Author: The Fix

OxyContin No Longer Covered By Some Insurers

“This is a whack-a-mole solution… I don’t believe we should be isolating one category of opioid versus another,” said one expert.

Some insurers are taking a rather bold stand against the opioid crisis by refusing coverage of OxyContin, a popular brand-name opioid painkiller.

The decision, according to the Houston Chronicle, has drawn controversy as some people question whether refusing to cover one specific medication will really make a difference.

“This is a whack-a-mole solution,” James Langabeer, professor of emergency medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, told the Chronicle. “On the one hand, it’s good that the insurance industry is weighing in, but I don’t believe we should be isolating one category of opioid versus another.”

OxyContin, a brand name for oxycodone, is manufactured by Purdue Pharma, a company that has faced a slew of federal lawsuits for its alleged role in fueling the current opioid crisis.

One concern, Langabeer says, is that denying access to OxyContin won’t necessarily force individuals to stop abusing opioids. In fact, he says, some may even begin using heroin instead, as it’s cheaper and more accessible.

The Chronicle reports that last week, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee announced that it will discontinue coverage at the start of 2019, stating it was “drawing a line that we will not continue to pay for this.”

Previously, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare also announced the same.

A Cigna spokeswoman told the Chronicle via email that Cigna will consider covering the medication in some situations if a doctor feels it is “medically necessary.” She added that those using the medication for hospice care or cancer treatment will be allowed to continue use.

UnitedHealthcare ceased to cover OxyContin in employer-sponsored plans beginning January 2017, according to the Chronicle.

“There are therapeutically equivalent, covered alternatives that can be used for pain indications,” a spokesman for UnitedHealthcare told the Chronicle via email.

Cigna, as well as insurer Florida Blue, will be replacing OxyContin with Xtampza, which they claim is more difficult to abuse.

Purdue Pharma has not been silent as insurance companies have rolled out these decisions. The company, according to the Chronicle, argues that it has been working to make the medication harder to abuse. It has also accused insurers of supporting its competitors for “financial gain.”

“These recent decisions by insurance companies limit prescribers’ options to help address the opioid crisis,” a company spokesman told the Chronicle via email. “Unfortunately, these decisions appear to be more about pharmaceutical rebates.”

Katharine Neill Harris, a fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy, tells the Chronicle that she has mixed feelings about the involvement of insurers.

“They do have a role and I don’t think they have done enough yet,” she said. “The easiest way to say we’re doing something is by stopping covering a drug.”

For Harris, a better alternative is for insurers and doctors to look into long-term solutions for chronic pain, such as physical therapy.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
Harm Reduction Program Offers Cannabis As Alternative To Hard Drugs

The Canadian program also offers free fentanyl testing strips and naloxone training.

A Canadian harm reduction program is hitting the local opioid addiction crisis from a unique angle—by providing cannabis at little to no cost as an alternative to street drugs.

The High Hopes Foundation, based in Vancouver, Canada—also home to North America’s first legal supervised injection site (SIF)—is the country’s first “full-time cannabis harm reduction program,” CTV News reports.

While this isn’t the first recovery program to feature cannabis as a treatment, it’s still a rather novel idea that some consider controversial. But Sarah Blyth, president of High Hopes, says the program is a realistic approach to attacking the most potent addictions.

“It’s not always possible for people to just completely come off all drugs, because they’ve got trauma. They have pain. They need something,” Blyth said last August, according to CBC. “Opiates may not be the best option for everyone so we’re trying to give them the options we have available.”

High Hopes offers free or low-cost cannabis and CBD oils to people trying to wean off drugs like opioids, which have been a big problem in Canada as well.

According to CTV News, nearly 4,000 Canadians died of opioid overdose in 2017; about 1,400 of them were in British Columbia, the province that Vancouver resides in.

The foundation also offers free fentanyl testing strips and naloxone training. According to Blyth, the majority of illicit drug samples analyzed by the Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society tested positive for fentanyl, which raises the risk of overdose.

The cannabis program, established last year, started out by collecting cannabis donations from registered patients or dispensaries. Once Canada’s marijuana legalization law goes into effect this October, perhaps High Hopes will have an easier time procuring legal cannabis.

“What we are doing is not fully legal but we see it helps and we are desperate to help people. Watching people die isn’t okay,” said Blyth.

The program’s goal is to give people with addictions an alternative to using potentially dangerous street drugs. Blyth noted that many are just seeking relief for pain, anxiety or inflammation. “It gives them a way to have an alternative to the drugs that they’re getting on the street,” said Blyth, who is also the founder of the Overdose Prevention Society. “It’s safe, it can reduce pain.”

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
Bill Targeting Opioids Sent By Mail Up For Senate Vote

The STOP Act will require the U.S. Postal Service to collect electronic data on packages being shipped into the country.

The Senate will likely pass a bill this week that aims to reduce the number of fentanyl shipments coming into the country via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

The STOP Act, which stands for Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention, will require the postal service to collect electronic data on packages being shipped into the country, including the sender’s and recipient’s addresses and the contents as described by the sender.

Right now, only private courier services like FedEx, UPS and DHL require this information, which means that people can send opioids through the postal service and be virtually untraceable.

Illicit fentanyl can be easily made in China and shipped to the United States, since a small volume is immensely powerful and profitable.

“We are being overrun with fentanyl,” Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who led an 18-month study of illegal imports, told the New York Times. “It is 50 times more powerful than heroin. It is very inexpensive. It is coming primarily from China and coming primarily through our U.S. Postal Service, if you can believe it.”

In addition to requiring that the postal service gather additional information on packages, the bill would make is possible for the government to levy fines to the postal service if it does not comply. The postal service would also have the authority to block or destroy packages that have not been properly identified.

Right now, the postal service must “obtain a warrant to inspect the contents of suspect parcels,” according to William Siemer, acting deputy inspector general of USPS, who testified before Congress this year.

President Trump supports the measures, taking to Twitter to voice his enthusiasm.

“It is outrageous that Poisonous Synthetic Heroin Fentanyl comes pouring into the U.S. Postal System from China,” he wrote last month in a tweet. “We can, and must, END THIS NOW! The Senate should pass the STOP ACT—and firmly STOP this poison from killing our children and destroying our country.”

The STOP Act has been languishing after it was introduced nearly 18 months ago, allowing shipments of opioids to continue. However, the House passed a similar initiative over the summer, prompting the Senate to move on the issue.

In addition to addressing the dangers of opioid shipments, the bill would also expand access to treatment for infants born dependent on opioids, implement more stringent packaging requirements for some medications, and accelerate research into non-addictive painkillers that could potentially replace opioids.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
FDA Cracks Down On Top E-Cig Brands To Curb Teen Vaping Epidemic

Around 1,300 warning letters have been sent to retailers of e-cigarettes found to be illegally selling e-cigarette products to minors.

The Food and Drug Administration, concerned about the rising numbers of teenagers who “vape,” is cracking down on major e-cigarette brands to try and stop this trend.

In a press release issued on Wednesday (Sept. 12), the FDA announced that it is requesting major brands—JUUL, Vuse, MarkTen, Blu, and Logic—to submit plans to “immediately and substantially reverse these trends” of young people vaping.

If they do not comply within 60 days, the agency “may require the companies to revise their sales and marketing practices, to stop distributing products to retailers who sell to kids and to stop selling some or all of their flavored e-cigarette products until they clear the application process,” according to CNBC.

The latest crackdown is the result of a nationwide undercover sweep over the summer. Since then, 1,300 warning letters have been sent to retailers of e-cigarettes found to be illegally selling e-cigarette products to minors.

The vast majority of the violations were for the illegal sale of JUUL, Vuse, MarkTen, Blu and Logic—which account for over 97% of the U.S. e-cigarette market.

Initially, e-cigarettes were touted as a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes for people who want to quit. But growing use among young people is now a concern for the FDA.

“In enabling a path for e-cigarettes to offer a potentially lower-risk alternative for adult smokers, we won’t allow the current trends in youth access and use to continue, even if it means putting limits in place that reduce adult uptake of these products,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in the press release.

“We see clear signs that youth use of electronic cigarettes has reached an epidemic proportion, and we must adjust certain aspects of our comprehensive strategy to stem this clear and present danger,” Gottlieb declared, going on to say that promoting smoking cessation can’t come “at the expense of kids.”

“We cannot allow a whole new generation to become addicted to nicotine,” he added.

In the coming weeks, the FDA said it will take additional action under its Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan, and ramp up enforcement of the illegal sale of these products to kids.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
Surge In K2 Overdoses Worries Brooklyn's Community Leaders

“We’ve seen this area be an epicenter for K2. Whether it’s a bodega or whether it’s a crime syndicate. It will not be allowed in this community.”

After five individuals were hospitalized in the same evening for allegedly overdosing on synthetic marijuana community leaders and law enforcement in Brooklyn, New York announced a call for action to rein in the borough’s ongoing problems with use of the drug.

Representatives from the City Council praised efforts by the New York Police Department (NYPD) for focusing their efforts on distribution rather than users, which has resulted in the closure of several bodegas that sell the drug – also known as spice or K2 – but noted that greater efforts to provide education, fair housing and treatment could make more lasting changes.

The overdoses that prompted the community response all took place in the morning of September 8, 2018, when five men overdosed on the same corner in the Bushwick neighborhood – an area dubbed “Zombieland” by residents because of the high incidence of K2 use there.

All five individuals, whom neighbors said had used synthetic marijuana, were listed in stable condition after being hospitalized; more than 100 people overdosed in a single weekend at that corner in May of 2018.

Speaking on September 10, 2018 in front of a bodega that had been closed by NYPD for selling synthetic marijuana, City Council member Robert Cornegy told the assembled crowd that while police efforts have curbed the availability of the drug and reduced the sheer number of overdoses, five was still a “horrible number,” as High Times noted, and that more work was necessary to combat the K2 problem.

“We’ve seen this area be an epicenter for K2,” he said. “Whether it’s a bodega, whether it’s an individual or whether it’s a crime syndicate. It will not be allowed in this community.”

Cornegy voiced appreciation for the collaborative efforts between community leaders, local officials and the police, which he said was the “first time” all three groups had worked together on such a borough-wide issue. He also expressed gratitude for police efforts to halt the spread of K2 by targeting bodegas that sold the drug, and for focusing their efforts on distributors instead of those who use it.

Information and increased resources were cited as a possible means of breaking the cycle of K2 abuse in Brooklyn. “Until we have an education system that allows people to achieve the highest in education, and where they can feel comfortable in affordable housing, you are going to have this kind of behavior,” Cornegy told the crowd.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
A Dopeman's Grocery List

The reality and gravity of the entire situation was this: if I don’t steal this shit, I’m not getting high. If I’m not getting high, I’m dying. That’s how bad I was strung out on opioids; that’s how much of a slave I was to the drugs.

The following story is based on actual events. In an effort to protect anonymity as well as keep people out of potential legal trouble; names, places and identifying characteristics have been modified. I hope you enjoy these stories. Whatever you do. DO NOT try this at home.

What happens when you run out of money and need a fix bad?

What happens when you just don’t have it in you to stick someone up on that particular day?

What happens when you run out of shit to pawn?

What happens when there’s nothing left to post on OfferUp, LetGo and Craigslist?

You can always go grocery shopping for your drug dealer like I did. I mean, I didn’t have any money at the time and I already traded my food stamps for dope that month but I knew there were a few items that “D” needed me to pick up from one of those big-box-retail-stores. If I could get the items he needed, he would trade me 50% of whatever it cost in cash or trade me 75% of what it cost in dope. This was a no brainer. Get the grocery list, steal the items, get the dope and get high.

I’ve always been a fan of “heist” movies. Mission Impossible, Ocean’s Eleven and Catch Me If You Can come to mind when I think about the excitement I felt when the “bad guys” got away with whatever it was that they were taking. Sometimes rooting for the bad guy feels good. Every time I received one of these lists via text message from D, I felt like Ethan Hunt accepting some kind of grand mission that was of the utmost importance. The reality and gravity of the entire situation was this: if I don’t steal this shit, I’m not getting high. If I’m not getting high, I’m dying. That’s how bad I was strung out on opioids; that’s how much of a slave I was to the drugs. When opioids told me to jump, my response was always: how high?

It’s been four and a half hours since I last shot up. My stomach is beginning to turn like that sensation you get when a roller coaster takes its first plunge, except it felt like it was my life that was diving into utter oblivion. My palms have begun to get clammy. I got the cold-sweats and it’s pissing me off. It’s 73 degrees in my room but I’m soaking wet like “Dollar Debbie” taking a stroll down MLK in the middle of August. Life sucks and I need to get “one” in me… like yesterday.

BEEP! BEEP! A text comes in. God I hope it’s D. I unlock my phone and see the good news I’ve been waiting for:

1 bottle of Pine-Sol
2 boxes of Huggies
Peanut Butter and Jelly – not that shit with the peanuts in it
1 Mop
1 Case of Ramen Noodles
5-10 assorted girl’s tees
1 pair of white sneakers, size 6 – I don’t care what the brand is

Oh, I also need a new Bluetooth speaker, some crackhead stole mine last night. See if you can get one of those dope ass Dyson vacuums too.

And hurry the fuck up, I’m trying to go to the casino. You got one hour!

Finally! I got the grocery list! Now I have to find a ride. That means I have to cut somebody in on the payoff, which means fewer drugs for me. Fuck it, I’m hurting bad. At this point, I’m not going to argue over whose half of a dilaudid is bigger. It doesn’t matter anymore.

I scroll through my contacts and find the guy I’m looking for. I just hope he’s awake. It’s three in the afternoon, a little early for Tony. He usually gets up around four or five because he’s been up all morning trying to come down from the “shards” he shot up the night before. I know an offer to score some dope to come down off the shit will lure him into my latest scheme.

“But what color vacuum does he want?” Tony asked, dazed.

“Does it fucking matter?!” I yelled back. Tony had a way of asking questions that didn’t matter. He was slow, he was sloppy, and he smelled like a piece of toasted Chore Boy. It’s mind boggling to me that this guy was ever successful at pickpocketing when he lived in New York. He had been down here in Florida for only six years and had already visited the local jail well over 12 times. Thing is, he always stayed high, had a car, and was just as sick as I was.

“I’ll be there in five minutes.” he murmured. “Meet me two streets over by the bando,” he instructed before hanging up.

Twenty-five minutes later, Tony pulls up in a hurry, looking annoyed like I’m the asshole who’s twenty minutes late. I’m livid. He always does that; he’s worse than a drug dealer and I hate waiting. I need a fix bad. My nose is beginning to run and I’m getting these random sensations in my stomach. Feels like someone is taking a blade and stabbing me erratically. My body is telling me that I’m supposed to eat but the appetite isn’t there. The worst symptom I get when withdrawing is when I smoke a cigarette: I gag every time I hit it and they don’t taste the way they normally do. It doesn’t help that the cigarettes I’m smoking are the ones I’ve collected from all the public ashtrays around town. They already taste bad. This life sucks. I need a pill, now.

“Here’s the plan,” I say to Tony as I get in the passenger seat. “We have a half hour to grab the shit and meet D at his place before he leaves for the casino.” Tony is already driving to the store. Like me, he knows which one to go to at any particular time of day. We know when loss prevention does their shift change, we know which side of the store the greeters are on, we know which store we hit last time and that dictates which store we hit next.

“Five minutes or less!” I say assertively. “If it takes longer than that, we’re going to the other store.” I know that if I have to come up with a story to buy more time with D, it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Flip a coin to see who’s building the cart this time?” Tony asks.

“Run it,” I reply.

“Heads!” He yells as I flip the coin. “Yes!” He screams. He gets to build the cart. I’m getting excited. As we near the store, the symptoms of my withdrawal seem to lessen. I’m getting turned on over the idea of committing a crime. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Not only am I addicted to drugs, I’m in love with the crazy and dangerous lifestyle that comes along with it.

Let me break down the lick for you.

This is a two man job. Park near the front and keep the car running. Pop the trunk but leave it down so it looks shut. Leave all the doors unlocked. First man goes inside alone to “build the cart.” Building the cart is the easy part, that’s why we flipped a coin for it. You basically go in the store, acquire the items on the list, and place them inside a shopping cart. This must be done in five minutes or less. The other man, the one in the car, is on the phone with you, the cart builder, talking in your ear while he looks through the store window, informing you on what the employees are doing. Are they watching you? Is there an undercover loss prevention guy following you? These are things that must be known.

General rule of thumb when building a cart: look like you belong there. Just go shopping. Smile; say hi to an employee; maybe ask them where you can find a particular item. You’re the customer, act like one.

Tony gets everything on the list in less than five minutes. His slow ass must really need a pill as bad as I do. If he’s hurting, he’s not showing it. I think he’s as excited as I am.

Once the cart is built, head to an aisle that runs along the cash register that’s nearest to the exit. Ditch the cart. Leave it in the aisle and get the fuck out. Once you get back in the car, look your partner in the eye, wish him luck, light a cigarette, sit back and relax. Your work is almost done.

Here’s the dicey part. It’s the driver’s turn to enter the store. I exit the whip and walk to the entrance. Tony keeps his earpiece in and puts the car in drive while he keeps his foot on the brake. I almost forgot to mention, never pull into a parking space. Back in, so when it’s time to make the getaway, you just let off the brake and get the hell out. No one is trying to get into a little fender-bender while trying to elude potential law enforcement. I mean seriously, if my ass goes to jail over a fucking bottle of Pine-Sol, I’m killing somebody.

I’m in the store. My heart is racing! Do I look like I belong? Do I look like a junkie? I know I showered. My shirt is wrinkled but my shoe game is on point. I don’t look homeless but I feel like shit. Do the employees notice? Keep walking. Eyes forward. Listen for Tony on the phone. It’s going to be okay.

I find the cart. My palms are sweaty as I grab it and head towards the exit. I dig into my pocket and pull out an old receipt from the gas station. This is what I’m going to use as I walk out the door with my head down. I’m going to make it look like I’m going over the items I “just purchased” as I walk out; never mind the fact that nothing is bagged up.

“How’s my back, T?” I ask nervously.

“I don’t see anyone behind you, bro. Just keep coming. The trunk is already open.”

We chose the correct side. As I near the exit, I notice there aren’t any greeters, AKA receipt checkers. This is expected but I still don’t get it. There are two entrances, spaced out on either end of this store, but they keep a greeter on only one side. Idiots. I’m about to walk out; just a few more steps.

“Excuse me, Sir!” I hear behind me. I ignore it and keep on walking.

“Sir! Excuse me, hey sir!” I hear again. She sounds cute. I stop and begin to turn around. I got to be honest, my heart is racing and I’m extremely turned on at this point. Why does crime excite me so much?! I can hear Tony screaming and yelling expletives in my ear.

“What’s up?” I casually ask while making eye contact with this cute employee. She can’t be older than 22 and she looks perfect, like those black pants and blue vest were custom made to wrap around her beautiful figure. I wish I wasn’t a junkie. She seems like a good girl. If I wasn’t so concerned with getting high, maybe I’d ask a woman like her out. I don’t have time for women. They get in the way of my using. Just give me a crack-whore that wants to fuck before or after we get loaded. That’s all I have time for.

Shit. I forgot what’s happening here. My ADHD gets the best of me sometimes. I’m supposed to be walking out of a store with a shopping cart full of stolen goods.

“Sir, are you forgetting something?” She asks. I stare blankly back at her. I don’t have a response and I kind of just want to stare at her before she calls the authorities and I have to turn around and make a break for it. The only thing I can muster up to answer her question is “I don’t know, am I forgetting something?”

She raises a fist and begins open to up her cute little hand. I quickly picture her cute fingers with the chipped nail polish dancing all over my body. Focus!

“Get the fuck out of there!” I hear Tony screaming in my ear.

She opens her fist. “You dropped your lighter, Sir,” she says as she hands it back to me. Tony can hear her on his end and I hear him let out a sigh of relief.

“Okay we’re good” I hear him say as I thank her and head out the door.

I throw the items in the trunk and we head over to meet up with D. We’re in a hurry to get high; he’s in a hurry to get to the casino. Both parties are bitching at each other. We engage in the usual small talk that really is just a load of bullshit. D doesn’t care about me or my well-being, and I could give a shit about him and his family. I just want my dope and I want to go home. He just wants his shit and wants me to leave. We do the same shit every day. Act like we’re family. Like there’s some “street code” of honor or something. The truth is, nobody cares. Everyone is out to get theirs and theirs only.

Tony and I head home and split the shit we scored. As soon as I get mine in me, all in the world is right again. For those brief ten seconds of numbness and euphoria, as the opioids flow into my bloodstream, I forget that I am a slave. I forget that just ten seconds ago, my body was writhing in pain. I forget that I was almost stopped inside of a store for shoplifting while on probation. I forget that if I violate, I’m going up-the-road for at least five years. I forget about that girl that broke my heart. I forget that I’m a lying piece of shit that steals from my mother every time she goes to sleep. For ten seconds, I’m free…

And in four hours, I’m doing it all over again.

If no one told you today that they love you, fuck it, there’s always tomorrow. 😉

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
Nearly 20% Of California Pot Products Fail Safety Testing

Products like edibles and oils were much more likely to fail testing than marijuana buds.

Nearly 20% of legal marijuana products in California are failing mandated safety testing, a figure that the industry says has more to do with an inefficient and inaccurate testing system than deficient products.

As of July 1, marijuana products sold on the legal market in California were subject to testing for pesticides and mold, and to ensure that the potency advertised matches the actual potency of the product.

Since July, nearly 11,000 samples were inspected and nearly 2,000 rejected, according to a report by ABC News.

While some growers and distributors are unhappy with the state testing, the testing bureau says that the new screening process has been implemented successfully overall.

“Mandatory statewide testing is a new thing and it’s going to take some time for everything to run smoothly, but on the whole we’re pleased with how things are progressing,” said Bureau of Cannabis Control spokesman Alex Traverso.

The California Growers Association, an industry group, disagrees. “Testing is currently costly, slow, and inconsistent,” the growers association said in a recent letter to the state.

Sixty-five percent of the samples that failed testing were rejected because of mislabeling, e.g. the potency advertised on the product label did not match the potency of the product. State law requires that the potency (which measures THC content), falls within a 10% margin of error. If a batch of product is even slightly outside that margin, it will be rejected and must be relabeled.

The California Cannabis Manufacturers Association, another industry group, says that this can happen when labs do not correctly test a sample, but right now there is no way for manufacturers to appeal a lab’s finding. The association is working to change that.

“Even if the lab admits it made an error, there is no way to change those results,” said Bryce Berryessa, an association board member who is CEO of TreeHouse dispensary in Santa Cruz County and president of La Vida Verde, which produces infused cookies. “Labs are not perfect. Mistakes get made.”

About 90% of buds that were tested in California passed, while products like edibles and oils were much more likely to fail testing, suggesting that potency is more often inaccurate with those products.

The next most common reason for failed testing was pesticide levels that were too high (400 batches were flagged for this reason). And only about 100 samples failed testing because of contaminants or mold. However, this may be because state law only mentions a few specific types of mold in regards to cannabis.

Because of this, Santa Ana-based testing company Cannalysis is urging the state to use a test that is already in place for food and pharmaceuticals, which could catch more potentially contaminated cannabis.

The regulators need to “create a bigger net to catch things,” said Swetha Kaul, the company’s chief scientific officer who sits on the board of the California Cannabis Industry Association.

View the original article at thefix.com

14 September 2018
Experts Release New Guidelines For Treating Women With Depression

A panel of mental health professionals created new guidelines to get more women help with their mood disorders during middle age.

A team of medical professionals has released new guidelines for evaluating and treating depression in perimenopausal women, after finding that the condition is common in the years leading up to menopause.

“Perimenopause is a window of vulnerability for the development of both depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes,” Pauline Maki, lead study author and professor of psychology and psychiatry in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, told Chicago Tonight. “The recent suicide of Kate Spade at 55 years of age shows the seriousness of mental health issues in midlife women, a group that has shown a 45% increase in suicide rates over the past 15 years.”

Researchers found that in the three to four years before menopause, the time when periods become irregular and women experience symptoms including hot flashes, women are at an increased risk for depression. The risk is greatest for women with a history of depression, but it is also increased for those with no depressive background.

“If there is underlying low-level depression to begin with, perimenopause can increase the intensity of depressive symptoms,” Maki said.

Despite the prevalence, Maki said that depression during middle age has been largely ignored by the medical community. That’s why a panel from the North American Menopause Society and the National Network of Depression Centers Women and Mood Disorders Task Group came together to form the guidelines in hopes of getting more women help with their mood disorders during middle age.

Maki says the message from the research and recommendations is two-fold.

“If your mood is low, if you’re feeling irritable, I want (women) to understand there is a consensus that this is normal during menopause,” she said. However, “this is something women don’t have to live with,” she added.

Maki speculates that hormonal changes in the brain, combined with life stressors including caring for adult children and aging parents, increase the risk for depression in the years before menopause.

“When you add in hormonal changes that can affect the brain’s ability to cope with these stressors, it’s no surprise that depression is a common occurrence in midlife women,” she said.

Even low-level depression can have an impact on a person’s quality of life, so doctors and patients should be open to treating depression with antidepressants and therapy, Maki said. Hormone therapy to treat the physical symptoms of menopause—particularly hot flashes that interrupt sleep—can also improve depressive symptoms.

“It is important for women and their health care providers to recognize that these symptoms are common during perimenopause and can be treated,” she said. “By treating some menopausal symptoms, we can help overcome some of the depression symptoms.”

View the original article at thefix.com

13 September 2018
British Royals Launch "Mental Health At Work"

The new online resource for both employers and employees seeks to take the taboo out of discussing mental health at work.

Continuing their campaign to promote mental wellness in the UK, the British Royals have launched a new effort to support workers’ mental health.

According to a survey of more than 44,000 workers conducted by the mental health non-profit organization, Mind, nearly half of workers in the UK (48%) have experienced mental health problems at work. On top of that, only half of these individuals have addressed their issues with their employer.

Mental Health at Work, the new online resource for both employers and employees on improving mental well-being in the workplace, seeks to bridge this gap and take the taboo out of discussing mental health at work.

According to the Mind survey, by training employers on how to promote workers’ mental health, they will feel more confident in supporting their staff. In turn, staff who had a supportive employer or manager reported that they were far more comfortable opening up about their mental health at work.

The goal of the new online resource is to provide information, resources and training for employers and employees who wish to address mental well-being in the workplace.

“We know that employers want to do more and are starting to see mental health as a priority, but often don’t know where to start. The new online Mental Health at Work gateway will change that,” said Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, in a statement. “Even small changes to policy, approach and workplace culture can make a really big difference to the mental health of those around us. No matter the size of your workplace, and no matter where you work, Mental Health at Work can help you find what you need to start or continue your journey to better workplace well-being for everyone.”

The website offers a variety of toolkits pertaining to different situations—some of them include “Promoting a positive culture” and “Tackling Stress in the Workplace.”

Mental Health at Work is just another arm of the British Royals’ campaign for mental wellness. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry launched Heads Together in 2016 to change the conversation about mental health in the UK and urge Brits to be more vocal about their struggles with mental health.

“There are times when, whoever we are, it is hard to cope with a challenge—and when that happens being open and honest and asking for help is life-changing,” said Prince William last year. “Talking to someone else is a positive and confident step to take, but for too long it has been a case of ‘Keep Quiet and Carry On.’ As a result, too many people have suffered in silence for too long, and the effects of this can be devastating.”

View the original article at thefix.com

13 September 2018
Family Of Woman Who Died While Detoxing In Jail Files Lawsuit

Prosecutors declined to charge the deputies involved with the case so the family decided to take another route to justice.

Following a year-long probe, Nevada investigators have decided that the deputies involved in a jail inmate’s July 2017 death should be criminally charged for the way they handled a woman who was in medical distress.

The Mineral County deputies were aware of the inmate’s condition, according to the 300-page report. Kelly Coltrain, 27, who was jailed for outstanding traffic tickets, had informed jail staff that she was dependent on drugs and suffered seizures when she went through withdrawals, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Coltrain was visiting Nevada from Austin, Texas to celebrate her grandmother’s 75th birthday. But instead of spending time with her family, she spent four days in Mineral County Jail until she died in her cell on July 23, 2017.

According to investigators, who produced a 300-page report on Coltrain’s death, jail staff violated multiple policies when they denied Coltrain medical care. Based on Coltrain’s history of seizures, jail staff should have cleared her with a doctor before keeping her in jail; and as she suffered withdrawals, they should have been monitoring her vitals.

Instead, when Coltrain asked that she be taken to the hospital, which is about a two-minute walk across the street from the jail, according to the report, Deputy Ray Gulcynski told her, “Unfortunately, since you’re DT’ing (referring to the detoxification process), I’m not going to take you over to the hospital right now just to get your fix. That’s not the way detention works, unfortunately. You are incarcerated with us, so… you don’t get to go to the hospital when you want. When we feel that your life is at risk… then you will go.”

Surveillance video of Coltrain’s jail cell shows her being ordered to clean up her own vomit with a mop. Less than an hour later, she was dead, and remained in her cell for more than six hours before a deputy noticed her lifeless body. He did not try to revive her or call for help, and Coltrain was left in her cell until the morning, when state officials arrived at the jail to investigate.

Investigators with the Nevada Division of Investigation recommended that the deputies involved face criminal charges, but Lyon County, where the case was forwarded, refused to prosecute.

“The review of the case, in our opinion, did not establish any willful or malicious acts by jail staff that would justify the filing of charges under the requirements of the statute,” said Lyon County District Attorney Stephen Rye.

Coltrain’s family, however, believes her death was preventable. “(Jail staff) knew Kelly Coltrain had lain for days at the jail, in bed, buried beneath blankets, vomiting multiple times, refusing meals, trembling, shaking, and rarely moving. Defendants knew Kelly Coltrain was in medical distress,” according to a federal lawsuit filed by the family last week.

View the original article at thefix.com

13 September 2018