Health Centre

November 13, 2009

Commonly Abused Prescription and OTC Drugs

Drug abuse isn't just about illicit drugs like marijuana or cocaine. Legal medicines with legitimate uses can be abused -- meaning they're taken by someone other than the patient or in a manner or dose other than what's recommended. Here you'll find pictures of commonly abused prescription drugs (depressants, pain relievers, and stimulants) and some nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs.

Benzodiazepines: Valium, Xanax
Valium and Xanax are examples of benzodiazepines, another type of depressant. They may be prescribed to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions, panic attacks, convulsions, and sleep disorders (typically for short-term use). Like other depressants, they have reasonable uses but may be abused. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines "can be problematic" but is rarely life-threatening,

Sleep Medicines
Sleep medicines are depressants. The sleep drugs Ambien, Sonata, and Lunesta are newer sleep medicines called nonbenzodiazepines. These drugs "may have less potential for addiction" than other depressants.
Codeine and Morphine
Pain relievers are another group of prescription drugs that are commonly abused. They includecodeine and morphine -- Oramorph and Avinizacontain morphine. Morphine is typically prescribed for severe pain; codeine, for milder pain.
OxyContin, Percocet
OxyContin, Percocet, and Percodan share an active ingredient, oxycodone, which is an opiod pain reliever. These drugs aren't identical; Percocet also contains acetaminophen while Percodan also contains aspirin. These drugs should only be taken under medical supervision, and not with alcohol, barbituates, antihistamines, or benzodiazepines -- those drug combinations could be life-threatening.
Amphetamines
Stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy. They're prescribed for narcolepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression that doesn't respond to other treatments. The ADHD drugs Dexedrine andAdderall, are stimulants called amphetamines, which may be abused by people seeking a sense of euphoria. Risks include fast or irregular heartbeat, reduced appetite, heart failure, nervousness, insomnia, and addiction.
Dextromethorphan (DXM)
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is the active ingredient in nonprescription cough and cold medicines. Those products are safe when taken as recommended, but very large doses can produce euphoria and impaired judgment -- as well as nausea and vomiting, loss of coordination, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and brain damage due to a combination of DXM and decongestants often found in the medication,

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is commonly found in nonprescription cold medicines. It's sought as an ingredient for making the illegal drug methamphetamine ("meth").

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