Drug abuse is not only about street Drugs. It also includes legal medicines. Legal medicines i.e., over the counter and prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drugs by Americans. These drugs help us in healing, however, some of them are addictive and dangerous, if taken in the wrong way. Here are some of the most commonly abused OTC drugs.

1. Vicodin, Lortab, and Lorcet

These drugs contain the opioid hydrocodone plus acetaminophen. Regular use of these drugs can result in constipation and drowsiness. Moreover, if these drugs are taken in high amount can lead to severe breathing issues. Vicodin is available in the market with the street names of “vike” and “Watson-387.”

2. Sleep Medicines

Most of the people suffering from sleeping issues prefer to take OTC drugs like zolpidem (Ambien), eszopiclone (Lunesta), and zaleplon (Sonata). These drugs help you get sound sleep, however, long-term usage of these medicines can lead to addiction. Moreover, you may start to believe that you need them to get better sleep. So to avoid addiction, it’s really important to take these medicines as prescribed by your doctors.

3. Pseudoephedrine

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant and is used in many non-prescription medicines prescribed to treat cold. This salt helps clear up a stuffy nose, but it is one of the main ingredient found in illegal methamphetamine (“meth”). So to curb meth abuse, U.S. government has regulated some laws to control how you buy pseudoephedrine products. This is the why some cold medicines are located behind the counter and you may have to sign for some of these medicines. 

4. Amphetamines

Stimulants like the amphetamines Adderall, Dextroamphetamine, Mydayis, and more are prescribed to people with ADHD issues.  However, there are some people who use amphetamines to get high, to keep weight down, or to boost energy and alertness. Amphetamines are highly addictive and its high dose can result in high body temperature, irregular heartbeat, and even cardiac arrest.

Worried that someone you love might be abusing drugs? The best thing to do is ask directly. Keep an eye out for signs of abuse, like behavior changes or missing medicines.

Many people get addicted to these medicines accidentally as they don’t prefer to visit their health care providers due to expensive treatments and drugs. They prefer to take OTC medicines as they’re cheaper than prescription drugs.  If you too avoid taking prescription drugs due to higher prices, use free prescription discount cards to buy your medicines. These cards offer the discount on your medicines up to 75%.