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Palladone Drug Abuse

Palladone drug abuse poses a serious threat to the health and lives of those who take this powerful narcotic medication. Palladone drug abuse is a bigger risk than drug abuse of virtually any other prescription medication. The risk of Palladone drug abuse is so great because the drug is addictive, prompts tolerance in users, and produces heroin-like euphoric effects that drug abusers seek from their drug of choice.

Palladone drug abuse is extremely dangerous because this drug is associated with a high risk of fatal overdose. Palladone is designed to provide consistent pain management for people who have already built a tolerance to opioid drugs. An appropriate dose in the appropriate patient may be a lethal overdose in the context of Palladone drug abuse where the abuser has not developed an opioid tolerance.

Palladone drug abuse is also a life-threatening risk because of the method of drug consumption chosen by many drug abusers. Palladone was designed to provide patients with a slow steady supply of medication throughout a 24 hour period. In order to achieve their desired effects, drug abusers will often manipulate drugs like Palladone to receive a higher dose. When Palladone is broken, chewed, crushed, or dissolved before consumption, as is common in a Palladone drug abuse situation, the consumer has a great chance of suffering a fatal overdose.

A Palladone overdose causes a person's central nervous system to become dangerously depressed. Symptoms of a Palladone overdose can include: slowed heart rate, slow or difficult breathing, constricted pupils, low blood pressure, cold clammy skin, extreme sleepiness, stupor, coma, and even death. The nature of a Palladone overdose is so serious that a patient must be monitored and treated for an extended period of time in hopes of stabilization and prevention of deadly respiratory depression.

Less than one year after this drug was approved for use in the United States, researchers discovered that Palladone death is a serious risk even in those cases that do not involve Palladone drug abuse. In a clinical trial sponsored by the makers of Palladone (Purdue), people who consumed even one alcoholic beverage during Palladone treatment faced a high risk of a deadly Palladone overdose.

This study concluded that alcohol acts as a dose-dumper when combined with Palladone. Dose dumping is the rapid release of the active ingredient from a drug that is designed for slow extended release into the body. Because of the serious effects of a Palladone overdose, patients risk death when combining Palladone with alcohol. Because drug abusers often mix substances, particularly alcohol and other drugs, the deadly risks of Palladone drug abuse are even greater.

Due to this unacceptably high level of risk, Palladone has been taken permanently off the market. Patients taking this drug should speak with their physician about a safe and appropriate alternative. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury as a result of Palladone, please contact us to speak with a qualified attorney who can help.

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