Just because a doctor prescribes a pill doesn’t mean that it’s safe for everyone. As the number of issued prescriptions rises, so do the rates of people misusing prescription drugs.
In a survey conducted in 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that 18.9 million Americans aged 12 and older misused prescription drugs in the past year. About 1 percent of Americans aged 12 and older had a prescription drug use disorder.
Drug addiction is a component of drug use disorder. It’s a disease that can affect your brain and behavior, making it difficult to control your use of drugs. Some people become addicted to illicit recreational drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. However, it’s also possible to become addicted to medications that your doctor has prescribed. If you become addicted to a prescription drug, you may compulsively use it, even when it causes you harm.
Some prescription drugs are more addictive than others. Most addictive drugs affect your brain’s reward system by flooding it with dopamine. This results in a pleasurable “high” that can motivate you to take the drug again. Over time, you might become dependent on the drug to feel “good” or “normal.” You might also develop a tolerance to the drug. This can push you to take larger doses.
Read on to begin learning about prescription drugs that are commonly misused.
Opioids produce a euphoric effect. They’re often prescribed for pain. Signs and symptoms of opioid misuse may include:
- euphoria
- changes in behavior or personality
Oxycodone (OxyContin)
Oxycodone is commonly sold under the brand name OxyContin. It’s also sold in combination with acetaminophen as Percocet. It changes how your central nervous system (CNS) responds to pain.
Like heroin, it creates a euphoric, sedative effect. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 58.8 million prescriptions for oxycodone were dispensed in the United States in 2013.
Codeine
Codeine is typically prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain. It’s also combined with other medications to treat cold and flu symptoms. For example, it’s commonly found in prescription-strength cough syrup.
When consumed in high quantities, codeine-based cough syrup has a sedative effect. It can also cause altered levels of consciousness. It provides the base for an illicit drug concoction known as “purple drank,” “sizzurp,” or “lean.” This concoction also contains soda and sometimes candy.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. It’s prescribed for acute and chronic pain, typically in people with cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , it’s 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. It creates feelings of euphoria and relaxation.
Fentanyl is also illegally manufactured and sold as an illicit recreational drug. In many cases, it’s mixed with heroin, cocaine, or both. In October 2017, the CDC reported that fentanyl is involved in over half of opioid-related overdose deaths across 10 states.
In addition to the common signs and symptoms associated with opioid misuse, fentanyl misuse may also lead to hallucinations and bad dreams.
Meperidine (Demerol)
Meperidine is a synthetic opioid. It’s often sold under the brand name Demerol. It’s typically used to treat moderate to severe pain. Like other opioids, it produces feelings of euphoria.
According to the CDC , 2,666 Americans died in 2011 from drug poisoning that involved opioid painkillers other than methadone, such as meperidine or fentanyl.
Opioid withdrawal
If you’re addicted to opioids, you’ll likely develop withdrawal symptoms when you stop using them. Withdrawal symptoms may include:
- drug cravings
- agitation or irritability
- digestive problems
CNS depressants include barbiturates and benzodiazepines. They’re also called tranquillizers and have a calming effect. Signs and symptoms of misuse include:
- drowsiness
- lethargy
- irritability
- confusion
- dizziness
- headache
- changes in vision
- nausea
- vomiting
- changes in behavior or personality
Alprazolam (Xanax)
Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine. It’s commonly sold under the brand name Xanax. It’s prescribed to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It depresses your CNS, which has a calming effect. Some people misuse it for its fast-acting sedating effects.
According to the CDC, more than four times as many Americans died in 2015 than 2002 from overdoses that involved benzodiazepines. In many of those cases, people died after combining benzodiazepines with opioids.
Additional signs and symptoms of alprazolam misuse include trouble sleeping, swelling of the hands or feet, and tremors.
Clonazepam (Klonopin) and diazepam (Valium)
Clonazepam and diazepam are benzodiazepines. They’re used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. They’re also used to treat seizures. Clonazepam is commonly sold under the brand name Klonopin. Diazepam is commonly sold as Valium.
Like Xanax, these drugs are often misused for their sedative effects. They produce “highs” that can feel similar to the effects of alcohol. For example, they can cause feelings of drunkenness, talkativeness, and relaxation.
It’s not uncommon for people to recreationally misuse Xanax, Klonopin, or Valium in combination with other drugs. According to the CDC, the number of overdose deaths that involved both benzodiazepines and opioids more than quadrupled between 2002 and 2015.
Potential signs and symptoms of clonazepam or diazepam misuse may also include:
- hallucinations
- constipation
Withdrawal from CNS depressants
If you’re addicted to CNS depressants, you’ll likely develop withdrawal symptoms when you stop using them. Withdrawal symptoms may include:
- drug cravings
- excessive sweating
- headache
- trouble sleeping
- nausea
Stimulants increase your brain activity. This helps boost your alertness and energy levels. Signs and symptoms of misuse include:
- euphoria
- aggressiveness or hostility
- paranoia
- hallucinations
- dilated pupils
- changes in vision
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- changes in behavior or personality
Amphetamine (Adderall)
Amphetamine is commonly known as “speed.” It’s a CNS stimulant. It’s used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
Products that contain amphetamine are often misused for their energizing effects. For example, Adderall is a product that combines amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. It’s often misused by people are sleep-deprived, such as truck drivers, shift workers, and college students working on deadlines. According to a study from the University of Michigan, 9 percent of college students in 2012 reported misusing Adderall.
In addition to the typical signs of stimulant misuse, amphetamine misuse may also be characterized by:
- increased energy and alertness
- increased body temperature
Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
Similar to Adderall, methylphenidate is a stimulant that affects your CNS. It’s commonly sold under the brand name Ritalin. It increases levels of dopamine in the brain, which helps improve attention. It’s used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. Like other stimulants, it can be habit-forming.
One reason that Ritalin and other prescription stimulants are commonly misused is their availability. According to the DEA, more than 13 million prescriptions for methylphenidate were filled in 2012.
Methylphenidate misuse may also lead to agitation or trouble sleeping.
Withdrawal from stimulants
If you’re addicted to stimulants, you may develop withdrawal symptoms when you stop using them. Withdrawal symptoms may include: Marlboro styles.
- drug cravings
- anxiety
- extreme fatigue
Prescription drug addiction can negatively affect your health. It can also put you at risk of a fatal overdose. Drug addiction can also put a strain on your finances and relationships.
Do you suspect that someone you love is misusing prescription medications? It’s important for them to get professional help. Their doctor or mental health specialist might recommend counseling. They might also refer your loved one to an intensive rehabilitation program. In some cases, they might prescribe medications to help curb drug cravings or relieve symptoms of withdrawal.
If you suspect that someone you love has a prescription drug addiction, there are ways that you can help.
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How to Help
- Look for credible information about prescription drug addiction. Learn more about the signs, symptoms, and treatment options.
- Tell your loved one that you’re concerned about their drug use. Let them know that you want to help them find professional support.
- Encourage your loved one to make an appointment with their doctor, a mental health specialist, or an addiction treatment center.
- Consider joining a support group for friends and family members of people with drug addictions. Your fellow group members can offer social support as you strive to cope with your loved one’s addiction.
For more information on drug addiction, including potential treatment options, visit these websites:
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See more blog posts or follow us on twitter.Prescription Drugs A Z Side Effects
The Z-Drugs
If you get a prescription from a doctor for insomnia medicine, it will probably be one of the Z-drugs. The Z-drugs, which include Lunesta, Ambien, and Sonata, are benzodiazepine receptor agonists. That means they work in a similar way to the benzodiazepine drugs inside the brain. They are GABA agonists meaning they somewhat mimic the action of gamma-Aminobutyric acid, the inhibitory neurotransmitter and thereby induce sleepiness.
In the historical timeline of insomnia treatment, these drugs came along after the benzodiazepines. They are better because the side effects are less severe and the not as habit forming. (Benzodiazepines still have a place in medicine for treatment of anxiety and are still used for insomnia, too.)
These drugs are sometimes referred to as non-benzodiazepine hypnotics or just non-benzodiazepines. That’s a dumb name, if you ask us. Too unspecific and vague, especially if you are not in the context of sleep medicine. Further, even within sleep medicine, there are compounds that are non-benzodiazepine hypnotics that would not be considered part of this class: antihistamines and ramelteon, for instance.
One problem is that the chemists don’t have a category that these drugs all fall into which is narrow enough to signify what medical practitioners are talking about. These drugs are in the categories pyrazolopyrimidines, imidazopyridines or cyclopyrrones, but they are not all in the same category.
Therefore, we prefer the term Z-drugs. The generic names for these drugs all contain the letter Z, and it is as good a name as any.
Eszopiclone is sold under the brand name Lunesta® (manufactured by Sepracor). It is less effective than some other insomnia treatments, but has several unique advantages. Eszopiclone has a much smaller chance of causing user dependence than other sleep aids, and is less likely to be used recreationally. It also works well for long-term use. The most frequent side effects reported are loss of coordination and dizziness.
Zaleplon is mainly used to treat insomnia, and is manufactured by King Pharmaceuticals under the brand name Sonata®. Although zaleplon is not a benzodiazepine, it produces many of the same side effects: anterograde amnesia (inability to remember, especially during the period of the drug’s use), confusion, daytime drowsiness, agitation, and hallucinations. Zaleplon is a habit-forming drug.
Zolpidem is manufactured under several trade names; the most familiar being Sanofi-Aventis’ Ambien®. It is indicated for short-term insomnia treatment. Prescription Ambien is used as a “no-go” pill by the U.S. Air Force to facilitate sleep for pilots after a mission. Zolpidem is also used off-label to manage restless legs syndrome. If taken for an extended period, zolpidem has the potential to become addictive or at least to induce dependence. It produces many side effects, among them: hallucinations and/or delusions, anterograde amnesia, decreased motor coordination, and impaired judgement.
Zopiclone is a short-acting hypnotic drug first developed by Sepracor, and currently produced by Sanofi-Aventis. In the United States, it is sold under the analogue of eszopiclone (see above), and sold under multiple other brand names worldwide. The most commonly reported side effects are a bitter metallic taste, dry mouth, and headache.
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The Difference between Z-drugs and Benzodiazepines
Both benzodiazepine drugs and these non-benzodiazepine sedatives work in the brain on the gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA-A) receptors, as do many drugs used to induce sleep. They may not be formal agonists (in the sense that they don’t directly compete with GABA for biochemical sites in the neurons), but they bind to other places near or in the receptors. Benzodiazepines act on GABA-A receptors that include subunits of the alpha-1, alpha-2, alpha-3, and other classes. The Z-drugs are more selective for the alpha-1 subclass which seems to drive sleepiness but not anti-anxiety.
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