by: David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) A popular and powerful prescription painkiller may be causing people to kill themselves, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Pain Clinic Bergmannsheil at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and published in the journalPain.

Six years ago, a new painkiller named ziconotide (also known as SNX-111 and Prialt) was approved by the FDA for patients in which the older, more well-known opioid drugs prove either ineffective or addictive. Derived from the lethal venom of the cone snail (Conus magus), ziconotide acts by directly blocking the pain receptors in the brain.

Although ziconotide appears to be non-addictive, increasing concerns have emerged that it may cause unintended effects in the brains of patients, increasing their risk of suicide. According to the new study, the drug deteriorates patients’ states of mind while reducing both anxiety and impulse control. While this will not produce suicide in all patients, it may drastically increase the risk in psychologically vulnerable people.

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