Top 3 Most Common Prescription Drugs

Although they are aimed to help you, these top 3 most common prescription drugs can actually be quite dangerous if abused

We’ve all been to the doctor because of an ailment or pain, and we have all been prescribed medications for a period of time to treat the issue and resolve the issue. But, are you aware that the top 3 most common prescription drugs can actually be lethal if abused?

Although these medications are legally available by prescription-only, they have turned to be some of the most popular recreational drugs, with people abusing the dosage, acquiring them and redistributing them illegally all over the country.

Whether you started taking them for an actual legit reason, or you just feel prey of social pressure, the most common prescription drugs abused these days can cause serious health conditions or even death.

The top 3 most common prescription drugs are actually divided into the type of prescription they represent. While the components are the actual abused drugs, the brand names are numerous, yet they all pose the same risk.

These top 3 most common prescription drugs are:

1. Prescription Painkillers or Opioids: this category has two of the most prescribed medications available in the market, Hydrocodone (brand names Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet,) and Oxycodone (brand names Oxycontin, Percodan, Percocet)
2. Prescription Sedatives or Antidepressants: the most common prescription drugs abused under this category are Benzodiazepines (brand names Xanax, Diazepam, Clonazepam) and Barbiturates (brand names Nembutal, Luminal)
3. Prescription Stimulants: this category has Amphetamine (brand names Adderall, Benzedrine) as the top prescribed drug.

While these represent the top 3 most common prescription drugs by category, truth is, that many of the brand names are widely known within the most popular recreational drugs available illegally in the streets.

The illegal availability of these drugs has contributed significantly to the prescription drugs epidemic of the last decade and the fatalities that it has brought with it.

Most common prescription drugs abused has lead to serious health conditions that, with time, could leave you with permanent damage or even kill you.

Some of the most common issues and risks that come with the abuse of prescription medication are:

• Prescription Painkillers: nausea and vomiting, sleeplessness, muscle pain, irregular heartbeat, irregular breathing, seizures, coma, death
• Prescription Sedatives or Antidepressants: irregular heartbeat, irregular breathing, confusion, dizziness, lower blood pressures, seizures
• Prescription Stimulants: heart problems, mood swings, paranoia, restlessness, depression, paranoia, hallucinations.

Despite the fact that these health risks are extremely serious and even dangerous, that has not stopped these medications from becoming the most popular recreational drugs available in our streets.

In fact, most common prescription drugs abused are often made available by our most trusted physician, who is just trying to help us find relief and comfort when we suffer from a pain or an ailment.

The safest way to use these prescription drugs is under strict medical supervision, taking them only on the instructed dosage and for the specific length of time.

It is important to realize that there is a very thin line between taking some medications to treat a health problem, and actually creating a much more serious one because we become dependent on it.

Following doctors’ orders is imperative in controlling our intake of prescription drugs and the way they affect us. However, that does not stop the illegal epidemic that we can see in our society.

Luckily, for cases that have gotten out of control, abusers and addicts, there are several detoxification and rehabilitation treatments available that can save their lives.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.