ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
With all the news about the opioid epidemic, there’s an unexpected group in trouble. Older people. In fact, an analysis of government data shows more than 500,000 Medicare recipients received high doses of opioids in 2016, with the average dose exceeding the manufacturer’s recommended amount. John Evard didn’t exceed his prescription, but he certainly knows about the opioid issue. The 71-year-old retired corporate tax attorney was prescribed oxycodone after surgery on a TMJ joint, aimed at helping with horrible ear pain he had from an infection in his ear. The surgery, he says, was by all accounts a success. The issue: The pain didn’t go away, and he needed the pain meds. And then, he says,“ I needed some increased amount as the pain got worse and worse. And what you learned is that your pain receptors fill up and they can no longer take the help that the opioids provide. And I found myself in that do loop.” Soon, he says, the oxycodone dictated his day, and took away his life. “I couldn’t have a social life. I couldn’t play go out with my friends. I couldn’t go to restaurants. I couldn’t go to parties, we couldn’t have parties at our home.” Dr. Irene Wu, the Assistant Director UCLA Comprehensive Pain Center in Los Angeles, says opioids can be great painkillers for acute pain under certain circumstances, but patients and doctors need to be aware that, “I think our bodies become very dependent and tolerant to these medications quite quickly.” Dr. Wu says she advises most caution if opioids are used for chronic pain. And when dealing with the senior set, she says there is additional concern. “I think older patients are more prone to side effects because they metabolize medications much more slowly,” putting them more at risk for respiratory distress and cognitive impairment. A government survey found “hospital stays involving opioid overuse” grew 5-fold between 1993-2012 for people over age 45, much higher than any other age group. John says, he only followed his prescription instructions and was on the opioids for about eight months. By then, basically housebound, he knew he was in trouble and checked into rehab. “I decided to go to rehab just because I had no other solution. My life was ending. I mean, I didn’t have anything to do, anything really reason to live, except just living for the more medications.” He adds the withdrawal symptoms were brutal but worth it. John says he’s doing well now and manages his pain with non-opioid medications…And insists he gets the best relief from aerobic exercise.. Dr Wu says there are many tools in the pain management toolbox, including, “For older patients I think that we should introduce them to what we call multimodal pain management, meaning the use of muscle relaxants, anti inflammatories, which all have much less side effects than the typical opioids may have.” Dr. Wu also recommends acupuncture and physical therapy both as a potential alternative or additive to opioids for pain management. She also stresses that there are differences between drug “dependence” and “addiction.” John says he was dependent not addicted to the opioids, but he still needed help to quit. If you or someone you care about may have a problem, head to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline for assistance.