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Prescription drug misuse: A dilemma in the making

Oct 29, 2017 Dr Zulfikar Bux, Features / Columnists

By Dr Zulfikar Bux

Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Prescription drug abuse is a problem in many areas around the world. Misuse of pain medications and “stimulant” drugs in Guyana while present, is not as common as in the developed world. But the misuse of sleeping pills is increasingly becoming a dilemma in our system. Today we will discuss prescription misuse

 WHAT IS PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE?

“Prescription drug misuse” is a term for when people use prescription medicines in ways that are different from how they were meant to be taken. People sometimes also call this “prescription drug abuse.”

Prescription drug misuse can have a bad impact on important parts of a person’s life.

For example, it might cause the person to miss work or school, or have problems getting along with friends or family.

People who misuse prescription drugs might:

  • Take drugs that are not prescribed to them
  • Take more of the drug than the prescribed dosing
  • Crush pills and inhale them, or inject them into a vein instead of swallowing them as directed

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMONLY MISUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?

The types of prescription drugs that people misuse most often are:

  • Certain drugs to treat severe pain (called “opioids”)
  • Drugs that make you feel alert and focused (called “stimulants”)
  • Drugs that make you feel calm, relaxed, or possibly sleepy (called “anxiolytics”)

WHAT ARE COMMON SIGNS THAT A PERSON MIGHT BE MISUSING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?

Warning signs of prescription drug misuse include:

  • Sudden changes in mood or behaviour
  • Being more irritable than normal
  • Being more sleepy than normal

People who misuse prescription drugs might tell their doctor they need more medicine than they actually do. That way, they can get more of the drug they are misusing. They might also try to get the same prescription medicine from more than one doctor. Once they start misusing the drug, they require higher and higher doses to treat their problem.

Most people who misuse prescription drugs get them from a friend or relative, not a doctor.

 SHOULD I SEE A DOCTOR?

If you are worried that you have a problem with drugs, talk to your doctor or nurse, or to a counselor. They can recommend treatments to help you overcome your problem.

If you think someone close to you is misusing prescription drugs, ask them if they are taking medicines differently from how they are meant to be taken. If they are, encourage them to speak to the doctor who prescribed the drugs. You can also ask your own doctor or counselor for advice.

HOW IS PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE TREATED?

A major treatment for prescription drug misuse is counseling. In counseling, you can talk with a doctor or other specialist about how to stop misusing drugs. There are medicines that can help treat addiction to some prescription drugs.

Other treatments can include:

  • Prescription medicines that make it easier to stop misusing drugs. Medicines like these are available only for some types of drug misuse.
  • Having support groups where people talk about their drug use and share advice on how to quit.

WHAT IS WITHDRAWAL?

When people take drugs for a long time and suddenly stop or reduce the dose sharply, they often get symptoms. These symptoms are called “withdrawal,” and might include:

  • Feeling anxious or restless
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea

If you have any of these symptoms after stopping a drug, talk with your doctor. He or she can prescribe medicines to treat these symptoms or suggest ways to help you cope. Medicines can prevent more severe symptoms, such as seizures or even death.

 CAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE BE PREVENTED?

To reduce the chances that you will misuse drugs, you should:

  • Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter medicines.
  • Take medicine only as prescribed.
  • Read the instructions from the pharmacist before taking your medicine.
  • Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your medicine if you are unsure about how it will affect you.
  • Once your health problem is better, get rid of any leftover pills that were prescribed to treat the problem. This might involve flushing them down the toilet, or mixing them with something like dirt or cat litter before putting the mixture in the trash.

Family support and intervention is very important for persons that are misusing prescription drugs. Their mentality and behaviour may appear wholly irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their addiction and unless they have structured help, they have no hope.

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