Short-Term Use

Most people don't begin taking these medications with the idea of becoming addicted. They may have started taking the medication to "feel better" physically, hoping they would gain some relief from their pain. The prescription medication may have also provided a feeling of "well-being", which may have been lacking at the time.

In an attempt to reduce the pain even further and enhance the feeling of "well-being," the person may begin taking additional medication. Over time, a tolerance to the drug develops and they require more and more medication to experience the same effect. Soon, the feeling of "well-being" can’t be achieved and the pain, although diminished, is still present, thus creating an addiction to the drug.

According to the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study in Teens Report (PATS, 2008) , the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Drug Intelligence Center for Drug Enforcement Administration, the following effects may be observed by the class of prescription medication misused.

Pain Relievers

Provide pain relief if taken appropriately
Diminish coughing when utilized properly
Cause constipation
Produce intense sense of euphoria
Cause nausea
Create confusion

Tranquilizers and Sedatives

Alcohol and other drug abuse pose a serious threat to the intellectual, psychological and physical development of adolescents and young adults. College students who engage in alcohol and other drug misuse experience significantly higher rates of motor vehicle fatalities, emergency care visits, sexual assaults and poor academic performance (Abbey et al., 1994; Hingson et al., 2002, 2005; Perkins, 2002; Wechsler et al., 1998, 2000).

Increase neurotransmitter activity of gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA)
Decrease normal brain function
Create a calming effect
Increase drowsiness and cause slurred speech
Initiate memory loss for the time period under the drug’s effects
Cause retention of urine
Create disturbances in vision and gastrointestinal tract
Cause dizziness
Impair judgment
Act as a general anesthetic, with high doses

Stimulants

Enhance brain activity
Increase mental alertness
Enhance concentration and attention
Cause long periods of awake
Create high energy and feelings of exhilaration
Elevate blood pressure
Increase heart rate
Increase in metabolism
Reduce appetite
Cause higher respiration
Cause higher dopamine levels and sense of euphoria

Stimulants and Impaired Brain Function: A Closer Look

Today we know that the last part of the brain to fully mature is the prefrontal cortex, a region that governs judgment and decision-making functions. This may help explain why teens are prone to risk-taking and why high rates of risky behaviors, including abuse of alcohol and other drugs, have been reported among those who abuse

Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), provided research about prescription drug abuse at a special hearing in Washington in 2006. She reported that although prescription drugs can have beneficial effects in patients, they can also create health liabilities in people taking them for non-medical reasons. Factors such as drug dosage and route of administration (which regulates the speed of drug delivery to the brain) can impair brain function if taken non-medically. For example, the stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin®) has much in common with cocaine—they bind to similar sites in the brain and they both increase the brain chemical dopamine through the same molecular targets. When both drugs are administered intravenously, they cause a rapid and large increase in dopamine, which a person experiences as a rush or high. However, when methylphenidate is taken orally, as prescribed, it elicits a gradual and sustained increase in dopamine, which is not perceived as euphoria and instead produces the expected therapeutic effects seen in many patients.

Over-the-Counter Medications: Cough and Cold Medicines at high doses

Cause poor hearing and diminished vision
Increase confusion
Cause onset of premature memory loss
Increase stomachaches
Cause numbness
Increase blood pressure
Increase heart beats
Elevate body temperature or cause high fever and headaches
Cause development of rashes