Mayo Clinic Minute: How to stop popping painkillers
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, overdose death is the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. Certainly, heroin is a major player in overdose deaths, but so are prescription opioid pain medications, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine.
Prescription pain medications are necessary in some instances, but Mayo Clinic experts say some people who take them, can't stop, putting them at increased risk of addiction and accidental overdose.
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, reporter Vivien Williams talks to Dr. Mike Hooten about how to stop taking prescription pain medication, especially if you think you might have an addiction issue.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0:59) is in the downloads. Read the script.