When we think of dangerous drugs, we think of narcotics and psychedelics that are considered illegal: things such as recreational weed (it’s still illegal in many states) or methamphetamine have an obvious bad name in all of our minds.
But what we don’t notice are the ones that are hiding right in plain sight.
The drugs that you keep stored up in your cabinet or dresser drawer are every bit as dangerous as the ones that are labeled illegal to use – and in some cases, they may be even worse.
The fact that these drugs are not only legal, but mass produced and distributed, makes them an easy target for drug dealers and users alike, and the worst part is that there is currently nothing that can be legally done about it.
Nothing, that is, except being aware.
When you arm yourself with the knowledge of which dangerous prescription drugs to watch out for, you are making things safer for yourself and for those you love most.
7 Dangerous Prescription Drugs You Need to Watch Out For
In no particular order, this list labels only a few of the most dangerous drugs that lie around us. Keep them in mind next time you pay a visit to your pharmacist.
1. Cortisone
Cortisone is a well-known drug that has made a name for itself in the prescription business.
Cortisone is commonly used to treat a variety of common injuries. Its biggest use is for anti-inflammatory purposes, and can treat any region on the body where the inflammation occurs.
Cortisone is also used to help treat or prevent allergies, so it’s not uncommon that it’s prescribed to many people to help them adjust to the allergy season.
It’s a great choice for those who are experiencing nausea or vomiting, can aid cancer patients in stimulating an appetite so that they can eat better portions, and can even be used as a treatment for autoimmune diseases.
With so many benefits, many would rather look over any potential downsides that could at play. Fortunately, you already know the downsides to overlooking such a matter, and you want to be prepared.
The biggest problem with Cortisone is that it’s so potent, it can affect the user in just a few weeks. In fact, many pharmacists themselves say they wouldn’t take the drug for more than two weeks, and if you knew why, you would do the same.
When this drug is taken for an extended period of time, you run the risk of getting high blood pressure, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, intestinal bleeding, fragile skin, susceptibility to wounds, and slower wound healing, to name a few.
There have even been extreme cases of Cortisone users where the effects were so bad they had to go get special care.
If at all possible, ask your doctor or pharmacist if there are other options to taking this drug. If not, find out if they can limit its use to a short-term time span, so you won’t have to feel its devastating effects.
2. Methadone
The story of Methadone is a darkly ironic one, as you’ll soon find out after you read about it.
Methadone is a drug under the category of opioids. Originally, it was used to treat major pain in the body. Now, however, its main purpose is to help other patients get rid of their addiction to heroin or to narcotic painkillers.
Though in current times the drug doesn’t serve much of a legal use outside of countering drug addition from heroin or narcotics, it does its job so well that most doctors prescribe this as the drug of choice for treating heroin addiction.
Sadly, this is where the problems may begin to arise.
In small doses, Methadone won’t cause much harm to the body. However, if taken over a prolonged period of time or in larger doses, the drug can actually run counter to what its purpose is.
In other words, Methadone, the drug prescribed to get rid of the strong addiction found in heroin and narcotic products, could over time become an addicting drug on its own.
Many who have used Methadone in large portions are known to have symptoms such as addiction, restlessness, nausea or vomiting, constipation, hives, rashes, swollen facial regions, and hallucinations, just to name a few.
In extreme cases, there have been individuals who have died from overdosing on the drug.
Overall, this is definitely one of the dangerous drugs to watch out for, and treatment for the drug should start as soon as the signs are noticed.
3. Methotrexate
You probably have not heard of the term Methotrexate before, but it’s made our list for being a very sly and dangerous drug on the market.
This is a drug that has been labeled as “chemotherapeutic” because it has properties that can help a person who is dealing with cancer to be able to fight and overcome it.
It’s also shown to have benefits for people who have rheumatoid arthritis. The components within the drug allow for the patient to deal with the effects of the condition.
Obviously, this sounds like a good thing on paper. However, there are things to be worried about when you look beneath the surface.
First off, as a chemotherapeutic drug, it works by targeting cells in a patient. The problem is that it doesn’t just target the cells in a cancerous state; it affects all cells within your body, both good and bad.
In other words, you are actually killing yourself while trying to heal yourself.
Also, in concerns to rheumatoid arthritis, it is not uncommon for a prescription of Methotrexate to be made along with prednisone, which can prove to be a deadly combination, especially when it’s used in the long run.
Like the other drugs mentioned, this one can be addicting to the user, and it can also cause conditions such as bone marrow depression, kidney toxicity, and reduction of efficiency of the immune system, just to name a few.
Be well aware of this drug before taking it for any symptoms you want to be alleviated.
4. Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs that are known as “tranquilizer drugs”. In particular, these types of drugs allow the user to experience calming or even sleeplike effects when taken.
Benzodiazepines are a popular drug to take if one has anxiety, as it produces the calming effects needed to counter the medical condition. It’s also used to treat insomnia, a condition that deprives you of proper sleeping habits.
It can also play a role in stopping seizures and helping to relax the muscles, making it a pharmacist’s go-to choice for those who constantly experience muscle convulsions.
However, this drug doesn’t come without its risks. For starters, there is, of course, the risk of becoming addicted to the substance. However, like every other drug mentioned here, there’s more to the situation than just addiction alone.
If used for a short period of time, the medication should be safe with minimal or no harm to the user’s well-being. However, taking it for an extended period of time will lead to serious problems.
When one is addicted to benzodiazepines, there is more than just attachment alone–the abuser is killing themselves each time they use the drug. The more they use, the more addicted they become, and the more they wish to consume.
After a short while, impairments of the body created by the abuse, combined with the relentless use of the drug itself, will quickly lead to overdosing and death.
As a side note, mixing them with alcohol or some other drug-like substance will greatly increase your chances of death.
If you see a friend growing addicted to the use of such a drug, make sure to stage an intervention as soon as possible to get them the health they need.
5. Blood Thinners
Blood thinners are talked about all over the media, which is strange considering the controversy among pharmacists concerning their use.
Coumadin and Warfarin are the two most popular forms of blood thinners, and their jobs are as simple as the category implies: they thin the blood in the individual taking them.
This drug is prescribed to treat and prevent blood clots happening in the person’s body, which can help dramatically reduce the chances of getting artery clogging symptoms such as heart attacks.
While this may sound good on the surface, there are always two sides to every coin.
Blood thinners can place the user in serious danger on a number of levels. First off, there is the fact that it thins the blood running throughout the entire body, not just in a specific area.
This means that if you are injured, you are very susceptible to losing lots of blood, as there is no way for the blood to naturally clot up and stop you from bleeding.
Being this fragile means that you could lose a lot of blood or even die due to an injury that would do relatively little damage to the average person.
A safer and equally effective approach would be to use natural vitamins to help fight against clotting. Vitamins C and E have been shown to help combat the symptoms of clotting without having to weaken your defenses.
Make sure to consider the risks before you begin taking any blood thinners.
6. ADD/ADHD Stimulants
Having Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder can make things challenging in a person’s life. ADD stimulants were created to help those with the disorder work around the symptoms.
Those with ADD/ADHD have a problem with focusing or paying attention to things that happen in their vicinity. That being the case, it’s hard to for them to catch on to anything that is important and worth remembering.
With the stimulants, those with the disorder are able to gain the focus they need to pay attention to detail, as well as the ability to retain the information for future use.
This all sounds good on paper, but of course, there are downsides to this medication. First off, the pills can be addictive and are often used as a “recreational drug”, used in large quantities in order to increase awareness.
Secondly, it is very easy to overdose on this drug. The problem with the stimulants is that it is very hard for any user to gauge a limit on the pills.
Many users may be led to believe that if they take more, they will experience a greater amount of focus. Not only are they going against the recommended dosage, but they are placing themselves at risk of death.
To make matters worse, a large majority of users are children, which means that they are the ones most likely to be at risk or to even die from this drug. In fact, there have been a number of cases of child usage and unexplained death.
In the case of treatment, know that there are other options, such as neurofeedback, that you could consider.
7. Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs
Last on our list of most dangerous prescription drugs are cholesterol-lowering drugs.
There are a number of drugs such as Zocor, Colestid, and Lopid that are designed to help you to lower your bad cholesterol, and in some cases even raise good cholesterol.
Though different cholesterol-fighting drugs work in different ways, they all are supposed to benefit the user by lowering cholesterol and promoting good health. This sounds like a good thing, but like the other drugs, there are downsides.
Though this drug isn’t as addicting as some of the others mentioned on this list, it’s still easy for one to take too much of the drug and greatly damage their body as a result.
As a side note, getting rid of cholesterol may have its drawbacks. The body uses cholesterol to maintain good health and reduce the risk of stroke, so trying to drastically lower your cholesterol levels through drugs may not be the best plan.
Make sure to think things over before you commit to taking these drugs.
We’re Always Here to Help
Now that you know some of the most dangerous prescription drugs on the market – as well as how to avoid taking them – you’ll be happy to know there’s a place to go for the ones in your life already in need of drug relief methods.
We specialize in a wide variety of drug detox programs for many drugs such as opiates, hallucinogens, depressants, and stimulants, as well as detox programs for those suffering from alcohol abuse.
To help facilitate the detoxing procedure, we also offer a luxury facility where clients can live and bond with others as they undergo our inpatient detoxing therapy.
If you happen to have any questions about who we are and what we do, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d be more than happy to help answer any questions you would like to know.