Twenty years ago, prescription drugs were viewed as totally benign.
The opioid epidemic that started ravaging America in the late 1990s and continues wreaking havoc today has caused a shift in public perception, though. Today, we’ll be looking at some of the serious consequences stemming from the abuse of prescription drugs so you can protect yourself and your loved ones from this twenty-first century menace.
It’s not just opioids that have the potential for abuse, though. Prescription stimulants can also cause more harm than good when misused or abused.
Now, if you’re skeptical about the scope of this problem, we’d refer you to the 2014 NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). Of the 27 million Americans using illegal drugs, 6.4 million of these were misusing psychotherapeutic drugs. This is an umbrella category used to describe prescription painkillers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants.
Undoubtedly, opioid abuse captures most media attention. This is not surprising given the 200% increase in opioid overdoses since 2000, according to the CDC.
That said and despite the weight given to the opioid epidemic, the breadth of the problem with prescription drug misuse and abuse should not be underestimated.
What’s the big deal with prescription drug abuse, then?
How harmful can this really be?
Is Prescription Abuse A Legitimate Problem?
By 2017, the NSDUH shows 18 million Americans using prescription medications admitted to misusing them at least once during that year.
2017 was also a year when 2 million adult Americans misused prescription painkillers for the first time. This is a flashpoint we’ll explore in more depth below.
Beyond this, the data shows 1 million Americans misusing stimulants prescribed by their doctor, 1.5 million misusing prescription tranquilizers, and 250,000 misusing sedatives for the first time.
This annual survey on American drug habits shows a murky picture with millions of new prescription drug users straying into misuse and abuse for the first time. There are also, of course, millions already entrenched in abuse.
How did we get here, then?
Well, when big pharmaceutical companies informed doctors that opioid painkillers were not addictive and should be prescribed more widely than for pain relief in cancer patients, these companies were being economical with the truth.
Taking this misinformation at face value, doctors widely prescribed opioid painkillers for a variety of pain.
As we said, though, the problem with prescription drugs may be especially acute with opioids, but the problem runs deeper.
Misusing any prescription medication can bring about serious consequences, including addiction and overdose. Abuse of these drugs takes on various forms, but before we probe that, it’s worth clearing up some basic terminology. Abuse and misuse are often used interchangeably, but there are nuances in meaning worth highlighting before we dive deeper into the mechanics of prescription drug abuse.
Prescription Misuse
If you use any drugs in contravention of medical or legal guidelines, this is classified as misuse.
The term is usually applied to prescription medications.
There are two common forms of misuse:
Taking more of the medication than prescribed
Taken medication not prescribed for you
Misuse of prescription drugs often but not always leads to abuse of these drugs.
Prescription Abuse
If you’re misusing prescription medications, especially if you’re taking them in excessive quantities, this often starts to affect various aspects of your life.
A more serious problem with prescription drugs is developing if you notice upheaval in your life.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you notice any health problems developing?
Is physical dependence setting in?
Are you starting to neglect your responsibilities?
Do you experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop using the medication?
Have you craved the medication?
If you answer yes to more than one of these questions, there’s every chance you have crossed the line and moved from misuse to abuse.
The term substance abuse is no longer used in DSM-5, the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Instead, the term substance use disorder is used to describe all types of misuse and abuse.
So, for anyone misusing prescription drugs, there’s a strong chance this will stray into abuse and need to visit a drug rehab center. The risks of improperly using any prescription medication are significant, so which drugs are the worst offenders?
Prescription Drug Rehab
Many of those facing prescription drug abuse often times will need the assistance of a rehab center. Opioid prescriptions as well as stimulants are very difficult addictions to face alone sometimes even dangerous. In many cases those who have an addiciton will first need to detox from the substance. Over time when you abuse a drug your body and brain become accustomed to the chemicals from the drugs creating a physical dependency. Detox can be dangerous alone, it is best when watched over closely by addiciton professionals to ensure a safe and comfortable detox experience
After detoxing many people still need to seek treatment to maintain lasting recovery from prescription drug abuse, in many cases this can be in the form of dual diagnosis treatment, EMDR therapy, or other Huntington Beach Therapy Programs
Most Commonly Abused Medications
The abuse of prescription medications typically involves the following types of drug:
Opioid painkillers: Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet
Stimulants: Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine
CNS depressants: Valium, Ativan, Ambien
Now, these drugs are abused in different ways and for different reasons. They also trigger different signs and symptoms of abuse. We’ll walk you through each class of drug separately so you can get a clearer idea of how things can go wrong.
1) Opioid painkillers
Opioids painkillers are routinely prescribed to help manage severe pain. These drugs work on the opioid receptors in your brain and your spinal cord. They alter the way in which you perceive pain and provide temporary relief.
This class of drug had been used successfully as an all-purpose painkiller for centuries. Until recently, though, the medication was typically used to treat acute pain.
The 1990s saw the beginning of large volumes of opioid prescriptions being written for the treatment of chronic pain. Not only is there insufficient evidence to prove the effectiveness of opioids for the long-term management of chronic pain, dependence to this class of medication rapidly builds. Tolerance also builds due to the way opioids act on the reward centers in your brain. Sometimes, the patient becomes more sensitive to pain instead of less sensitive, so inflaming the underlying problem. This phenomenon is known as hyperalgesia
So, why is that opioids have become commonly prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, then?
Well, the current batch of class-action lawsuits has shown that blame for the public health emergency that is the opioid epidemic is finally being laid at the door of big pharma.
Early signs of the opioid epidemic became apparent when 1991 saw a spike in the rate of deaths from opioids. At this time, pharmaceutical companies had been heavily promoting opioid painkillers as a valid treatment for chronic pain with no meaningful risk of addiction.
Two decades and thousands of deaths later, the number of deaths from heroin abuse had also sharply increased. This happened, at least partially, due to early efforts to stem the number of opioids being prescribed. By this stage, many people were already addicted to these painkillers. Unable to refill their prescriptions, many hunted down street heroin to plug the gap. If you find that hard to believe, consider that up to 80% of heroin users had used prescription painkillers before using heroin.
Although the CDC set out clear guidelines to arrest the flow of opioid painkillers, pharmaceutical companies continued lobbying aggressively to continue making billions at the expense of the end user, the American citizen.
Even today, COVID-19 might be grabbing the headlines, but the misuse and abuse of opioids remains a clear and present danger.
If you suspect that a loved one could be dependent on these drugs, here are some common signs to watch out for.
Signs & Symptoms
If you spot any of the following symptoms after using prescription opioids, you could be misusing or even abusing the drugs:
Euphoria
Confusion
Drowsiness
Impaired coordination
Constipation
Higher dose needed for pain relief
Increased sensitivity to pain
Nausea
Slow breathing
Doctor shopping or requesting early refills also point to prescription drug abuse.
If you use opioids and feel you might have a problem, don’t hesitate to speak frankly and honestly with your healthcare provider.
What can you expect if you become addicted to opioid painkillers, then?
Consequences
Taken short-term and as prescribed, opioid painkillers usually help with the safe and effective management of pain.
To put this into perspective, if your doctor prescribed you a course of opioids for a few days, there is very little chance opioid use disorder will occur.
If, however, you use opioids long-term, there is a strong chance of dependence setting in followed by building tolerance and addiction. This can happen in as little as a month or two.
By this stage, attempting to stop taking opioids usually triggers unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. These can be so challenging that quitting alone without outside assistance can be difficult and even dangerous.
If you are abusing opioids, you are at heightened risk of overdose. You could experience respiratory depression after a single dose. This condition can be fatal. If you are using alcohol or sedatives at the same time as opioids, you’ll amplify these risks further.
Abusing prescription opioids is also a risk factor for heroin use. Almost one-third of US drug users started their journey with prescription painkillers.
If you or a loved one shows any of these symptoms of opioid abuse, don’t waste time. Speak with a doctor and tackle the problem before dependence sets in fully. Start rebuilding your life naturally before the drug designed to help starts impacting you negatively.
2) Stimulants
Prescription stimulants have been used over the years to treat a range of conditions.
Today, this class of medication is only used to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and, less commonly, narcolepsy.
The more limited scope of applications means there are fewer people abusing prescription stimulants than prescription opioids. Fewer people are exposed to these drugs in the first place.
That said, the abuse of stimulants remains a problem, especially among younger adults.
Properly used, prescription stimulants boost energy levels and enhance alertness while also improving your ability to focus. This is achieved by the way these drugs work on dopamine signaling in your brain.
Adderall and Ritalin are commonly misused by students who want to stay alert and focused while preparing for exams.
Executives and Stimulant Abuse
Because of the enhanced alertness and energy of these drug they are often abused by professionals in the workplace or college students. Many find that even though they provide an early benefit to finish projects or help cram for a test the lasting symptoms of addiction are not worth the benefit. Many professionals find they will increase their tolerance for the drug and build an addiciton that is too difficult to defeat on their own. Many outpatient rehab centers like the Executive rehab programs in Orange County offer recovery options for professionals who are still working and want discreet outpatient treatment. These programs can vary in length some even are as flexible as being able to get treatment at home through Virtual IOP
Also, the euphoria induced by these drugs means they can be abused recreationally to get high.
How can you determine if a loved one is abusing prescription stimulants, though?
Signs & Symptoms
Look out for any of the following signs and symptoms:
Agitation
Alertness
High body temperature
Euphoria
High blood pressure
Paranoia
Irregular heartbeat
Insomnia
Lowered appetite
Speak with your doctor if you notice any of the above effects as the consequences of misuse can be dire.
Consequences
It takes some time for dependence to build with prescription stimulants. Once addicted, though, discontinuing use can trigger extreme withdrawal symptoms. From depression and insomnia through to all-over fatigue, quitting prescription stimulants can be hard without calling in for help.
When used repeatedly and excessively, prescription stimulants can bring about a feeling of hostility in users alongside a sense of paranoia. In the worst scenario, this can develop into full-blown psychosis.
High body temperatures and irregular heartbeat can both become dangerous. There’s also a small risk of cardiovascular failure and seizure.
The most common form of abuse is when someone uses medication intended for someone else.
3) Stimulants
CNS (central nervous system) depressants include:
Sedatives
Tranquilizers
Hypnotics
The purpose of each of these medications is to slow down activity in the brain. They are consequently useful for treating sleep disorders as well as anxiety disorders.
These CNS depressants all work in different ways.
Valium, Xanax, and Klonopin are all from the benzodiazepine family. If you come back next week, we’ll be doing a deep dive on this class of drug. These medications are highly effective when used for the short-term management of sleep disorders and some anxiety disorders. When used on an ongoing basis, though, tolerance rapidly builds, and dependence easily sets in.
Medications like Ambien are non-benzodiazepine, meaning they have a different chemical structure. They also have far fewer side effects. Despite this, Ambien still has the potential for abuse.
Nembutal and other tranquilizers also have a high risk of overdose. These are usually prescribed to treat sleep disorders or seizure disorders.
CND depressants have many medical benefits, but also a high potential for misuse and abuse.
Signs & Symptoms
If you or a loved one is taking CNS depressants, watch out for the following side effects:
Confusion
Lowered concentration levels
Unsteadiness when walking
Slurred speech
Dizziness
Memory problems
Drowsiness
Slowed breathing
Consequences
You should only use CND depressants as directed.
Tolerance easily builds if you take this class of medication long-term. This means you’ll need more of the drug to achieve the same effects. For this reason, you should not be prescribed CNS depressants for more than a few days.
If you continue using the medication after this point, dependence can set in. Withdrawal symptoms are to be expected if you attempt to stop using the medication. This is not usually life-threatening if you’re using benzodiazepines, although it can be intensely uncomfortable. With tranquilizers, you should seek medical assistance as the complications can be deadly.
It’s advisable to speak with your doctor if you have been abusing your prescription for CNS depressants rather than making an attempt to stop abruptly.
Get Help for Addiction to Prescription Painkillers
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All of the prescription drugs we highlight today come with their own laundry list of risks if misused and abused.
Whatever the medication, you run the risk of dependence and addiction setting in if you don’t use these painkillers as prescribed.