Pain Specialist Dr. Aneesh Singla Discusses Newest Drug, Zohydro, on The Diane Rehm Radio Show
- Category: Pain Management
- Written By: NSPC Team
National Spine & Pain Centers’ Dr. Aneesh Singla made a guest appearance on The Diane Rehm Show on NPR’s WAMU 88.5 Washington, D.C. station to discuss the new opioid medication, Zohydro.
In October of 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this new drug which is a variation of the opioid hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin.
The key difference between the two is Zohydro is an extended-release formula without acetaminophen (Tylenol) that only needs to be taken every 12 hours rather than every 4-6 hours like hydrocodone.
During the panel discussion regarding the FDA’s approval of this new drug, Dr. Singla weighed in from a unique perspective that was not matched by the other guests on the show. Dr. Singla sees patients every day who suffer from a variety of chronic pain conditions and seek solutions for lasting relief. Zohydro was created for patients like this so they don’t have to consume 4-6 pills a day just to get by. But Dr. Singla also iterates that the role of a pain specialist is to lay out all the options which spans much wider than medication alone.
Dr. Singla, a current faculty member at the Harvard Medical School and Physician at National Spine & Pain Centers, fully understands the risk of addiction and dependency when including opioid medications as part of a treatment plan. He performs a comprehensive evaluation of each patient’s medical situation before suggesting treatments to resolve their acute or chronic pain conditions.”
If you’re currently taking medication to relieve your pain, click below to listen to the radio show in its entirety to learn about the risks and benefits of Zohydro.