Prescription medications such as pain relievers, central nervous system (CNS) depressants (tranquilizers and sedatives) and stimulants, are beneficial treatment for many health conditions. Pain relievers are used to assist individuals in chronic pain to lead a productive life; tranquilizers can reduce anxiety and sleep disorders; and stimulants help individuals with attention deficit disorders. However, when abused, prescription medication can produce serious adverse health problems and can lead to addiction.
Similarly, over-the-counter medications, such as cough and cold remedies containing dextromethorphan, have beneficial effects when taken as recommended, but they can also be abused and create serious health problems and addiction.
Although many prescription medications can be abused, the following three categories are the most commonly abused:
- Opioid - usually prescribe to treat pain;
- CNS depressants - used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders;
- Stimulants - prescribed for attention deficit disorders, obesity, and narcolepsy
Opioid:
Opioid are sometimes referred to as narcotics. They are commonly prescribed because of the pain relieving properties. Opioid medications can affect regions of the brain that we perceive as pleasure, resulting in the initial euphoria that many opioid produce.
Chronic use of opioid can result in tolerance to the medications so that higher doses must be taken to obtain the same initial effects. Long-term use can lead to addiction and discontinuation of the drugs can cause withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and involuntary leg movements.
Prolonged use of these drugs eventually changes the brain in fundamental and long-lasting ways, explaining why people cannot just quit on their own, and why treatment is essential.
In effect, opioid of abuse take over the brain’s normal pleasure and motivational systems, causing drug use to be the most important priority in an individual’s life, therefore overriding all other motivations and drives. This causes the addict to compulsively seek and use drugs which could result in “doctor shopping,” faking illness and stealing from pharmacies.
CNS Depressants:
CNS depressants my be prescribed to treat anxiety, muscle tension, insomnia, acute stress, panic attacks and seizure disorders. These medications depress brain activity and induce a drowsy or calming effect. CNS include a wide range of drugs, such as alcohol, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal), benzodiazepines (Ativan, Halcion, Librium, Valium, Xanax) cholral hydrate and methaqualone (Quaaludes, as well as newer drugs such as Buspar and Ambien). All of these drugs helps decrease brain activity. Street names include:
Reds, Yellows, Blues, Ludes, Barbs and Downers.
Most CNS depressants have the potential to be physically and psychologically addictive. Alcohol is the most widely abused depressant. The body tends to develop tolerance for CNS depressants, and larger doses are needed to achieve the same effects. Withdrawal from some CNS depressants can be uncomfortable. For example, withdrawal from a depressant treating insomnia or anxiety can cause rebound insomnia or anxiety as the brains activity bounces back after being suppressed. In some cases withdrawal can result in life-threatening seizures. Generally, depressant withdrawal should be undertaken under a physician's supervision. Many physicians will reduce the depressant dosage gradually, to give the body time to adjust. Certain CNS depressants such as barbiturates are easy to overdose on, since there is relatively small differences between the optimal dose and an overdose. A small miscalculation can lead to coma, slowed breathing, and death.
Especially when taken in excess, CNS depressants can cause confusion and dizziness, impaired judgment, memory loss, intellectual performance, and motor coordination.
Stimulants:
Stimulants such as amphetamines (Adderal, Dexedrine) and methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) have been used to treat a variety of problems such as asthma, obesity, respiratory problems and deficit disorders. As the potential for abuse of these drug became apparent they are used less and less, now they are used only to treat a few health conditions and most notedly Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.
Stimulants may be taken orally, but some abusers crush the tablets, dissolve them in water, and inject the mixture. Complications can arise from this because of the insoluble fillers present in the drugs. These fillers can cause blockage to the blood vessels.
Stimulants work by increasing the levels of dopamine in the brain associated with pleasure, movement and attention. Usually prescribed at small doses and increased to reach a therapeutic level, however when taken in doses other than prescribed, can lead to addiction.
The consequences of stimulant abuse can be very dangerous. Taking high doses of stimulants can cause, irregular heartbeat, dangerously high body temperatures, and/or the potential for heart failure and seizures.
Dextromethorphan (DXM):
This chemical is found in over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. It is taken orally and in order to experience the mind-altering effects of this drug, large amounts have to be consumed. This can result in impaired motor functioning, numbness, nausea/vomiting, and increased heart rate and blood pressure.
In 2006, remedies for the common cold and cough and other over the counter drugs, were the most abused chemicals by young adults next to marijuana.