In his monthly column, Dr. Kent Herbert answers your questions related to health care matters. Simply submit your question to deb@newfalconherald.com. It’s your chance to ask the doc.Question: I have heard that abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise. How can this be avoided?Answer: Many prescription medications are controlled substances, meaning that their prescription and use is tightly regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The most common of these medications are painkillers, such as Percocet, and stimulants, such as Ritalin. While these medications are effective for treating certain conditions, they also have a high risk of abuse if used improperly.According to the DEA, about 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs. This is more than the number of people who abuse cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy and inhalants combined. The number represents an 80 percent increase over the last six years.Among medications that are abused, narcotic painkillers are the most common and make up three-fourths of all cases of abuse. In the last year, there were more overdose deaths from painkillers than from cocaine and heroin combined. Hydrocodone, or the brand name drug Vicodin, is the most commonly abused medication.Prescription drug abuse used to be primarily confined to adults, but now one of the fasting growing groups abusing these drugs is teenagers. According to the DEA, one in 10 among high school students admits to abusing prescription medications, and one in five has taken a prescription medication for recreational purposes. The most commonly abused medications among teenagers are stimulants or medications used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder.Many people believe that abuse of prescription medication is safer than illegal drugs, but this is not the case. Addiction to prescription medications is just as common as with illegal drugs, and the medical risks are the same. Furthermore, abuse of prescription medication often leads to the use of illegal drugs.There are several signs that you or someone you know may be addicted to prescription medications.
- First, one develops a tolerance to drug doses and requires increasingly higher doses of medication to work. Those for whom the typical doses don’t work or who need to take more than the prescribed number of pills may have a problem.
- Second, one may experience withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, sweating or a racing heart if the drug is not taken regularly.
- Third, one may have tried to control his or her use and failed or might constantly think about the need to control it. People who abuse prescription drugs also might spend an excessive amount of time trying to get the drug, such as going from doctor to doctor for prescriptions or making up stories to get prescriptions. Finally, they may experience a decreased quality of life due to the medication, such as sleeping a lot because they have taken medication or not feeling free to travel for fear of running out of medication.
