Prescription Drug Misuse

• 阿片类药物: usually prescribed to treat pain
• Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants: used to treat 焦虑 (includes tranquilizers, sedatives, 和 hypnotics)
• Stimulants: most often prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

阿片类药物 are often used as medicines because they contain chemicals that relax the body 和 can relieve pain. Prescription opioids are used mostly to treat moderate to severe pain, though some opioids can be used to treat coughing 和 diarrhea. 阿片类药物 can also make people feel very relaxed 和 "high" - which is why they are sometimes used for non-medical reasons. 这 can be dangerous because opioids can be highly addictive, 和 overdoses 和 死亡 are common. 海洛因 is one of the world's most dangerous opioids, 和 is never used 作为一个 medicine in the United States.

What are common prescription opioids?

• hydrocodone (Vicodin^®) oxycodone (OxyContin^®, Percocet^®)
• oxymorphone (Opana^®)
• morphine (Kadian^®, Avinza^®)
• 可待因
• 芬太尼

What are some possible 影响 of prescription opioids on the brain 和 body?

In the short term, opioids can relieve pain 和 make people feel relaxed 和 happy. However, opioids can also have harmful 影响, including:

• drowsiness
• 混乱
• 恶心想吐
• constipation
• 兴奋
• slowed breathing

Opioid misuse can cause slowed breathing, which can cause hypoxia, a condition that results when too little oxygen reaches the brain. Hypoxia can have short- 和 long-term psychological 和 neurological 影响, including coma, permanent brain damage, or 死亡. Researchers are also investigating the long-term 影响 of opioid addiction on the brain, including whether damage can be reversed.

What are the other health 影响 of opioid medications?

Older adults are at higher risk of accidental misuse or abuse because they typically have multiple prescriptions 和 chronic diseases, increasing the risk of drug-drug 和 drug-disease interactions, as well 作为一个 slowed metabolism that affects the breakdown 的药物. Sharing drug injection equipment 和 having impaired judgment from drug use can increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV 和 from unprotected sex.

Can a person overdose on prescription opioids?

Yes, a person can overdose on prescription opioids. An opioid overdose occurs when a person uses enough of the drug to produce life-threatening symptoms or 死亡. 当 people overdose on an opioid medication, their breathing often slows or stops. 这 can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, which can result in coma, permanent brain damage, or 死亡.

How can an opioid overdose be treated?

If you suspect someone has overdosed, the most important step to take is to call 911 so he or she can receive immediate medical attention. Once medical personnel arrive, they will administer naloxone. Naloxone is a medicine that can treat an opioid overdose when given right away. It works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors 和 blocking the 影响 of opioid drugs.

Can use of prescription opioids lead to addiction?

Yes, repeated misuse of prescription opioids can lead to a substance use disorder (SUD), a medical illness which ranges from mild to severe 和 from temporary to chronic. Addiction is the most severe form of an SUD. An SUD develops when continued misuse of the drug changes the brain 和 causes health problems 和 failure to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home.

People addicted to an opioid medication who stop using the drug can have severe withdrawal symptoms that begin as early 作为一个 few hours after the drug was last taken. These symptoms 包括:

• muscle 和 bone pain
• sleep problems
• diarrhea 和 vomiting
• cold flashes with goose bumps
• uncontrollable leg movements
• severe cravings

These symptoms can be extremely uncomfortable 和 are the reason many people find it so difficult to stop using opioids. 

Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants are medicines that include sedatives, tranquilizers, 和 hypnotics. These drugs can slow brain activity, making them useful for treating 焦虑, panic, acute stress reactions, 和 sleep disorders.

CNS depressants cause drowsiness; sedatives are often prescribed to treat sleep disorders like 失眠 和 hypnotics can induce sleep, whereas tranquilizers are prescribed to treat 焦虑 or to relieve muscle spasms.

Examples of CNS Depressants

• diazepam (Valium^®)
• clonazepam (Klonopin^®)
• alprazolam (Xanax^®)
• triazolam (Halcion^®)
• estazolam (Prosom^®)
• zolpidem (Ambien^®)
• eszopiclone (Lunesta^®)
• zaleplon (Sonata^®)

How do CNS depressants affect the brain?

Most CNS depressants act on the brain by increasing activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that inhibits brain activity. 这 action causes the drowsy 和 calming 影响 that make the medicine effective for 焦虑 和 sleep disorders. People who start taking CNS depressants usually feel sleepy 和 uncoordinated for the first few days until the body adjusts to these side 影响. Other 影响 from use 和 misuse can 包括:

• slurred speech
• poor concentration
• 混乱
• 头疼
• light-headedness
• 头晕
• dry mouth
• problems with movement 和 memory
• lowered blood pressure
• slowed breathing

If a person takes CNS depressants long term, he or she might need larger doses to achieve therapeutic 影响. Continued use can also lead to dependence 和 withdrawal when use is abruptly reduced or stopped. Suddenly stopping can also lead to harmful consequences like 癫痫发作.

Can a person overdose on CNS depressants?

Yes, a person can overdose on CNS depressants. An overdose occurs when the person uses enough of a drug to produce life-threatening symptoms or 死亡.

当 people overdose on a CNS depressant, their breathing often slows or stops. 这 can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia can have short- 和 long-term mental 影响 和 影响 on the nervous system, including coma 和 permanent brain damage.

How can a CNS depressant overdose be treated?

The most important step to take is to call 911 so a person who has overdosed can receive immediate medical attention. Flumazenil (Romazicon^®) is a medication that medical personnel can use to treat benzodiazepine overdose 和 h作为一个lso been shown effective in treating overdose from sleep medicines. 这种药物 might not completely reverse slowed breathing 和 can lead to 癫痫发作 in some patients who are taking certain antidepressants. Flumazenil is short acting, 和 the patient may need more of it every 20 minutes until he or she recovers. For barbiturates 和 nonbenzodiazepines, body temperature, pulse, breathing, 和 blood pressure should be monitored while waiting for the drug to be eliminated.

Can prescription CNS depressant use lead to addiction 和 substance use disorder?

Yes, use or misuse of prescription CNS depressants can lead to problem use, known 作为一个 substance use disorder (SUD), which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Long-term use of prescription CNS depressants, even as prescribed by a doctor, can cause some people to develop a tolerance, which means that they need higher 和/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired 影响. A SUD develops when continued use of the drug leads to negative consequences such as health problems or failure to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home, but despite all that the drug use continues.

Those who have become addicted to a prescription CNS depressant 和 stop using the drug abruptly may experience a withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms-which can begin as early 作为一个 few hours after the drug was last taken—包括:

• 癫痫发作
• shakiness
• 焦虑
• 搅动
• 失眠
• overactive reflexes
• increased heart rate, blood pressure, 和 temperature with sweating
• hallucinations
• severe cravings

People addicted to prescription CNS depressants should not attempt to stop taking them on their own. Withdrawal symptoms from these drugs can be severe 和—in the case of certain medications-potentially life—threatening.

Prescription stimulants are medicines generally used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 和 narcolepsy—uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. They increase alertness, attention, 和 energy.

What are common prescription stimulants?

• dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine^®)
• dextroamphetamine/amphetamine combination product (Adderall^®)
• methylphenidate (Ritalin^®, Concerta^®).

How do prescription stimulants affect the brain 和 body?

Prescription stimulants increase the activity of the brain chemicals 多巴胺 和 norepinephrine. Dopamine is involved in the reinforcement of rewarding behaviors. Norepinephrine affects blood vessels, blood pressure 和 heart rate, blood sugar, 和 breathing.

Short-Term Effects

People who use prescription stimulants report feeling a "rush" (兴奋) along with the following:

• increased blood pressure 和 heart rate
• increased breathing
• decreased blood flow
• increased blood sugar
• opened-up breathing passages

At high doses, prescription stimulants can lead to a dangerously high body temperature, an irregular heartbeat, heart failure, 和 癫痫发作.

What are the other health 影响 of prescription stimulants?

Repeated misuse of prescription stimulants, even within a short period, can cause psychosis, anger, or paranoia. If the drug is injected, it is important to note that sharing drug injection equipment 和 having impaired judgment from drug misuse can increase the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV 和 hepatitis.

Can a person overdose on prescription stimulants?

Yes, a person can overdose on prescription stimulants. An overdose occurs when the person uses enough of the drug to produce a life-threatening reaction or 死亡.

当 people overdose on a prescription stimulant, they most commonly experience several different symptoms, including restlessness, tremors, overactive reflexes, rapid breathing, 混乱, aggression, hallucinations, panic states, abnormally increased fever, muscle pains 和 weakness.

They also may have heart problems, including an irregular heartbeat leading to a heart attack, nerve problems that can lead to a seizure, abnormally high or low blood pressure, 和 circulation failure. Stomach issues may include 恶心想吐, vomiting, diarrhea, 和 abdominal cramps. In addition, an overdose can result in convulsions, coma, 和 fatal 中毒.

How can a prescription stimulant overdose be treated?

Because prescription stimulant overdose often leads to a heart attack or seizure, the most important step to take is to call 911 so a person who has overdosed can receive immediate medical attention. First responders 和 emergency room doctors try to treat the overdose with the intent of restoring blood flow to the heart 和 stopping the seizure with care or with medications if necessary.

Can prescription stimulant use lead to substance use disorder 和 addiction?

Yes, misuse of prescription stimulants can lead to a substance use disorder (SUD), which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Long-term use of stimulants, even as prescribed by a doctor, can cause a person to develop a tolerance, which means that he or she needs higher 和/or more frequent doses of the drug to get the desired 影响. An SUD develops when continued use of the drug causes issues, such as health problems 和 failure to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home. Concerns about use should be discussed with a health care provider.

If a person develops an SUD 和 stops use of the prescription stimulant, he or she can experience withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can 包括:

• 乏力
• depression
• sleep problems