Fatal Opioid Overdoses on Steep Incline Warns Waismann Method Medical Director

New Study Reports Overdoses from Prescription Painkillers Surpass Deaths from Multiple Myeloma, Liver Disease and HIV

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Sep 14, 2011, 10:02 ET

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a report from the British Medical Journal, the number of deaths in the United States from prescription painkillers such as Vicodin, OxyContin and Suboxone, has now surpassed that of multiple myeloma, alcohol liver disease and HIV. Dr. Michael Lowenstein, who specializes in the Waismann Method, an advanced procedure for rapid opiate detoxification, warns this increase may be due to a common public misconception about the dangers of prescription painkillers as well as their highly addictive chemical nature.

"Unfortunately, many individuals are under the impression that prescription painkillers are harmless because they are prescribed by a doctors, but that isn't always the case," said Dr. Lowenstein. "Prescription painkillers are opiates just like heroin, and can be extremely dangerous when abused or used over a long period of time. We have seen a huge rise in fatalities due to opiate overdoses in the last decade. Not only are opiates becoming more frequently prescribed by doctors, but online pharmacies and 'pill mills' where medications are illegally sold in bulk without prescriptions, are becoming more prevalent around the nation."

Researchers from the British Medical Journal found that between 1999 and 2007, the number of deaths related to opiates, which were of relatively young people and mostly unintentional and accidental, increased from 4,041 to 14,459. The report indicates that young adults have taken a seemingly carefree attitude toward prescription drugs and do not recognize the extreme dangers of recreationally using prescription pills. In fact, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that eight percent of the nation's 12^th-graders have abused hydrocodone in the last year.

In Florida, where many of the nation's illegal pill mills are located, local government officials have been attempting to enact stricter laws to shut down the pill mills. According to The New York Times, the new laws are also limiting or barring most Florida doctors from prescribing and selling prescription painkillers in their offices or clinics. Due to this new law, the purchase of oxycodone fell by 97 percent since last year, which at its peak reached 32.2 million doses sold in the first six months of 2010.

The Waismann Method is a safe and proven treatment for opiate dependency that utilizes the most advanced medical techniques available. The rapid opiate detoxification procedure is carried out in a full-service hospital in Southern California by board-certified anesthesiologists while patients remain under deep sedation, so they experience minimal conscious withdrawal or suffering. Following medical treatment, patients are taken to Domus Retreat for an assessment to determine any underlying causes of dependency, and a customized aftercare plan is assigned to ensure a healthy and effective transition to life without opiates. Patients of the Waismann Method achieve an extraordinarily high success rate because they no longer fight the constant physical cravings for opiates that have led them to relapse in the past.

For more information about the Waismann Method please visit opiates.com. For interviews contact Nicolette Surh at 858-888-0149 or send an email to Nicolette(at)rkpr(dot)net.

About The Waismann Method

Performed in a hospital intensive care unit, the Waismann Method involves cleansing receptors in a patient's brain of the narcotics while the patient is under deep sedation, reversing the chemical imbalance. During the procedure, the patient will experience minimal conscious withdrawal, and will be able to return home within days. Seventy-five percent of the prescription drug dependent patients who are treated with the Waismann Method remain drug free after one year. Please visit opiates.com for more information.

SOURCE Waismann Method