Long-Term Use
Most prescription drugs are physically addictive, and to abruptly discontinue the use of prescription medications could create a situation where a person could immediately experience seizures or convulsions. It is for this reason that withdrawal from prescription medications should be gradual and under medical supervision. This is best accomplished in a residential treatment program to guard against any medical complications.
In addition to the physical addiction created by abusing prescription drugs, a person may also experience:
- Deterioration in personal relationships
- Employment difficulties due to a lack of concentration and motivation
- Financial difficulties
- Legal problems
- Psychological difficulties
Pain Relievers
- Increased restlessness and insomnia
- Onset of muscle and bone pain
- Onset of involuntary leg movements
- Decreased breathing or respiration
- Stop breathing
- Unconsciousness and Coma
Tranquilizers and Sedatives
- Onset of seizures
- Depressed respiration
- Decreased heart rates
Stimulants
- Increase in body temperature
- Loss of coordination
- Increased feelings of depression and fatigue
- Elevated irritability and disturbed sleep patterns
- Rapid breathing
- Onset of Stomachaches and headaches
- Weight loss
- Increased hostility and feelings of paranoia and delirium
- Onset of Panic attacks and impulsive behavior
- Development of irregular heart rates
- Sudden cardiovascular system failure
- Onset of lethal seizures
- Development of Hypertension
- Sudden stroke
Over-the-Counter Medications: Cough and Cold Medicines
- Loss of consciousness
- Hallucinations
Long-Term Prescription Drug Misuse and the Elderly
Older Americans, who currently make up only 13 percent of the population, receive approximately one-third of all medications prescribed in the Nation. For practical reasons, older patients are sometimes prescribed long-term and multiple prescriptions, which could lead to abuse or unintentional misuse. These medications can interact with over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements, which older adults tend to consume in significant quantities. Older adults also experience higher rates of other illnesses, normal changes in drug metabolism, and increased susceptibility to toxic effects. It is hardly surprising then that abuse or unintentional misuse of prescription drugs by elderly persons could lead to more severe health consequences. For example, elderly persons who take benzodiazepines such as Valium®, Librium®, and Xanax® are at increased risk for cognitive impairment, leading to possible falls as well as vehicular accidents. Moreover, not all physicians know that prescribing benzodiazepines to elderly people is contradicted for these reasons. Therefore, physician education is a necessary part of any effort to curb the abuse of prescription medications.