Zolpidem, Seroquel, Dilaudid, Xanax, Desoxyn, Adderall, Laudanum, Oxycodone, and Opana. While some of these may sound familiar to many of us, all 10 of these prescription drugs currently hold the top spots for being the most sold prescription drugs on the streets today.
A student that wishes to remain anonymous said, “I started getting Adderall off of my friends when I was in high school because I never could seem to concentrate and my doctor said I was just lazy. Now I take them at least once or twice a week but I still haven’t gotten my own prescription for them.”
We all know that taking prescription drugs that have not been given to us from a doctor is illegal and very dangerous. But as we continue to buy that next Xanax pill to help deal with the stress of being a college student, or even that Adderall to give us an extra boost during finals time, it is important to stop and ask wonder what might possibly be happening to your body as you take it.
In an interview done in the Huffington post, Dr. Ronald Ricker and Dr. Venus Nicolino shared the many side effects of taking prescription drugs that are not prescribed for you. One of the biggest dangers, of course, is overdose. Overdosing on any prescription drug can lead to serious side effects such as cardiac arrest, serious mental disorders, or even death.
Another student who wished to remain anonymous said, “Of course, we all know that there will be serious consequences when taking any drug bought off of a friend. But you don’t really think they will happen to you or someone close to you until you’re in the situation and you begin to notice your body acting weird. I got scared after taking both Xanax and Adderall in one day and I began to feel my heart race and I started getting dizzy.”
Xanax may not have side effects such as increased blood pressure, or Tourette’s syndrome, but it can cause weight gain, irregular menstruation in women, and drowsiness. Xanax, along with Adderall, is also highly addictive. Because of this, both are now considered gateway drugs, meaning they may lead to use of more dangerous street drugs such as cocaine and meth.
Junior nursing major Sasha Gay Scott said, “You have to realize that when a doctor prescribes a drug to you, they are prescribing it based on your body mass and other personal measurements. So say you are a small 100-pound girl and you are buying drugs off of a large 200-pound guy – those drugs are going to have a much stronger effect on you than they would on someone his own size.”
So what do you do when you are having a severe side effect? The best thing to do is to get to an emergency room as fast as you can and immediately let them know what you took, how much you took, and that you are not on a prescription for that drug. Many people that come into the emergency room are afraid of getting in trouble for taking prescription drugs. It is important to be honest with your doctor because if they don’t know what you took or how much you took there is very little that they can do to help you.
Be smart. Know the side effects of taking prescription drugs, and if you do choose to do so, know exactly what you’re taking. Even with over the counter drugs, there is always something of which you need to be aware. If you really feel that you need help concentrating, talk to your doctor and your family. And remember to never ever take a drug that isn’t prescribed to you. It could be one of the last things you do.