Comments on: Atypical Drugs of Abuse

By: Jeramy

Jeramy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:52:13 +0000

Interesting article.Abuse of drugs like diphenhydramine does indeed go on.I myself was addicted to diphenhydramine for several years,and that being many years ago.I do suffer from mental illness.I would take about 50 pills a day.It did produce a euphoric high,for several hours,but trust me,the negative effects far outweighed the positive effects.

By: Greg PharmD Student

Greg PharmD Student — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:22:52 +0000

Ash,

“Moreover, can someone please suggest anything that might help with anxiety/sleeplessness/panic attacks that I could talk with my doctor about that are NOT narcotics (and don’t have much potential for abuse)?”

Mirtazapine and trazodone are anti-anxiety/depression medications that are typically given at bedtime and promote sleep. Buspirone and hydroxyzine are other anti-anxiety medications, but are not used to induce sleep.

These medications have “low abuse” potential. As several have pointed out above, many medications may be abused. Some above have expressed disgust that “safe” medications have “inappropriately” been labeled drugs that have the potential for abuse.

I have bad news for you; drugs are bad period. Every medication (drug, including “natural” products and OTC’s) has risks and benefits. Drugs are labeled “prescription” because they are dangerous (this is a legal definition not opinion). ANY drug used inappropriately is harmful. All drugs should be used prudently. Ask your physician (doctor) or your pharmacist (often a doctor) what is the ultimate goal of medication therapy? I hope they respond by saying, “If possible to stop medication therapy.”

I am not against drugs or people that take them. I am a pharmacy student; I respect drugs. My job will be to ensure that medications are taken appropriately — to protect the public (this also law not my self-described job).

My only criticism is that pharmacists do not do more. Ensuring appropriate use of a blood pressure medication (or any other drug) deserves equal attention to use of drugs with high potential for abuse.

So next time you are at your pharmacy if your pharmacist does not ask tell them how you are taking your medications, for what disease and what side-effects you are having. Without respect dangerous drugs have greater potential for harm.

By: ash

ash — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:30:54 +0000

I am an addict. I used heroin and prescription opiates/opioids IV for several years, in addition to abusing xanax, valium, etc etc.. Anyway, I tried tons of different treatments, inpatient programs, detox drugs, everything; until I finally resorted to methadone. I did not want to get into methadone maintenence treatment because I just wanted to be clean off of everything, but I was afraid of OD’ing or passing out while driving, etc., so I went into MMT. The reason I say all this is I have been clean for over 4 years with the help of methadone. I have been seeing a psychiatrist who says that while I should be on a benzo for anxiety and panic attacks, she will not (and I don’t want her to) prescribe xanax or valium or anything else like benzo’s.
So, I have just been prescribed Neurontin. I thought i was pretty well aware of all the little-known drugs with potential for abuse, but I guess not. I have no intention on abusing this drug, as I have two beautiful children and I’m incredibly thankful to have been clean for as long as I have. This is really just a note that even though my psychiatrist knows EVERYTHING about my past with substance abuse, she had no problem prescribing me neurontin on my first visit to her. Does this seem odd? Moreover, can someone please suggest anything that might help with anxiety/sleeplessness/panic attacks that I could talk with my doctor about that are NOT narcotics (and don’t have much potential for abuse)? Thanks everyone. Sorry for my wordiness.

By: T

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:40:56 +0000

I have seen people abuse Neurontin in Rehab. It is no secret on the street that the drug is often abused. It seems Dr’s don’t believe it, because they still prescribe large quantities with little or no discussion of abuse. Who cares if it is on the DEA’s list. If it looks like a duck……… T

By: brandonsonly1

brandonsonly1 — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:36:06 +0000

I am so frustrated with the goverment and the medical community. within the last 10 years I have been on oxycotin, tramadol, valium, and seroquel. I have valid medical reasons for all of these. The pain I experience every day is very hard to deal with, especially with 2 children. One day I decided to take myself off of oxycotin, no doctor ordered this. It took a year to become myself again but I did. My pain, due to a more recent injury has escalated, and now i am lucky to get 30 10/500 Lortabs for a month. This due to the abuse, What do patients like us do? My seroquel is currently at 800mg at night, and one durring day if neeeded. I get no high of this or any of the other medications i have listed. I have a very high tolerance with meds since i have been on them since i was 17years old. there has to be a way that patients like me can get the medication they need and not be considered drug seekers or abusers. The goverment has come up with a way to monitor and regulate everything else. This issue is just as important if not more so. I welcome any thoughts or feedback anyone else may have. I sure don’t no what to do anymore?.

By: em

em — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:24:35 +0000

I’m a drug addict and alcoholic in recovery in Los Angeles. I take seroquel for some super fun mental illnesses. I hate the drug. it inhibits the ability to feel satiated and thus causes weight gain. it’s dangerous to the body in many ways. seroquel is not a “normal” drug of abuse. it’s not a substance i have ever “craved.” however… when i was still using, if i could not find my drug(s) of choice, i would settle for taking more than the prescribed amount of SQ. hands down. an addict will abuse anything that can change their state of mind. i have a friend who nearly ODed on the anticonvulsant/mood stablizer Depakote trying to get a high. Benadryl, phenadrine, fioicet, clariting, tylenol PM, nyquil AND dayquil, mouthwash, cologne, windex… in you need to get high, youll get high. try holding your breath until the second right before you pass out. all these things happen. even in affluent communities. i’ve seen it.

By: Experienced Provider

Experienced Provider — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:39:40 +0000

Well, as an experienced emergency provider with a few years of primary care under my belt, too, I have to say that I’m as disgusted with providers who treat medication seeking patients as “druggies” and “scumbags” as I am with drug companies who tweak/twist proprietary substances in order to wring a few more years’ profit out of already-suffering public.

My view after all these years is that the real problem is/are the social ills that compel so many people from ALL walks of life (some are just better at maniupulating, functioning more highly, etc, than others) to seek out something…ANYTHING…to take away their pain, psychic or physical, to make them feel normal.

I don’t enable drug seekers, but surveying the “lay of the land,” I’m as saddened and discouraged by the close-mindedness of my colleagues as I am by fat-cat pharmaceutical companies and/or people willing to go down the road to ruin that is addiction.

We are a sick society…and developing countries that are adopting our Western/consumeristic ways of life are manifesting EXACTLY the same patterns of dysfunction and mental illness that we have been seeing in our own.

People, for the most part, aren’t abusing to feel euphoric or super-human…they are “abusing” because of the way that we define “abuse,” and they do “that” because they just want to feel, HUMAN, normal, again, somehow, someway, someday…

By: Beck, PharmD

Beck, PharmD — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:08:05 +0000

Emily-Really appreciated the article; reflected my recent experiences in correctional institute pharmacy (many cases of male inmates working the system to get quetiapine, gabapentin, olanzapine, and topirimate for female inmates) then afterwards in a community pharmacy that served a large percentage of former inmates. For me, the most difficult part of dispensing very expensive atypical antipsychotics to former inmates (when CATIE has shown less expensive first generation antipsychotics are as effective) was the financial burden for the drug abusers’caregivers, who typically picked up the meds. People can’t afford dental care or basic hygeine supplies, but will continue to float their family money for quetiapine, lest they become agitated and possibly abusive.

By: Kristine BSN, CCN

Kristine BSN, CCN — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:43:01 +0000

I found the article to be informative. I am a Correctional nurse and I knew about the abuse potential of Seroquel but not Neurontin (although inmates will take anything…) Our MD does not prescribe Neurontin except in exceptional cases. I was going to ask her why, but decided to do a web search before doing so. Emily gave me an answer!

By: Joseph Kim, MD, MPH

Joseph Kim, MD, MPH — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:02:50 +0000

Patients need to be properly educated so that they don’t misuse or divert prescription medications. Patients are consumers and some are well-educated while others lack the necessary familiarity about what they can do with some of these substances. Just about any type of drug can be misused, abused, or inappropriately diverted. They don’t need to be controlled substances.