American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [476]
Some groups of people have a substantially higher risk of abusing or becoming addicted to prescription drugs than others. Doctors prescribe drugs for older people three times as frequently as for the general population. An older person can sometimes receive an inappropriately high dose of a prescription medication (because the body’s ability to process medications declines with age), or may mistakenly take higher doses of a drug than prescribed. Commonly prescribed sedatives such as benzodiazepines can increase the risk of falls and vehicle accidents in older people and cause physical dependence after about 4 months.
Adolescents are the No. 1 population group to abuse prescription drugs, especially pain relievers, stimulants, barbiturates, and tranquilizers. Recreational use of the drug methylphenidate, prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; see page 730), also is on the rise among adolescents and young adults. Oxycodone, often prescribed as a pain reliever for cancer patients, has become a desirable street drug because it produces a long-lasting high. These drugs are usually either bought from a person for whom they were prescribed or stolen and then sold illegally.
Women are far more likely to be prescribed a narcotic or addictive antianxiety drug than are men, although men and women have similar rates of recreational prescription drug use. Also, people who work in the health professions may have an increased risk of prescription drug abuse and addiction because they have easy access to the drugs.
If your doctor gives you a prescription for a drug that can become addictive, ask the doctor if he or she can substitute a medication with a lower potential for dependence. Carefully follow your doctor’s instructions to make sure you are taking the correct dose. If you think you may be becoming dependent on a prescription drug, tell your doctor right away so he or she can work with you to gradually stop using the drug and avoid or minimize unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms
Each drug produces its own characteristic mental and physical symptoms (see next page). But addiction to any drug is likely to cause a gradual deterioration of a person’s work or school performance and attendance, personal relationships, or both. The behavior of drug abusers or addicts is often erratic and their moods may change rapidly, with periods of restlessness and irritability alternating with extreme drowsiness. They also may have loss of appetite and extreme fatigue.
If someone close to you displays some of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that he or she is dependent on drugs. But if the person also spends more and more time away from home and always seems to be out of money, the likelihood of drug abuse or dependence is high. People who are addicted to a drug need help, but they are unlikely to seek help themselves unless they are desperate. If you are concerned that you or someone you know has a drug problem, talk to your doctor or a professional at a drug counseling center.
Diagnosis
A doctor can often diagnose a drug problem by listening to a person’s description of his or her drug use and its effects on his or her behavior, relationships, and other aspects of his or her life. Laboratory tests to detect drug use include urine drug screens, blood tests, and hair analysis.
Commonly Abused Drugs
The following chart describes the symptoms, effects, and long-term risks of some commonly abused drugs:
Treatment
The treatment for drug addiction usually combines physical detoxification (the process of desensitizing the nervous system to the effects of the drug) with a rehabilitation program. Detoxification is usually done over a period of a week to 10 days in a hospital or treatment center, where your condition can be carefully monitored. At times, a less damaging drug such as