Are You an Over-The-Counter (OTC) Drug Abuser?

There are countless articles available online about the dangers of abusing over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The society we live in focuses on man-made substances to counteract the symptoms of common illnesses. It's very easy to misinterpret the labels on these medications. But in most cases, these blunders are not life-threatening; the chemicals in these drugs are not powerful enough to cause any major damage with the occasional misstep. It isn't so much the drugs themselves, but the attitude that many consumers have regarding their medications. But drug abuse (and addiction) can occur on smaller levels when many are unaware that they have developed some harmful habits.

Sleep Aids

They might seem risk-free. But the habit of consuming "non-habit-forming" sleep aids could potentially sneak up on you. You may become so accustomed to the pleasant sleepy sensation, that you'll begin to associate bedtime with these medications. Web sites like www.sleep-aid-solutions.com have confirmed that even the mildest OTC sleep enhancers can pose serious threats to the body. Most OTC sleep-inducing medicines work by reducing the amount of histamine the body produces. (Histamine promotes wakefulness.) They do not contain benzodiazepine, which is a highly addictive chemical that targets the central nervous system. Nonetheless, the drug makers themselves indicate that OTC medicines should be used for the "occasional" bout of sleeplessness. A medical study in 2006 revealed that 21.4% of the adult population relied on OTC sleep-inducing drugs for problems related to insomnia related issues. Since antihistamine-filled sleep aids can provoke fatigue, headaches, and other maladies,a self-imposed dependence on these medicines can only cause more harm than good.

Nasal Decongestants

You may wonder how one could become "addicted" to a medicine designed to help you breathe better. But did you know that there is a medical description for this very condition? Called, rhinitis medicamentosa, this condition describes the dependence on nasal spray decongestants specifically (also called "Afrin Addiction.") It may sound weird. But this condition occurs when someone continually reaches for that nasal spray in order to combat a stuffy nose. Many don't understand that nasal sprays contain an addictive drug called oxymetazoline. When used for 3-5 days consecutively, the mucus membranes begin to contract. But after the medicine wears off, the membranes expand once again (a natural reaction)---which in turn causes the cold-sufferer to spray the nostrils again. Because most people tend to have cold symptoms that last a week or more, it is quite easy to see how these sprays can become somewhat of a saving grace. But there are harmful effects of popping those cold medications too. Though they provide temporary relief from congestion, those antihistamines (that word again!) are actually drying out mucus membranes. In the process of using these OTC medications, you run the risk of introducing yet more germs into the body because there isn't enough mucus to serve as a buffer. A common behavior that people engage in is taking more than the "prescribed" dosage, assuming that the stuffier they are, the more medicine they need to take.

Cough Suppressant

There has been much ado made about the misuse of cough medicine. It isn't difficult to see how one can develop a dependence on cough medicine, considering the high levels of alcohol (and other addictive chemicals) it contains. As it is a fairly easy drug to get one's hands on, in recent years, more attention has been focused on the abuse of this OTC drug by teenagers. There is a reason why the medicine labels suggest that one should not operate heavy machinery while using the drugs. Not only do they possess agents which produce extreme drowsiness, they can also serve as a hallucinogen. A report on MSNBC detailed the death of a young college student who had been recording his hallucinogenic trips on audiotape while taking large doses of a drug commonly found in Robitussin (dextromethorphan.) As a matter of fact, entire cyberspace communities have been established in which experimenters (people of all ages) can swap recipes for cough medicine "cocktails" and treats. Some have even made brownies with the drug. You may not have a hard-driven addiction to the hallucinogenic properties of this kind of medicine. But on a smaller scale, medicines like Drixoral Cough Liquid Caps or Robitussin AC are known to induce "marijuana-like" highs and "pleasurable reactions to movement" when taken in larger doses.

Am I a Drug Abuser?

It may seem a bit absurd to consider one a drug addict or abuser simply because he/she takes occasionally takes the incorrect dosage of OTC medication. It is more feasible that people develop subconscious patterns of behavior where over-the-counter medicine is concerned. For instance, a heart patient who frequently has arthritis pain may be so accustomed to taking pain relievers like Aleve, that he/she doesn't realize continued overuse can cause a more than a few adverse effects, especially when taken with certain heart medications like Coreg. The bottom line is that any drug can be habit-forming if an association with its benefits is taken out of perspective. Drug manufacturers assume that consumers will use their products responsibly, and according to instruction. But the media's almost "Wonderland-like" portrayal of OTC medicines further perpetuates the belief that their use should be considered a normal part of life. And while they certainly earn merit for some physiological conditions, if you find that you're relying on them too frequently, you might want to consider alternative methods of treating (and preventing) your common illnesses. You needn't purchase a cache of expensive supplements. Simply altering your diet in certain ways can have a tremendous impact on your health. For instance, adding a spinach salad to each meal not only provides necessary fiber, but also the antioxidants which help prevent some diseases to begin with.