Signs and Symptoms of Prescription Medication Abuse
The Doctor Prescribed This Medication, But…
Let’s start with a common scenario for prescription medication abuse. The medical condition is a broken arm, or a tooth infection, or headaches that won’t go away. Because she realizes that painful symptoms generally decrease the likelihood of recovery, your doctor prescribes a pain medication. If your pain is relatively severe, it may be an opioid. While opioids are possibly addictive, they also very effective as a pain medication (or analgesic).
You take the medication. It makes you feel better immediately…much better. When you visit the doctor again, the thought is that you should come off of the pain med. However, you argue that you still have severe pain from time to time. You believe you should have just one more refill. The doctor complies with your request. Perhaps under the auspice of helping you heal and believing your account, so you get another month’s worth of pills.
You argue with yourself that you need this medication. Your brain tells you the pain isn’t going away and this helps to mediate your symptoms. Unfortunately, you soon need the medication to feel as you once did. You see no end in sight. Perhaps you tell yourself that the doctor did prescribe it after all. She knows the pain you’re in and wouldn’t give it to you if you didn’t need it.
How Do I Know When to Stop Taking Prescription Medications?
Many prescription have a certain number of refills and instructions for administration. Pain medications, depending on the severity of the injury of course, are generally prescribed for one refill and in as small an amount as possible. Unless it’s an opioid, for which there are no automatic refills. The reason for this is that doctors know how potentially addictive strong analgesics can be, so they want to minimize the possibility that you will become dependent. When taking pain medications (or any medication for that matter), you should always adhere to the doctor’s instructions. If you are confused about the medication ask questions.
As far as when you should stop taking the medication, it is always advisable to stop when you can deal with your pain without them. This threshold is different for everyone, but realizing how addictive certain medications can be, make sure that you only use the medications as long as you need them. If pain continues, you should probably see your doctor. There could be further problems your doctor needs to know about. But, the crux is, always be aware that these medications are a temporary fix. If you feel the need to continue using, you may have the beginnings of a problem.
I Might Need a Refill. Is it Prescription Medication Abuse?
People react to pain differently (as stated above). So, some people can successfully block out the pain earlier than others and stop using the medications. If you have seen your doctor a few times and they have continued to provide you with refills, there was a reason for that. He or she wanted to make sure that you had a long enough course of the medication so that you could heal properly. As you know, the stress of pain can delay healing. So it is advisable to take the medication until your body has sufficiently healed that the pain is reduced. Needing a refill does not mean you are addicted, but going to other medical professionals to keep getting medications after your doctor has stopped providing you with a prescription is an indication of other issues.
What If I am Taking It in the Prescribed Manner…Can it be Prescription Medication Abuse?
Actually taking the medication is not a problem because strong pain relievers do have a purpose. However, it is believed that there is a segment of the population that is more likely to become addicted than others. But this does not mean that even that portion of the general population will become addicted through normal use.
All that to say that it is unlikely you will become addicted to a substance through prescribed usage. Physicians understand what strength to provide a patient given a certain type of pain. If you take your medications only when you are supposed to and in the prescribed dose, there is very little danger of dependence.
What are Some of the Signs That I May Be Going too Far?
The first sign that you may have a problem is that your medication does not seem to be as effective as it was before. With healing, your pain should be diminished, but sometimes this does not happen. If your pain refuses to go away, you need to see your doctor rather than increasing the dosage of your medication on your own. The same is true with anxiety medications and stimulants. If the symptoms do not recede, see your doctor.
Some other possible signs that you may becoming dependent are:
- Isolation
- Drug seeking behavior
- You spend a lot of time thinking about the next time you can take the drug.
- If you defend your continued use to well-meaning family and friends.
- You think about ways that you can get more of the drug after your doctor stops prescribing it.
Examine you behavior and listen to those closest to you. Everyone else will probably see the problem before you do.
What if My Doctor Keeps Prescribing Them to Me?
Because they are busy, believe that they are being compassionate, or pay too much attention to your supposed symptoms without a proper examination, some doctors will continue to prescribe medications when there is clearly a problem. If you think that there may be an issue, discuss it with your doctor. If your physician does not take your concerns seriously, get a second opinion.
Should I Just Keep Taking Them No Matter What?
This is not like when you were young and your mother told you to eat everything on your plate. People will often discontinue taking pain medications with some left in the bottle (by the way, these should be disposed of). Other potentially addictive medications like those used for anxiety are not so easily discontinued, but if they are less than effective you need to discuss that with your doctor. You know the situation better than your doctor, consult him or her if you believe you are having an issue with a medication.
How Can I Get Help?
As mentioned many times above, the first step is to discuss it with a doctor. He or she can talk to you about the dangers of the medication(s) you are taking and whether you need to stop taking them or not. You could also speak to a counselor if you seem to be having symptoms consistent with prescription medication addiction. That individual is trained to spot the true symptoms of addiction and can refer you to the proper professionals if need be.
Is There any Recourse Against a Doctor who Overprescribes?
First of all, be very careful before you accuse anyone. An unfounded accusation could be devastating to the doctor and his or her future.
If you are believe that this is happening, see if there are any complaints about the doctor with the licensing board for your state. Also, talk to the doctor and ask about what you believe to be an over prescription. You could just go to another doctor, but if there is clearly an issue you could talk to the hospital or the licensing agency. Unfortunately, it is true that some doctors are not as careful as they should, but make sure you are certain before making an accusation.
Conclusion
Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing type of addiction in the US and it seems to be getting worse. The abuse of prescription drugs is responsible for more deaths from overdose than any other classification of drugs. It is an issue that does not seem to be going away.
If you believe that you are becoming addicted, seek help from your physician. Or, if you believe that a family member or friend is becoming dependent on prescription drugs, confront them and ask them to seek treatment. Any drug addiction is harmful, it doesn’t matter if the medication was originally prescribed or not. As always, if you have any questions, please call one of our trained professionals at (949) 629-3730.