Mixing different types of prescription drugs can be particularly dangerous. For example, benzodiazepines interact with opioids pain relievers and increase the risk of overdose. Also, combining opioids with alcohol can make breathing problems worse and can lead to death. Yes, prescription drugs that effect the brain, including opioid pain relievers, stimulants, and depressants, can cause physical dependence that could lead to addiction.
Medications that affect the brain can change the way it works—especially when they are taken over a period of time or with increasing doses. They can change the reward system, making it harder for a person to feel good without the drug and possibly leading to intense cravings, which also make it hard to stop using.
This dependence on the drug happens because the brain and body adapt to having drugs in the system for a while. A person may need larger doses of the drug to get the same initial effects.
When people continue to use the drug despite a range of negative consequences, it is considered an addiction. When a person is addicted to a drug, finding and using that drug can begin to feel like the most important thing—more important than family, friends, school, sports, or health.
However, dependence and addiction are still potential risks when taking certain types of prescription drugs. These risks should be carefully weighed against the benefits of the medication and patients should communicate any issues or concerns to their doctor right away. Other kinds of medications that do not act in the brain, such as antibiotics used to treat infections, or drugs to help with heartburn, are not addictive.
Previous MTF Data. Explore teen substance use trends over time, by grade and substance with an interactive chart featuring Monitoring the Future data from to present. If a friend is using drugs, you might have to step away from the friendship for a while. It is important to protect your own mental health and not put yourself in situations where drugs are being used. Prescription opioids are effective drugs if used safely.
Some people abuse prescription drugs because they think they will help them have more fun, lose weight, fit in, and even study more effectively. Prescription drugs can be easier to get than street drugs: Family members or friends may have them. But prescription drugs are also sometimes sold on the street like other illegal drugs. In , 1 in 7 teens surveyed said they have taken a prescription drug without a doctor's prescription. But prescription drugs are only safe for the people who have prescriptions for them.
That's because a doctor has examined these people and prescribed the right dose of medicine for their medical condition. The doctor has also told them exactly how they should take the medicine, including things to avoid while taking the drug.
They also are aware of side effects and can watch patients closely for these. The likelihood that someone will commit a crime, be a victim of a crime, or have an accident is higher when that person is abusing drugs — no matter whether those drugs are medicines or street drugs. Like all drug abuse, using prescription drugs for the wrong reasons has serious risks for a person's health. Opioid abuse can lead to vomiting, mood changes, decrease in ability to think cognitive function , and even decreased respiratory function, coma, or death.
This risk is higher when prescription drugs like opioids are taken with other substances like alcohol, antihistamines, and CNS depressants. It could be Taking a medicine that was prescribed for someone else Taking a larger dose than you are supposed to Taking the medicine in a different way than you are supposed to. This might be crushing tablets and then snorting or injecting them.
Using the medicine for another purpose, such as getting high Misusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Prevention and Risk Factors. Treatments and Therapies. Opioids , which act on the same parts of the brain as heroin, can cause drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and, depending on the amount taken, slowed breathing.
Depressants can cause slurred speech, shallow breathing, fatigue, disorientation, lack of coordination, and seizures upon withdrawal from chronic use.
Parents, children, and prescribers must be educated on the impact of prescription drugs on the developing brain. Safe storage and disposal of medications diminish opportunities for easy access. Prescription drug monitoring: Many people are calling on doctors and pharmacies to better monitor how and how often drugs are prescribed. Doctors more readily hand out prescription painkillers than they did ten years ago, and, according to some sources, pharmacists do not habitually check prescription drug registries, which help to identify potential over-prescribing and misuse.
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