Prescription Drugs
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Prescription Drugs Detox in
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Prescription drug abuse has become a significant problem in the United States. Prescription drugs can have as many negative effects as illegal drugs. When you’re addicted to them, it’s often best to participate in a medical detox and then a rehab program.
Harbor Detox is a program offering prescription drug detox in Southern California and inpatient rehab programs.
An Overview of Prescription Drug Abuse
There are some prescription drugs that, while they do have viable medical uses, are more likely to be abused than others. Prescription drug abuse happens when someone uses medicines in a way different from how it’s prescribed or meant to be used. This could include taking a higher dose than prescribed, using someone else’s medicine, or using a prescription to get high.
If you’re struggling, Harbor Detox is a Southern California prescription drug detox program and inpatient rehab facility.
Frequently Misused Prescriptions
The following are some of the prescription medicines most often abused.
Opioid prescription medicines are used to treat pain. In the 1990s, they were widely prescribed, with the understanding they weren’t addictive and wouldn’t lead to dependence. That didn’t turn out to be the case, and many cite overprescribing opioids as the catalyst for the U.S. opioid crisis.
Opioids bind to the same brain and central nervous system receptors as heroin. They dull pain perception and disrupt the signals sent between the brain and body.
At the same time, these prescription drugs increase dopamine’s activity. Dopamine is a feel-good brain-signaling neurotransmitter with an essential role in the reward and reinforcement of behaviors.
Specific prescription opioids include:
- Codeine
- Fentanyl
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Morphine
- Tramadol
- Oxymorphone
The side effects of prescription opioid pain medicines include:
- Brain fog and problems concentrating
- Moving slowly
- Constipation
- Nausea or vomiting
- Itchy skin
- Drowsiness
- Slurring
- Small pupils
- Slow breathing
Harbor Detox provides prescription drug withdrawal treatment in an evidence-based environment. Also available are inpatient treatment programs for prescription drug addiction.
A central nervous system (CNS) depressant slows down the activity of the brain and the entire central nervous system. Benzodiazepines are sedative-hypnotic drugs that fall into this category, as are barbiturates. Z-drugs also fall into this category which are used primarily for treating insomnia and sleep disorders. CNS depressants are also prescribed for anxiety, seizures, and muscle spasms.
These prescription medicines work by interacting with GABA receptors in the brain or enhancing the effects of GABA. GABA is a neurotransmitter that slows down excitement in the body and brain, reducing anxiety and promoting sedation. The symptoms of CNS depressants, whether they’re being used as prescribed or otherwise, include:
- Lack of concentration
- Problems with memory
- Slurring
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Uncontrollable eye movements
Prescription stimulants treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as obesity and narcolepsy. These medicines change brain signaling and affect neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine and norepinephrine. Dopamine is associated with motivation and reward, and norepinephrine is associated with heart rate, breathing, the fight or flight response, and other physiological processes.
Side effects of prescription stimulants can include:
- Chills or sweating
- High blood pressure
- Increased heart rate and body temperature
- Hyperactivity
- Appetite loss
- Dilated pupils
- Less sleep than usual
- Weight loss
- Nausea and vomiting
Specific stimulants with a potential for abuse include:
- Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine
- Methamphetamine
- Modafinil
- Phentermine
For someone struggling with prescription drugs, help is available. The Harbor Detox prescription drug detox in Southern California allows you to start your recovery with a clean slate, free of substances.
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Prescription Drug Withdrawal
Prescription drugs, including opioids, depressants, and stimulant medications, can all lead to physical dependence and addiction. Dependence is separate from addiction, although the two conditions generally occur together.
It is possible to become physically dependent on a prescription drug without having a psychological addiction. If you depend on something, your brain, and body have gotten used to its effects. If you stop suddenly without the help of a medical detox program, you will likely experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
Signs of prescription drug withdrawal are often the opposite of what the drug is used to treat. For example, opioids are depressants, and withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Anxiety
- Agitation
- Runny nose and eyes
- Sweating
- Yawning
- Insomnia
- Muscle aches
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
- Goosebumps
- Dilated pupils
- Nausea or vomiting
While opioid withdrawal is uncomfortable, it’s rarely life-threatening.
Other depressants, especially benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax, can have severe withdrawal symptoms and, in some cases, be life-threatening.
Benzodiazepine and depressant withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Anxiety
- Blurred vision
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Increased sensitivity to light and other stimuli
- Tinnitus
- Sleep problems
- Restlessness
- Abdominal cramps
- Confusion
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Paranoia
- Muscle twitching
- Seizures
The withdrawal symptoms of benzodiazepines and depressants usually start within a few hours after your last dose if it’s short-acting. Longer-acting benzos tend to take longer for withdrawal symptoms to occur.
Stimulants increase the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. Withdrawal from stimulants is characterized primarily by dysphoria, a low mood. Other symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Dehydration
- Chills
- Slow speech
- Loss of interest
- Slow movements
- Slow heart rate
- Irritability
- Paranoia
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Increased appetite
- Insomnia
- Body aches
- Cravings
The symptoms of stimulant withdrawal usually start anywhere from a few hours to a few days after the last dose. The most severe symptoms will usually peak in around a week. Still, some of the mental symptoms, like dysphoria or depression, can last for weeks or more, especially if you try to detox on your own without medical help.
Consider a medical prescription detox offered at Harbor Detox in Southern California to maintain your safety and comfort and prepare for long-term recovery.
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Harbor Detox in Orange County, California offers a variety of drug & alcohol addiction treatment options.
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Habor Detox Offers Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse
Most people struggling with prescription drug abuse participate in a continuum of care as part of their treatment program. This begins with a medical detox.
During medical detox, the goals are stabilization and ensuring you’re as comfortable and safe as possible. Depending on the substances you’re detoxing from and your health and needs, some medications can reduce symptoms and cravings. For example, with opioid dependence, medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone may be administered to help prevent relapse.
Medications to treat specific symptoms as they occur can be used as well.
Once someone has detoxed from prescription drugs, they can begin their next phase of treatment. Medical detox is important but isn’t a standalone addiction treatment.
Instead, an inpatient residential program could be the next step for you. The idea of a continuum of care is that you progress into gradually lower care levels as you’re ready.
Once you complete an inpatient program, you might start a transitional phase of your treatment in outpatient rehab, although everyone’s journey is unique.
If you’d like to learn more about prescription drug detox in Southern California or inpatient rehab for addiction, contact Harbor Detox. You can take the next step today.
