How can prescription drugs be abused

If you take a medicine in a way that is different from what the doctor prescribed, it is called prescription drug misuse. It could be.

Misusing some prescription drugs can lead to addiction. These include opioids , sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.

Every medicine has some risk of side effects. Doctors take this into account when prescribing medicines. People who misuse these drugs may not understand the risks. The fact is, anyone with or without a credit card can purchase just about any drug on the Internet without age verification. In addition, on many high school and college campuses, the drugs are sold, given away, or traded by people with prescriptions, or students acquire them from college campus health centers by faking a need for them.

The most commonly abused medications are pain relievers oxycodone or hydrocodone , stimulants Ritalin or Adderal , and sedatives Valium, Xanax, or Klonopin. However, there is a range of short- and long-term health consequences for each type of prescription drug used inappropriately:. These impacts can be particularly harmful to a developing adolescent brain and body.

Our brains continue to develop until we reach our early- to mid-twenties. During adolescence, the pre-frontal cortex further develops to enable us to set priorities, formulate strategies, allocate attention, and control impulses. The outer mantle of the brain also experiences a burst of development, helping us to become more sophisticated at processing abstract information and understanding rules, laws, and codes of social conduct. Drug use impacts perception—a skill adolescent brains are actively trying to cultivate—and can fracture developing neural pathways.

Additionally, as our brains are becoming hardwired during adolescence, the pathways being reinforced are the ones that stick. If those pathways include addiction, the impact may lead to life-long challenges. FDA approves first once-monthly buprenorphine injection, a medication-assisted treatment option for opioid use disorder. Accessed Aug. What to do if your adult friend or loved one has a problem with drugs. What to do if you have a problem with drugs: For adults.

Office of Personnel Management. How to buy medicines safely from an online pharmacy. Sevarino K. Medically supervised opioid withdrawal during treatment for addiction.

Hall-Flavin DK expert opinion. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Related How opioid addiction occurs How to tell if a loved one is abusing opioids How to use opioids safely Kratom for opioid withdrawal Opioids and other drugs: What to watch for Tapering off opioids: When and how Treating pain: When is an opioid the right choice? What are opioids and why are they dangerous?

Show more related content. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Constipation Nausea Feeling high euphoria Slowed breathing rate Drowsiness Confusion Poor coordination Increased dose required for pain relief Worsening or increased sensitivity to pain with higher doses hyperalgesia.