2.4.5
Legal/Prescription Drugs
Please don’t let the title of this section fool or mislead you. When used improperly, prescription drugs, and even over-the-counter drugs, can be very harmful. And if you are using legally prescribed drugs but on a prescription written for someone else, then those drugs are no longer legal – not in your hands anyway.
Legal drugs are drugs that you are legally allowed to possess and use. If the drug is a prescription drug, then you can use it if it is prescribed specifically for you. Regarding possession? Well, it is OK to pick up a prescription drug for someone else, although you will have to show that you know the patient and/or are involved in their care. That means anything from providing the patient’s name and birth date to presenting a valid, government issued photo ID. And if what you are picking up is something that is considered dangerous such as the pain killers you learned about, then the pharmacy can be more strict up to the point of refusing to give the medication to anyone other than the patient. While all of this seems like a big hassle, we hope you can see why something like this can happen and respect the reasoning behind it.
Legal/prescription/over-the-counter drugs, unlike the illegal drugs you learned about, have some medicinal benefits. When taken as prescribed or used as directed (on the label or by a physician) these drugs can alleviate pain, help you to sleep, help lower your cholesterol, thin your blood, help you to lose weight, and provide relief from dozens of other ailments or conditions. So, why do we need to discuss these seemingly helpful substances? You can get these drugs with a prescription or even buy some of them over-the-counter, so they must be harmless, right? The answer is simple:
WRONG!
A little while ago, you read the terms “as prescribed” and “as directed.” To ignore these terms is to abuse these legal drugs. When pharmaceutical companies develop drugs, they determine how much of the drug – what dosage – is enough to help a patient and how much will begin to cause harm to that patient. Recall from earlier that you know that any drug alters something in the body or mind. It changes the body’s natural functioning. If directions on a label say to take two pills every four hours, then that’s what you do because the pills were developed to have the greatest effect that way. The worst attitude you can have is, “Well, if two pills are good, then four must be better.” That, quite simply, is a dangerous thought.
Did you know that aspirin thins your blood? Did you also know that products such as Alka- Seltzer, Excedrin, and Pepto-Bismol contain aspirin or aspirin related substances? So, taking too much aspirin at once or taking aspirin along with these products I mentioned can be dangerous. Signs of an aspirin overdose range anywhere from drowsiness and double vision to hallucinations and uncontrollable shaking.
https://www.healthline.com/health/aspirin-overdose
And what about the common pain reliever acetaminophen (you likely know it as one of the Tylenol products). Earlier you learned about how too much alcohol can damage your liver – an organ without which you cannot survive. Would you care to guess what can happen if you take far too much acetaminophen? Correct – you can suffer damage to your liver. Now remember, we are talking about taking way too much of these substances. Used as directed, they are perfectly safe and beneficial to those individuals suffering from any number of ailments.
Side Effects
Just about any medicine you can think of has some kind of side effects. If you watch TV commercials for prescription drugs on television, you will, at some point, hear an announcer listing the potential side effects from the drug being advertised…and it’s likely that these side effects are being read at break neck speed. Not every individual who takes a specific medication will experience the side effects such as those you hear about on TV or those that you read on the drug label or in packaging included with the drug. But, you don’t know if you will experience side effects unless you take the medicine. From there, you could have a range of experiences from no side effects at all to problems that send you to the emergency room.
When you see side effects listed on a label or on a pamphlet that comes packed with a medicine, it is likely that some people who took that same medication experienced some of the side effects shown. How many people? That is hard to say. Companies must list every side effect reported by anyone who takes or has taken the drug (including during the testing process). That could be a very small number of individuals or hundreds if not thousands. The key is, you need to be informed whenever you take any medication, even one you purchase without needing a prescription. And just as important, don’t be frightened off by long lists of side effects. Many people who take medications won’t experience anything except for the medicinal benefits provided by a drug. So, if you need to take something for a cold or flu or pain or other ailment, take it as long as you take the right doses at the times given and you have no allergies that would make something unsafe to use. Medicines are made to help you.
So, if prescription medications are safe, what’s the big deal?
The big deal is that some people can become overconfident when they take medicines they have taken before. One of the biggest culprits is cold and fever medications. Why? Because many of them cause drowsiness and there is even a note on the label instructing you not to operate heavy machinery. So, you’re not feeling well, but you have to go to school or work (you have a big test or project, or you’ve already missed too many days). You take a dose of cold medicine in the morning, and off you go. Was the cold medicine a non-drowsy formula? Can you guarantee that you won’t be affected by something that makes you drowsy? Can you bet your life (or someone else’s) that you can drive safely, and fully alert?
Most people cannot keep every possible medicine for every common ailment at home. Sometimes you must take what’s available (all I have is a cold medicine that will make me drowsy, not the non-drowsy product I really need), but there are situations where you must think about the risks of taking a common medicine that you take all the time (when your condition calls for it).
It’s going to be a long night. I need to fill up on coffee or energy drinks.
Seems pretty harmless, right? You can buy coffee and energy drinks just about anywhere. So, what’s the harm? Well, it’s the same old story. Everything in moderation. If you fill up on coffee and/or energy drinks because you have a long night of studying or you just need a burst of energy to get through the day, consider the possible side effects of caffeine – the ingredient that gives you that burst of energy. It’s important that you understand that too much caffeine:
- Can increase your level of alertness so much so that you end up stressed and full of anxiety.
- Can interfere with sleep patterns. So, you may stay awake for the time you want to, but when actual sleep time comes, you will lie awake, probably feeling a bit miserable and over tired.
- Can cause digestive issues, including diarrhea.
- Can raise your blood pressure and heart rate.
- Can make you tired. Yes the opposite effect of what you think. This is called “rebound fatigue” and it occurs once the effects of the caffeine wear off.
These side effects are likely to occur when you take in far too much caffeine within a short amount of time. The point here, though, is to make you understand that too much of anything may not be good for you. Is drinking too much coffee the same thing as taking too much heroin? Of course not! But in both cases, you can experience health issues. So, while it is legal to possess and consume coffee and energy drinks, think about the fact that they contain a substance – caffeine – that when used to excess, can affect your wellbeing. You might be interested to discover that caffeine is not a controlled substance – it’s not on one of the five schedules of drugs. However, because of its addictive properties, there are those who feel it should be.
What about codeine? We have cold medicine with codeine at home in our medicine cabinet.
Simply put, Codeine is a controlled substance; however, it actually has been placed in multiple drug classes (schedules) depending on the amount of codeine in a product. Codeine on its own is an opioid – a narcotic. This type of substance has the highest risk for abuse and addiction. Other products that contain codeine – most are cold medicines or pain relievers – must be obtained by prescription. Still other products, which are also pain relievers or cold medicines but with a lesser amount of codeine, can be purchased over the counter. Just be aware that they are no less dangerous because you can just go into a pharmacy or even a supermarket and purchase them (possibly being asked to show an ID). So, if you are not feeling well and you go to the medicine cabinet, be sure to check that bottle of cold medicine with codeine. If it is a prescription for someone other than you, you should not take it. If it is something that anyone can take, then take it but carefully follow the dosage and timing directions. Remember, more is not always better, even if you still feel lousy after taking a medication.
More is not always better, but what more can be is dangerous.
Speaking of which, do you take ibuprofen? It’s a common pain reliever that you can purchase over the counter or by prescription, depending on the dose and the reason for which you need it. Ibuprofen provides effective short term relief from pain experienced from headaches, back pain, arthritis, toothaches, menstrual cramps, and more. This is one item you can find in many medicine cabinets but that requires you to use extreme care when taking it.
Take only the recommended dose of ibuprofen, even less if you can. Never take more than instructed because you think it will alleviate your pain more quickly; ibuprofen can, in the worst case scenarios, lead to stroke and heart attack if you take too much of it at once. Additionally, and more so in older adults, ibuprofen can cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which, if not detected, can be fatal. As always, read all directions and precautionary statements before taking ibuprofen. More importantly, you should never take it if you have had allergic reactions to NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or aspirin. The same goes for people who have experienced asthma attacks.
Always play it safe. If you plan to take ibuprofen, check with your doctor or with the pharmacist where you purchase the product. Be sure to inform them if you have ever experienced any of the following:
- You are a smoker
- You have had a heart attack
- You have high blood pressure
- You are diabetic
- You have high cholesterol
- You have experienced stomach bleeding/ulcers
- You have liver or kidney disease
- You are on an aspirin regimen (you take it every day for heart attack/stroke prevention)
- You are pregnant (unless directed to take by a doctor)
So, how do you know you are purchasing ibuprofen? Of course, you always want to read the packaging – that should be a no brainer any time you purchase or take anything. But you will probably recognize some of these well-known brand names: Motrin, Midol, Advil, Propanil. Remember, the point here is not to scare you. If you look at all of the potential side effects listed for most any drug, you would be reluctant to take it. Our hope is that, when you need to take something, you do so responsibly. Don’t find out how much is too much after you’ve been rushed to the ER. Respect label warnings and other packaging. Pay attention to contraindications – information about who should not take the medication. Respect directions you get from your doctor or pharmacist. Above all, use your common sense.