Mixing opioids and popular sedatives may be deadly (CBS News)

Thursday Sep 1st, 2016

Mixing prescription opioid painkillers with a class of drugs that includes popular sedatives such as Valium and Xanax can cause a fatal overdose, U.S. health officials warned Wednesday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will require “boxed warnings” on 389 different products to inform health professionals and the public of this potentially lethal drug interaction, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said during a media briefing.

Benzodiazepines -- which include Valium and Xanax -- affect the central nervous system, and are used to treat conditions like anxiety, insomnia and seizures, said Dr. Doug Throckmorton, deputy director of regulatory programs with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Read more:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mixing-opioids-oxycodone-and-popular-sedativ...

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