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If you take a medication in a unique way from what the doctor used to give you, it is known as prescription drug abuse. This may mean:
- Take a medication that was prescribed for someone else
- Take a higher dose than recommended
- Take the medication differently than prescribed. This could be grinding the medicine and then inhale or injecting.
Using some prescription-type drugs, improperly can cause an addiction. These include sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.
Each medication has some risk of causing side effects. Doctors take this into account when prescribing them. People who misuse these medications may not understand the risks. That’s why there are so many people in need of good drug rehab centers. Medications may not be safe for them, especially at higher doses or when taken with other medicines.
Medications That Are Misused
Common types of medications that are misused include depressants, opioids, and stimulants.
DEPRESSORS
These medications are also known as tranquilizers or sedatives. They are used to treat anxiety and sleep problems.
The types of medications and their street names include:
- Barbiturates such as Amytal, Nembutal, Phenobarbital, and Seconal. Their street names include barbs, fenis, reds, red birds, tooies, yellows, yellow sacks.
- Their street names include barbs, benzos, blues, sweets, sleeping pills, downers, planks,sleeping pills, totem poles, tranks, zanies, and z-bar.
- Other sleeping medications, such as Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta. Street names include A- and zombie pills.
When used to get high, they can cause feelings of well-being, intense joy, and emotion. Like illegal drugs, depressants come in pills or capsules and are usually taken by mouth.
The harmful effects that depressants have on the body include:
- Shorter attention period
- Criteria deterioration
- Lack of coordination
- Low blood pressure
- Memory problems
- Bad pronunciation
People who use these medications for a long time may have life-threatening withdrawal symptoms if they try to stop suddenly.
OPIOIDS
Opioids are powerful analgesics. They are used to treat pain after surgery or a dental procedure. Sometimes they are used to treat diarrhea or severe cough. To buy opioids, you must have a prescription. Prescription pain relievers are legal and are useful when the doctor tells them to treat a health problem.
Opioid types and their street names include:
- Codeine. There are many medications that contain codeine as an ingredient, especially those used for coughs such as Robitussin AC and Tylenol with codeine. The street names of the codeine are Captain Codi, Codi, Little C, and Schoolboy. In the case of Tylenol with codeine, street names include T1, T2, T3, T4, and dors and fours. Codeine syrup is mixed with soda and has street names like a purple drink, sizzurp, and Texas tea.
- Fentanyl Medications include Actiq, Duragesic, Onsolis, and Sublimaze. Street names include apache, china girl, white porcelain, dance fever, friend, good boy, jackpot, murder 8, percopop,tango, and cash.
- Hydrocodone Medications include Lorcet, Lortab, and Vicodin. Street names include fluff, hydros, vitamina, vic, vike, and Watson-387.
- Morphine. Medications include Avinza, Duramorph, Kadian, Ormorph, and Roxanol. Their street names include dreamer, front line, the drug of God, M, miss emma, mister blue, monkey, morpho, morpho, vitamin m, and white.
- Oxycodone Medications include Oxycontin, Percocet, Percodan, and Tylox. Street names include cotton, hillbilly heroin, oc ox, oxy, oxycet, oxy cotton, percs, and pills.
When used to get high, opioids can make a person feel relaxed and intensely happy. As street drugs, they come in the form of powder, pills or capsules, or syrup. They can be ingested, injected, smoked, placed in the rectum, or inhaled through the nose (aspirated).
The harmful effects of opioids in the body include:
- Constipation
- Dry mouth
- Confusion
- Lack of coordination
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Weakness, dizziness, drowsiness
In high doses, opioid poisoning can occur, which can lead to breathing problems, coma, or death.
STIMULANTS
These are medications that stimulate the brain and body. Its effect is to make the messages between the brain and the body move faster. Consequently, a person is more alert and physically active. Stimulants, for example, amphetamines are endorsed to treat health issues, for example, corpulence, narcolepsy, or consideration shortfall hyperactivity issue (ADHD).
Some types of stimulants and their street names include:
- Amphetamines such as Adderall, Biphetamine, and Dexedrine. Their alley names include bennies, black beauty, crosses, hearts, LA turnaround, speed, truck drivers, and bombitas.
- Methylphenidate, such as Concerta, Quillivant, and Ritalin. Their street names include JIF, kibbles and bits, MPH, pineapple, r-ball, skippy, smart drugs, and vitamin R.
When used to get high, stimulants can make a person feel excited, upset, agitated, and very alert and have more energy. Some people use drugs, especially amphetamines, to help them stay awake at work or to study for an exam. Others use them to improve their performance in sports.
The harmful effects that stimulants can have on the body include:
- Heart problems such as an accelerated heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure
- High body temperature and skin redness
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Memory loss and trouble thinking clearly
- Delusions and hallucinations
- Emotional and mood problems, such as aggressive or violent behavior
- Restlessness and tremors
The Prescription Drug Addiction:
There is usually no addiction to prescription drugs if you take the correct doses to treat your condition.
Drug abuse for a period of time can lead to tolerance. This means that more and more medication is needed to achieve the same sense of well-being. If you try to stop using the drug, you may have reactions. These are called withdrawal symptoms and may include:
- Strong craving to consume the medication
- Mood changes from feeling depressed or agitated to anxious
- Inability to concentrate
- Physical reactions that may include headaches, body aches, increased appetite and not sleeping well
- Life-threatening symptoms in consumers of certain drugs for a long time
