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Sleep disorders include a range of problems -- from insomnia to narcolepsy -- and affect millions of Americans. Dr. Michael Breus shares information and advice on sleep disorder and insomnia treatments and causes.

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WebMD Health News

Monday, March 12, 2007

Buying Prescription Medication on the Internet
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In my most recent issue of the Sleep Review Newsletter I learned that what I had suspected could happen, has indeed occurred:

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has become aware that a number of Americans who placed orders for specific drug products over the Internet, including Ambien, Xanax, Lexapro, and Ativan, instead received a product that, according to preliminary analysis, contains haloperidol, a powerful anti-psychotic drug."
Several people ended up in the ER with several problems including:
  • difficulty in breathing

  • muscle spasms

  • muscle stiffness
Obviously this is a tremendous problem. The packages were postmarked in Greece and the FDA has posted photographs of the tablets and shipping packages in question.

This is not to say that errors like this occur in all instances. But when buying prescription medications over the internet, it is best to know what they look like, if possible, and to buy them through a site that your health insurance carrier recommends.

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Posted by: Dr. Breus at 11:45 AM

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