Samm Leaming

The Risks and Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse

When you think of drug abuse you usually think of drugs like,
marijuana, heroin, or cocaine, however, the abuse of prescription
drugs is becoming more and more common. According to the CDC,
Every day, 44 people in the U.S. die from overdose of prescription
painkillers, and many more become addicted. Prescription drug abuse
is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States. Nonmedical use of prescriptions can be detrimental to a persons brain,
resulting in side effects similar to illegal drug use. The most commonly
abused drugs are opioids or painkillers which, when abused, attach to
the same cell receptors targeted by illegal opioids like heroin.
Prescription drugs are being abused more and more each day.
Many people are oblivious to them being abuse since they were
prescribed by a professional and dispensed by a professional. However,
some doctors can become prescribing addicts and write any
prescription they feel their patient wants, and doesnt necessarily
need. Yes, people lie about pain, which is one of the hardest diseases
to diagnose, however, after being on Oxycodone 80Mg for 5 years,
maybe its time to wean someone off of it or help them control their
pain by other means.
Abuse and addiction do not mean the same. Abuse is, Selfadministration of medications to alter ones state of consciousness,
This is an intentional, maladaptive pattern of use of a medication
(whether legitimately prescribed or not) leading to significant
impairment or distresssuch as repeated failure to fulfill role
obligations, recurrent use in situations in which it is physically
hazardous, multiple legal problems, and recurrent social and
interpersonal problemsoccurring over a 12-month period. This is
very common in teenagers with access to their parents medications,
prescriptions available everywhere and they technically arent illegal
drugs (drugabuse.gov). Addiction is, A primary, chronic,
neurobiological disease, with genetic, psychological, and environmental
factors influencing its development and manifestations. Addiction is
characterized by the 4 Csbehaviors that include one or more of the

following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued

use despite harm, and craving. Abuse can lead to addiction, which
can lead to complications in the brain, muscles, heart, etc. with both
long term and short term affects. While both of these words arent as
commonly used with prescription drugs, it does happen and it is
happening more and more.
Everyone is at risk, although; teenagers, women, pain patients,
patients covered by Medicaid, and the elderly are at higher risk for
becoming associated in abusing prescription drugs. Why you ask? Well
for teenagers, Substance use before age 18 is associated with an 8fold likelihood of developing substance dependence in adulthood, while
illicit drug abuse is declining in this group prescription drug abuse is
climbing. Most teenagers believe that prescription drugs are easier to
get than illicit drugs, 54.2% of teenagers said they obtained these
prescription drugs free from a friend or relative.
(acpm.org;drugabuse.gov) Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
are the most commonly abused substances by Americans age 14 and
older, after marijuana and alcohol. Women are at higher risk than
men because of, biological differences, more psychiatric problems
(depression, anxiety), and higher rates of physical, emotional or
sexual abuse. Adolescent girls and women use drugs to cope with
stressful situations, while men tend to use alcohol. Women are more
likely than men to be prescribed a drug with abuse potential, such as
narcotics or anti-anxiety medications This is defiantly a concern and
women should become more aware. Pain patients are very common
because of opioid use and abuse, which can lead to substance use
disorder. 43% of this population has current substance use disorder
(SUD) and 5% to 24% have aberrant medication-taking behaviors.
About 14% to 16% of pain patients not having SUD use illicit drugs in
combination with prescription drugs for pain, while 34% of patients
with SUD combine legal pain medication with illicit drug use. Because
of these numbers it can be hard to be using opioids as a pain
management tool when it can also become an abusive medication.
Medicaid covered patients are more likely to receive a prescription for
low back pain than that of a commercially insured patient. This
population also visits the emergency department more often than nonMedicaid patients. In a one study, 73% of Medicaid patients received
an opioid compared to 43% of patients with commercial insurance.

Higher usage was also reported for NSAIDs. Because of these

statistics hospitalizations and deaths from prescription drug abuse has
increased over the years.
Taking prescription drugs is okay, when properly prescribed,
however, abuses of these drugs and long-term use can severely
damage the brain. It can also cause slow breathing which can cause
comas and even death. Opioids act by attaching to specific proteins
called opioid receptors, which are found in the brain, spinal cord,
gastrointestinal tract, and other organs in the body. When these drugs
attach to their receptors, they reduce the perception of pain. Opioids
can also produce drowsiness, mental confusion, nausea, constipation,
and, depending upon the amount of drug taken, can depress
respiration. Some people experience a euphoric response to opioid
medications, since these drugs also affect the brain regions involved in
reward. Those who abuse opioids may seek to intensify their
experience by taking the drug in ways other than those prescribed.
While opioids are the most common abused prescription drug,
stimulants such as Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin, etc. are also common
abused drugs especially in college students. Stimulants, act in the
brain similarly to a family of key brain neurotransmitters called
monoamines, which include norepinephrine and dopamine. Stimulants
enhance the effects of these chemicals in the brain. The associated
increase in dopamine can induce a feeling of euphoria when stimulants
are taken non-medically. Stimulants also increase blood pressure and
heart rate, constrict blood vessels, increase blood glucose, and open
up breathing passages. These drugs, when properly diagnosed and
prescribed, can help tremendously with people who have ADHD. The
other most commonly abused prescription drugs are central nervous
system depressants; these are mostly sleep medications and antianxiety medications. Most CNS depressants act on the brain by
affecting the neurotransmitter gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA).
Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that facilitate communication
between brain cells. Although the different classes of CNS depressants
work in unique ways, it is through their ability to increase GABAand
thereby inhibit brain activitythat they produce a drowsy or calming
effect beneficial to those suffering from anxiety or sleep disorders. All
these medications can lead to life long effects that can severely
damage a persons brain, personal life, and even family life.

In conclusion, prescription drugs, when prescribed properly and

taken properly, can help improve someones way of life. When abused,
prescription drugs can seriously mess somebodys life up. Always talk
with your doctor and your pharmacist if youre concerned about
becoming addicted to prescription drugs. Always lock up your
prescription medications and keep them out of reach of children and
teenagers. Become aware of the facts on prescription drug abuse, just
because theyre not illegal, they can still be abused and can cause the
same affect as illegal drugs. Drugs are real and so is abuse, no one is
protected from the effects of prescription drug abuse.