What Do You Know About Prescription Drug Abuse?

Millions of Americans use prescription medicines for nonmedical reasons. This includes teens and young adults. Older adults are at higher risk for misuse of prescription medicines because they take more medicines than younger people.

Strong painkillers are prescribed for moderate to severe pain that is present day in and day out. Over time, a strong painkiller can lead to a physical dependence. This means that your body has become used to the presence of the medicine and will develop symptoms of withdrawal if you suddenly stop using the medicine. Physical dependence can develop for certain medicines when used over a long period of time even when they are used appropriately. If you develop dependence, you can stop the medicine gradually, in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Addiction, however, refers to a compulsive craving for the medicine or drug. People who are addicted usually can’t quit without help.

Most people don’t become addicted to a medication while they’re using it for a legitimate purpose and taking it as directed. To help prevent problems, you should never stop taking or change how you’re taking a medication without first talking with your health care provider. Don’t use another person’s prescription. When your health care provider prescribes a new medication, make sure that he or she knows about all other medicines, herbs, and dietary supplements you take.

The NIDA says that the most commonly abused prescription medicines fall into these 3 types:

• Opioids. These are painkillers such as oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone.
• Central nervous system depressants. These are used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders. They include alprazolam, lorazepam, and diazepam.
• Stimulants. These are often prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. An example is methylphenidate.

But once addiction occurs, it can be as deadly as addiction to certain street drugs. For instance, people who abuse oxycodone, sold as OxyContin, may inhale or inject it, greatly boosting their risk for overdose and other medical complications.

Another sign is trying to get two different healthcare providers to give you prescriptions for the same medicine at the same time. Yet another is switching pharmacies to make it harder for professionals to track how much of the medicine you're getting.

Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain, and their healthcare providers struggle with how to provide pain relief without the risk for dependence or addiction. Alternatives to pain medicine vary in how well they work, but range from relaxation and meditation or acupuncture and massage.

The combinations can be fatal, particularly with medicines such as opioids and central nervous system depressants like barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Thousands of people die every year taking a prescription opioid. Many also drink alcohol or take a benzodiazepine along with the opioid medicine.

Work with your healthcare provider, a substance-abuse counselor, or a mental health professional, any of whom can see you through safely. Treatment may include a combination of detoxification, counseling, and other medicines.