Mixing Opioids and Tranquilizers Can Be Deadly, FDA Warns (NBC News)

Thursday Sep 1st, 2016

More and more people have died from mixing strong painkillers with tranquilizers like Xanax, leading federal health officials to strengthen warnings against doing so.

People who mix opioids with the sedatives can suffer from breathing problems, which can lead to comas and even prove fatal, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

The FDA plans to add a black-box warning — the strongest warning — to nearly 400 drugs in the opioid and benzodiazepine classes.

"We said, 'we cannot wait' and called upon the FDA to save lives now," Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said on a call with reporters Wednesday. Wen and other health professionals had petitioned the FDA to make the change.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/mixing-opioids-tranquilizers-c...

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