disorder may be indicated as the initial step in management.

Many men with ED also have comorbid depression, and the relation between them appears to be bidirectional; the occurrence of either disorder may cause, result from, or exacerbate the other. There are five models, not mutually exclusive, that describe a possible relation between ED and depression.

1. First, ED may lead to “secondary” depression in vulnerable individuals. Studies have shown that men with ED are more likely to report depressive symptoms than are men without ED. Viagra australia shop
2. Second, ED can be symptomatic of a “primary” depressive episode. That is, men who are depressed frequently manifest symptoms of ED. Furthermore, some men with major depressive disorder develop a reversible loss of nocturnal penile tumescence, suggesting that depression can influence erectile neurophysiology .
3. Third, a common factor may be related to the development of both conditions. ED and depression frequently co-occur with other conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, neurologic disorders (e.g., parkinsonism, multiple sclerosis), and endocrine disorders (e.g., adrenal, thyroid, gonadal). Numerous epidemiologic studies have indicated that the concurrence of depressive symptoms, particularly major depressive disorder, increased the risk of ischemic heart disease and mortality. Other data showed that depression was a significant, independent risk factor for the development of symptomatic ischemic heart disease in otherwise healthy individuals. Conversely, medical illness can precipitate depression in a predisposed individual. Significantly, ED, depression, and vascular disease share a number of risk factors, including smoking, obesity, dyslipidemia, and a sedentary lifestyle.
4. Fourth, ED can be an adverse effect of medication treatments for these conditions, including antidepressants, antihypertensives, cardiac drugs, and numerous other agents. Between 5 and 80% of patients taking antidepressants experience side effects related to sexual function. Similarly, between 10 and 50% of men taking antihypertensives experience ED while on therapy.
5. Finally, as relatively prevalent conditions, ED and depression can be coincidentally comorbid and, thus, etiologically unrelated.

The significance of psychosocial factors in the etiology of ED has been highlighted in epidemiological studies. In the MMAS, ED was significantly associated with depressive symptoms, pessimistic attitudes, or a negative outlook on life. Similarly, in the National Health and Social Life Survey, ED was significantly associated with emotional stress and a history of social coercion. These studies underline the significant effects of psychosocial factors in the etiology of ED. Female viagra pills

Generally, psychosocial determinants of ED are divided into immediate and remote causes. Immediate causes include performance anxiety (or fear of failure), lack of adequate stimulation, and relationship conflicts. Among the remote or early developmental causes, various researchers have emphasized the role of sexual trauma in childhood, sexual identity or orientation issues, unresolved partner or parental attachments, and religious or cultural taboos.

Frequently, interpersonal and relationship factors have been associated with ED. Communication difficulties, lack of intimacy or trust, and power conflicts have been emphasized as frequent concomitants of arousal difficulties in both sexes. Loss of sexual attraction has also been implicated.

An expanded classification system for psychogenic ED has been proposed by the nomenclature committee of the International Society of Impotence Research. This new classification is intended to broaden the previously limited focus of psychogenic ED and incorporates clinical features (general vs situational ED) and hypothesized etiologic mechanisms (central excitation vs inhibition) of psychogenic ED. Recent studies have strongly implicated the role of central excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in the control of male sexual arousal. These concepts are incorporated into the proposed classification system.

In addition to the clinical subtypes of generalized vs situational, psychogenic ED can be characterized as lifelong (primary) or acquired (secondary).

Primary psychogenic ED refers to the lifelong inability to achieve successful sexual performance, whereas secondary psychogenic ED occurs after a period of satisfactory sexual performance. Primary psychogenic ED is relatively rare and usually associated with a chronic pattern of sexual or interpersonal inhibition. Psychogenic ED may also be classified as secondary to substance abuse or a major psychiatric disorder.

Every year in January, gym attendance peaks as every man and his dog hits the treadmill for a week or two. And just a few short weeks later, not one in ten will still be exercising. No time, no money. The excuses are everywhere. And they really are nothing more than excuses. There are men and women out there working 60 or more hours a week in tough jobs who also have families, and yet they are in great shape. The time has come to stop making excuses.

What is particularly sad is the fact that so many people just don’t know what to do. They believe that if they don’t have access to the perfect program, then anything else is a waste of time. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. What about walking or running? This is free and will get anyone into shape. It also gets you away from the desk for half an hour and into the fresh air, which is certainly good news.

It is also very easy to incorporate resistance training into your lifestyle of personal health and fitness without needing to spend a cent. Bodyweight exercises can work wonders. Try lunges, bodyweight squats and push ups for starters. For a bit of variety, what about heading don to a local park and doing some dips and chins of the monkey bars.

Of course, without decent nutrition, this is a waste of time. But once again, this really isn’t that complicated. Surely everyone knows that eating a lot of fruit and veggies and drinking water and green tea is good news by now? Everyone would be a whole lot leaner already if they just cut as much processed food as possible out of their diets.

There really is no need to go on a starvation diet. Making small changes is plenty to get most people down to a level of body fat where they can tell that their abs are in their somewhere!

Experts remind that most of the symptoms of patients with gastric cancer are not particularly obvious, such as abdominal discomfort, nausea stomach pain, swelling, loss of appetite, heartburn, weight loss, etc. As living standards improve, people’s nutritional status is relatively good and the course of young people is soon, and will not be noticeable to appear weight loss. For occasional stomach pain, most people would think that is caused by short-term improper diet, or fast pace of life, after the break they can be alleviated. Some people will take some of their own to promote gastrointestinal motility, or gastric ulcer treatment drugs, which often can play a better result. But this it will cover some of the unnecessary symptoms Therefore, chronic stomach of young people should quit smoking, alcohol, coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, hot and sour, spicy food, these are the most harmful to stomach. Besides, the cooling diet must also be some restraint.

And at end of the year, many office workers fall into the peak of overtime, especially now that the urban white-collar workers because of busy work and heavy pressure, irregular meals can easily lead to stomach disease. But even the ordinary stomach headache will take away the life of a young office worker, which gives the majority of users hit a wake-up call. This incident also caused a large number of users’ attention, users have said that we must pay attention to our own health, good health is the only capital of struggle, and to lose weight overtime is secondary.

Yeah, health is the most significant. If we have no health, we cannot do anything. In the face of life, nothing is more important. Therefore, we should cherish our body well.

This is why it is so important to realize that dermatology can be very beneficial to you and your family. This is where you may be able to find answers for why you always have a certain dry patch of skin or that you have the need to itch at certain times of the year uncontrollably. These people are not only professionals that can help you, but in many cases the ailments that they are working to control or cure are covered as part of your insurance package. This means that you will not only be able to find relief, but you will also feel that you will not need to be so out of control with your wallet as well.

The thing is that if you are in need of place to go for dermatology, you will need to look at the various options and consider where it is that will work the best to allow you to be able to meet your needs. There are a number of different options to look at and consider when you are trying to find the perfect place to meet all of your needs. You will need to consider a number of different things when you are going to seek treatment. You will need to look at the different options you have and make a choice in regards to where it is you will be able to get the best treatment as well as be close to home.

Once you decide where you will go for dermatology, make sure to take advantage of all that they can offer. Follow the advice and guidelines they present to your so you will be able to improve your skin and to improve your overall health and well-being. This will allow you to get back to normal and to feel good about your skin again. You will feel a new freedom and joy from the results.

There is no reason for back pain to be permanent.

1. Working out.
You can take a significant amount of pressure off of your joints an muscles by losing weight through a regular exercise plan. Maintaining excess weight on the front of your body causes unnecessary pressure on both your upper and lower back. Weakened muscles and joints can stretch ligaments which often leads to spinal injuries. Combining a cardiovascular program with power training will burn fat at a significant rate. The more muscle mass you build up, the faster the fat will burn away.

2. Pain medications and topical creams.
Although they do not do much for a long term solution or cure there are medications both prescription and over the counter to help. A disadvantage to these options is that they cause a wide array of side effects including addiction. For results without the risk of becoming addicted, there are specialized creams on the market. Bio Freeze is a brand that can only be obtained through a chiropractor and is very effective at the management of muscular pain. Unfortunately this serves no purpose for pain that is not rooted in the muscles. Your specialist will be able to recommend the best option for your personal case.

3. Alternative medicine.
Two methods that not only help to manage back pain but also have been seen to cure it in some cases are hypnotherapy and acupuncture. Although acupuncture is often not covered by many insurance policies hypnotherapy tends to be. Because of the apparent results, many chiropractors have been joining forces with acupuncturists right in their offices. When all of the usual traditional methods have failed to bring you relief, it is worth the chance to look into alternative methods such as these.

1 Make Sure You Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one that you should never consider skipping. A healthy breakfast is the meal that will kick-start your metabolism and get your body burning calories, skip it and all you are doing by skipping it is sabotaging your weight loss plans. You may think that it is a good idea to save on calories by not eating breakfast, but all you are doing is making it more likely that you will need to snack later on.

2 Beware of Hidden Sugar

Many breakfast cereals are not as healthy as they first appear and are in fact laden with sugar. Instead of achieving a weight loss, a breakfast full of sugar can lead to weight gain and energy spikes that can leave you feeling tired and lethargic by lunch time. Check the sugar content of your cereals carefully.

3 Go Steady with Fruit Juice

Although it is good for you, fruit juice is high in calories and can really hinder weight loss. The sugar in fruit juice can cause an energy spike, so keep to a small glass, just to get the benefit of the vitamins and drink water or green tea to hydrate you for the day. Drinking more water has the added benefit of helping you to feel fuller and avoid snacking and green tea has a whole host of super healthy benefits. One fabulous benefit of drinking green tea is that it can help you to lose weight. We highly recommend Tava Tea as the very best of green teas at it has an exclusive blend of three of the best green teas that you will find.

4 Start the Day Well

Breakfast is the meal that is going to set the tone for your day. Make it a super healthy breakfast and you’ll feel more motivated to continue eating healthily throughout the day. Avoid having fast food or fried breakfasts, but choose something with vitamins and protein that will give you energy for the day ahead.

5 Think Super-Foods

Super-foods are ingredients known to greatly decrease your risk of developing a range of diseases. Thankfully, many of these are perfect for breakfast. Here are a few suggestions which will get your day off to a healthy start, bananas, oats, green tea, yoghurt (fat-free), egg, berries, nuts and seeds. Even if you only have a small amount of these ingredients, it’s a good way to make sure you get something healthy into the start of every day.

If you struggle to have time to eat breakfast or you don’t normally feel hungry first thing, plan ahead. Make it easy by preparing your healthy breakfast the night before so it is ready for you, or pack it up to take out with you to eat later in the mornings to focus on other things, but you will still be psychologically prepared to eat. That way you’ll still have time in Make sure though that you eat a healthy breakfast within an hour of getting up. This get some fuel into you early on in the day and will give your metabolism the boost it needs.

If you feel you would like a healthy supplement to boost your breakfast take a look at our super antioxidants, Pure Acai Berry Max and Ultimate Maqui Berry and find out how to increase the value of your breakfast.

Make no mistake about it, probiotics for constipation in drinks and yogurts are for the most part totally ineffective. There is little to no evidence to back up these claims and in fact many companies are currently facing lawsuits for false advertizing as a result.

Probiotics for constipation are meant to help by adding beneficial bacteria like lactobacillus plantarum and bifidobacteria to your digestive tract or GI.

There is some evidence to show this may help a little but no one knows how much is the right amount and you usually end up with many different strains of bacteria, hoping one is effective!

Constipation itself is normally caused by a poor diet, with too much saturated fats and not enough fiber and also from outside factors like stress.

If you cut down on your fatty food and eat more vegetables and fruit, you may find you can cure your constipation yourself.

Try to avoid laxatives as they are full of chemicals and destroy the bacteria in your GI, making them worse in the long run and only perhaps a temporary relief.

If you want to permanently improve your digestive and overall health, then consuming more prebiotics not probiotics is the answer. While probiotics for constipation are largely ineffective, prebiotics are, and offer many other benefits. Foods like kiwifruit, Jerusalem artichokes, raw honey and raw garlic are the best.

Kiwifruit for example provides you with soluble fiber to improve your digestion, enzymes to break down your food more efficiently and phenolics to naturally grow more good bacteria while reducing the bad ones. These prebiotics are proven to work and provide many benefits including more regular and easier bowel movements, less gas and bloating, more energy, clearer skin and less toxic waste in your colon, as they have a cleansing effect.

You need to eat 2-3 fresh kiwis each day, including the skin as this is where most of the good stuff is. If this doesn’t appeal to you, look for a quality kiwi based supplement, and one which is extracted without using harmful chemicals or solvents. Then you will only have to take a single vegetarian kiwi capsule each day to help eliminate your constipation and provide a long term solution to keeping your digestive system in optimal health.

As per MedlinePlus, most people affected by this infection are children or those below 40 years. It is often spread amongst people who are in close proximity. Some of the symptoms include persistent cough, sore throat, and fever or chest pain.

Common fallout of mycoplsama pneumonia is infection of middle ear. Such infections are more common during early childhood and usually affect children in the age group of 6 to 24 months. The chances of children getting affected are more than adults. While the infection is mild, walking pneumonia has the potential to cause several complications. Some of those complications are highlighted below.

In a middle ear infection, the lining in this section gets inflamed and fluid begins to accumulate behind the eardrum. Some symptoms of this condition are high fever, imbalance, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, and ear pain, drainage in ear, vomiting, appetite loss, temporary loss of hearing, and/or diarrhea. The treatment includes administration of over-the-counter drugs, antibiotics, and warm compress and drainage tubes. If left untreated, the infection can cause rupture of the ear-drum or cause loss of hearing.

People suffering from walking pneumonia are more susceptible to getting hemolytic anemia. In this condition, the bone marrow does not produce sufficient red blood cells to replace the prematurely damaged ones in the blood. Hemolytic anemia can result due to protein abnormality, variation in the protein level in blood, clots in blood, and side effects of medicines, infection or abnormal response of the immune system. Some related symptoms include dark coloration of urine, fatigue, and enlargement of spleen, chills, acceleration of heart rate, fever, and pale coloration of skin, jaundice or difficulty in breathing. The treatment includes ingestion of iron, folic acid, transfusion of blood or administration of corticosteroids.

Another fallout of this condition is rash of the skin. People, who are more allergic and sensitive to antibiotics, are at a greater risk of getting allergic reactions when treated with antibiotics. In this condition, rashes develop which can be red, flat spots; or raised small bumps Amoxicillin or penicillin administration can also trigger this condition. Discontinuation of antibiotics can reduce rashes.

Walking pneumonia can also cause severe pneumonia due to weak immunity or poor response to any treatment.

Interval Training At Home: Choose Your Exercises

1. Push-ups

The first example of exercise is the push-ups. If you are used to working at home, this is definitely one type of training you have already tried. However, many people do not perform the push-ups correctly. In order to do them right, you must follow the guidelines below.

First, after placing your hands and toes on the floor, you must straighten your arms and back. Your hands should be at a distance amounting to your shoulder width plus a few centimeters more, and your abs should be tightened. The right way to inhale and exhale is: suck air into your lungs when you are going down to the floor and get the air out of your lungs while returning to the initial position. The stopping point, when performing the going-down, is when your elbows are bent at a straight angle. Your back should remain straight.

This is your regular workout; now add the interval: do push-ups for 30 seconds and then rest for 15 seconds. The recommended rest ratio for beginners is 1:2.

2. Running

Running is the basis in almost any type of training. The great part is that it does not require anything but sport pants and a pair of sport shoes. If you want to transform it into an interval training at home workout, you can do this by alternating jogging with sprinting. The ratio should be: 4-5 minutes of running and 2 minutes of sprinting (run as fast as you can, but do not exhaust yourself). The whole training should take from half an hour to an hour, depending on your strength.

3. Biking

For this type of interval training at home, you need to have a stationary bike. You will perform this type of exercise the same as I have told you to perform the one involving running: by alternating moderate speed to high speed periods. You should take it slow for the first five minutes, in order to warm up and then you can go faster for the next minute or next two minutes. This is a great exercise when you do not have the possibility to go biking on adequate trails; you can just do it from the comfort of your home.

These are the main types of exercises you can try at home. If you are lucky and you have a pool, swimming is another great option.

Just make sure you perform the exercises correctly and you build proper interval sessions. This way you will not waste your efforts.

Interval training at home is very popular nowadays, because you feel more comfortable, you don’t need to follow anyone’s schedule, and at the same time you can achieve the same performance as when going to the gym.

Many people suffering from depression or other mental health issues may turn to alcohol to ease their pain before seeking professional help. New research confirms that these patients are at an increased risk to use opioid drugs as well.

A new study published in the Journal of Psychological Medicine suggests that those suffering from mood and anxiety disorders may be more susceptible to opioid abuse.
Help is available for depression, talk to your physician.

Opioids are strong painkiller medications that are commonly prescribed for acute pain after surgery or trauma, and often for chronic pain in patients with terminal illnesses such as metastatic cancer.

Common opioids include codeine, morphine, hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin), and meperidine (Demerol).

Silvia Martins, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study and associate scientist at the Bloomberg School’s Department of Mental Health explains, “Non-medical opioid-use disorder due to non-medical prescription opioid use was associated with any mood disorder, any anxiety disorder, as well as with several incident mood disorders and anxiety disorders.”

Dr. Martins continued, “There is also evidence that the association works the other way too. Increased risk of incident opioid disorder due to non-medical use occurred among study participants with baseline mood disorders, major depressive disorder, dysthymia and panic disorder, reinforcing our finding that participants with mood disorders might use opioids non-medically to alleviate their mood symptoms.”

“Early identification and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders might reduce the risk for self-medication with prescription opioids and the risk of future development of an opioid-use disorder.”

The study used data collected through a 2001-2005 longitudinal interview survey called the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) in order to assess a history of psychiatric disorders in adult participants.

Dr. Martin’s coworker and coauthor on the study, Carla Storr, Sc.D., notes, “With the current increased use of non-medical prescription drugs, especially among adolescents, the association with future psychopathology is of great concern.

Using opioids, or even withdrawal from opioids, might precipitate anxiety disorders, suggesting that there is a subgroup of people who are vulnerable to future development of anxiety disorders.”

A study published this week by the National Institute of Health notes that the opioid painkiller Vicodin was used by 8.1% of twelfth grade high school students and by 5.9% of tenth graders participating in an annual Monitoring the Future survey through NIH.

Though down from past years, these reports did not show a decline in use of the opioid Oxycontin.

If concerned about prescription drug use with your child or loved one, contact a health professional to determine the best course of action.
Painkillers

It is estimated that approximately 1 million people in the United States suffer from heroin addiction, and another 1.4 million abuse prescription painkillers such as vicodin, oxycontin, and fentanyl. Opiates, derived from morphine, have been used as painkillers for centuries.

In the presence of chronic pain, users can become quickly addicted to them, as consistent use causes the body to stop making it’s own natural painkillers, called endorphins. When an addict tries to stop using , the resulting withdrawal sickness causes vomiting, insomnia, digestive problems, anxiety, depression, and body aches; and often causes the addict to use again, to alleviate the withdrawal sickness. Overdose can cause respiratory depression and death.

No response yet from Sheriff Davis as deadline approaches

Henderson County commissioners have given Sheriff Rick Davis until noon Friday to return to work or request a formal leave of absence after he announced he was taking sick time to get treatment for manic bipolar disorder.

Neither Davis nor his attorney has commented about the commissioners’ deadline.

“I don’t have anything I can tell you at this time,” attorney Joseph McGuire said Wednesday.

In a letter issued to Davis and his attorney last week, commissioners said that if the sheriff didn’t take one of these actions, they would view it as a refusal to perform the duties of his office and be forced to “act accordingly.” Refusal to perform the duties of the position is one of the conditions under which a superior court judge may remove a sheriff from office in North Carolina.

While the commissioners have not stated that they will file a petition to remove Davis from office if he fails to meet the deadline, such a petition might be a first in North Carolina because Davis is not accused of criminal acts.

Davis took sick time Nov. 23 after issuing a statement saying he was undergoing treatment for a diagnosis of manic bipolar disorder. At the time, Davis said his behavior had become “erratic” and he had made some “bizarre decisions.”

Bipolar disorder is defined as a chronic illness with recurring episodes of mania and depression that can last from a day to months, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness website.

The mental illness causes unusual and dramatic shifts in mood, energy and the ability to think clearly. More than 10 million Americans have bipolar disorder and it is often hard to diagnose because of its irregular patterns.

Dr. Ilona Csapo, a board certified psychiatrist with Blue Ridge Community Health Services, said bipolar is the same as manic depression and that the disease has been around probably since the beginning of time.

“There is lots of thinking recently that the diagnosis is evolving,” she said. “The definition of the disease is expanding to include 2 to 5 percent of the population.”

Csapo, who is not involved in the treatment of Sheriff Davis, said bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that involves periods of depression and hypo-mania or mania.

“In my experience, doing this for about 12 years, it is the most misdiagnosed condition,” she said.

“It is often thrown around for a lot of reasons such as bad behavior or for legal reasons. There are a lot of conditions that can look as bipolar that really aren’t.”

She added that the average onset age is 19.

“There are elevated periods, depression, sadness, crying, loss of pleasure, guilt, suicidal thoughts, euphoric moods and irritable moods,” she said.

“Certain symptoms of mania include a decreased need for sleep, talking too much and everything is in overdrive. Manic people can be psychotic. Treatment consists of mood stabilizers, second-generation anti-psychotics, treating anxiety and therapy in addition to medications.”

While some people respond very well to treatment, others don’t adhere to their medication and use drugs and alcohol, which can make matters worse, Csapo said.

“Bipolar disorder is a constellation of symptoms associated with a mood state and is not the same as being moody or having a bad day,” she said.

L. Alvin Malesky, Jr., associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Western Carolina University, said the concept of mania has been around for years, but bipolar disorder is documented in the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1952.

“There is bipolar one and bipolar two,” he said. “I think, from what I have read (about Davis’ situation), we are dealing with bipolar one, which does include manic episodes.”

Malesky said the disorder can have symptoms of an inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep and racing thoughts.

“The most common treatment for the disorder is neuro-chemical,” he said, adding that with treatment, most people can lead normal lives.

“Typically the disorder starts in the early 20s,” he said. “Half to one-and-a-half percent of the population are diagnosed with the disorder.”

As people become familiar with their illness, they recognize their own unique patterns of behavior, according to the NAMI website.

If individuals recognize these signs and seek effective and timely care, they can often prevent relapses. But because bipolar disorder has no cure, treatment must be continuous.

Mood Disorders Up Risk of Opioid Abuse

Researchers have discovered that people suffering from mood and anxiety disorders are more likely to use and abuse non-prescription opioids.

The illnesses associated with abuse of opioids include bipolar disorder, panic disorder and major depression.

Mood disorders in general heighten the risk for substance abuse. In this study, investigators made a distinction between prescription opioids commonly used for treatment of chronic and acute pain and opioid use that occurs absent a prescription.

Opioids used for medical purposes include oxycontin, hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), morphine, fentanyl, codeine, and related medications.

Non-medical use of prescription opioids was defined in the study as use of a prescription opioid without a prescription or in greater amounts more often or longer than prescribed or for a reason other than a doctor’s instruction to use them.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the current use of opioids in this fashion has increased dramatically with prescription opioids being the second most frequently used illegal drug in the U.S. after marijuana.

Prescription opioids are highly addictive and prolonged use can produce neurological changes and physiological dependence.

For the study, researchers examined the association between individuals with mood and anxiety disorders with non-medical prescription opioid use and opioid disorder.

“Lifetime non-medical prescription opioid use was associated with the incidence of any mood disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and all anxiety disorders.

Non-medical opioid-use disorder due to non-medical prescription opioid use was associated with any mood disorder, any anxiety disorder, as well as with several incident mood disorders and anxiety disorders,” said Silvia Martins, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study.

Investigators believe their findings support the belief that use of non-prescription opioids may be a method by which individuals self-medicate to reduce mood disorders, major depressive disorder, dysthymia and panic disorder.

As such, early identification and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders might reduce the risk for self-medication with prescription opioids and the risk of future development of an opioid-use disorder, say the researchers.

Researchers reviewed data from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to assess participants for a history of psychiatric disorders.

Investigators used sophisticated statistical analysis to determine whether lifetime non-medical prescription opioid uses, and opioid disorders due to this use, occur among individuals who suffer from mood and anxiety disorders. And, if the mood disorders could result from non-medical prescription opioid use.

“With the current increased use of non-medical prescription drugs, especially among adolescents, the association with future psychopathology is of great concern. Using opioids, or even withdrawal from opioids, might precipitate anxiety disorders, suggesting that there is a subgroup of people who are vulnerable to future development of anxiety disorders,” said Carla Storr, Sc.D., author of the study.

Individuals using prescription opioids need to be closely monitored not only for the possibility of engaging in non-medical use, but also for the development of comorbid psychiatric disorders.

“Additional studies are needed to examine the relationship between non-medical prescription opioid use and prescription opioid-use disorder with mood and anxiety disorders since they could co-occur due to shared genetic or environmental risk factors,” Martins adds.