Upward trend: Abuse of prescription drugs

Commonly abused prescription drugs belong to one of three categories, although there are many other categories of drugs:

• Narcotic Pain Medications (Opioids) - often prescribed to treat pain.
• Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants - used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders.
• CNS Stimulants - prescribed to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Mis-Use or Abuse of Opiods Can:

• Produce drowsiness;
• Cause constipation;
• Depress breathing, depending on the amount taken. Even a large single dose could cause severe respiratory depression and death;
• Interact with other drugs and are only safe to use with other drugs when under a physician’s supervision;
• (Repeated use can) result in tolerance to the drugs so that higher doses must be taken to get the same initial effects;
• Lead to physical dependence after long-term use. This means that the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly;
• Produce withdrawal symptoms including restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements.

Mis-Use or Abuse of CNS Depressants Can:

• Slow breathing, or slow both the heart and respiration, which can be fatal. This is particularly true if CNS depressants are combined with the use of certain prescription pain medicines, over-the-counter cold (OTC) and allergy medications, or alcohol;
• Be highly addictive, which leads to compulsive drug seeking and use;
• Lead to withdrawal symptoms after prolonged use, including seizures. When a person stops using CNS depressants after a period of abusing them, the brain’s activity rebounds and can cause this condition.

Mis-Use or Abuse of CNS Stimulants Can:

• Result in the development of an irregular heartbeat;
• Raise the body’s temperature to dangerously high levels;
• Lead to cardiovascular failure or deadly seizures;
• Create feelings of hostility or paranoia;
• Be particularly dangerous when combined with the use of anti-depressants or OTC cold medicines containing decongestants. Anti-depressants may enhance the effects of stimulants. Decongestants, when combined with stimulants, may cause blood pressure to become dangerously high or lead to irregular hearth rhythms.

The Difference Between Mis-Use and Abuse

Prescription drugs can be both mis-used and abused. These two words have different meanings. A person with a valid drug prescription can mis-use it if he or she doesn’t follow the doctor’s directions properly. Sometimes, people think that taking more of a drug will make its effect happen quicker. This is a mistake. Prescription drug instructions are carefully developed and serious consequences, like overdosing, can occur when these instructions are not followed. Mis-use also occurs when the patient doesn’t follow instructions because he or she thinks that taking more or less of the drug will help heal their illness or make them feel better, faster.

Abuse means that a person, with or without a prescription, intentionally takes a prescription drug to get high or for some reason other than what the drug is intended to treat. The difference between mis-use and abuse is the person’s intention is he or she using it inappropriately by mistake (mis-use) or is he or she intentionally using it for a non-medical purpose (abuse)?

Both mis-use and abuse of prescription drugs are very dangerous and can have the same dangerous consequences.

Related Information:

• Prescription Drug Abuse
• What’s Driving Teens to Abuse Prescription Drugs?
• Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse
• More on Oxycontin®
• More on Ritalin®
• Tips for Parents

Information provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Source: RefillPill.com Editors' Choice