There was a time when we did not use to resort to over the counter drugs for every minor headache, and instead, looked for organic remedies to get some relief. But, nowadays, we are so hooked to prescription drugs and OTCs that even minor maladies are dealt with incredibly dangerous drugs. In some aspects, prescription drugs are even worse than recreational drugs because nobody thinks that prescription drugs can have life-altering consequences.
People do not find good reasons to quit prescription drugs, unlike recreational drugs, because their consumption is not considered a big problem. These prescription drugs do not just have documented side effects, but also pose the risks of experiencing undocumented side effects, like what happened with Zantac that led to Zantac lawsuits. Therefore, we have discussed here six adverse impacts of consuming prescription drugs recklessly so that you think twice before casually popping a pill.
Health Issues:
There are many documented adverse effects of abusing drugs that are commonly prescribed across the world. For example, opioids are prescribed to treat chronic pains, but when abused, they can cause mood alterations, impaired cognitive function, disturbed menstrual cycle, infertility, and slowed breathing. Moreover, heavy doses can also lead the users into a coma or even death if the breathing slows down to an irredeemable extent.
Sedatives and tranquilizers are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world, but they are CNS depressants and can lead to memory problems and even seizures. They can also increase the body’s core temperature, which can lead to issues like cardiac arrests. Moreover, a lot of prescription drugs have documented side effects like anxiety and depression, which can lead to suicidal tendencies in extreme cases.
Addiction:
Even when consumed in prescribed amounts, some prescription drugs can be addictive, but the intensity of addiction increases multifold when they are abused. We need to understand that when someone becomes an addict of some prescription drug, his body becomes dependent on the drug and craves more quantities to get the same kick. Mainly, it goes out of the user’s hands because even if he tries to quit, he starts to experience withdrawal symptoms like nausea, sweating, shaking, bone pain, and depression.
Raggedness:
When a person becomes addicted to a prescription drug, grooming himself goes way below in his priority list because all he wants is to feed his addiction by hook or crook. As a result, the personal and professional lives of the users become severely compromised. Neither someone wants a partner that loves his addiction more than her, nor does any employer want an employee who looks pathetic and has compromised cognitive ability and decision making skills.
Poor Academic Performance:
Prescription drug abuse is quite common among teenagers because they can easily access these drugs from their parents’ medicine cabinets. When they abuse these drugs, they start to experience a mental fog and impaired cognitive ability, which starts to mess with their academic performance.
Higher Risk of Injuries:
We tend to do many day-to-day tasks with some elements of risk, like driving or even crossing a road. This risk multiplies for drug users because of the constant abuse of prescription drugs impairs their motor skills, and they find themselves unable to think quickly on their feet. As a result, they are more prone to cause traffic accidents and incur severe injuries.
Legal Hassles:
Keeping both statistics and logic into consideration, drug abusers are more prone to get engaged in criminal activities like burglary and robbery so that they can pay for their addictions.
Therefore, if you are careless about prescription drugs and do not want to mend your ways, be ready to face some legal hassles like fines and jail time, along with other adverse effects mentioned above.