Medications That Can Be Addictive

general practitioner, endocrinologist of the Semeynaya network of clinics

Remedies for nasal congestion

Vasoconstrictor drugs help relieve the condition during periods of colds and allergies. A feeling of congestion occurs due to swelling of the mucous membrane and expansion of blood vessels. To cope with the situation and influence the vascular tone, the body produces adrenaline. The medicine contains several tens of times more of it, so the effect of the application comes rather quickly. If you use the drug for longer than indicated in the instructions, the internal balance will be disturbed, the body will stop producing adrenaline on its own. Medication rhinitis may develop, when it will be no longer possible to cope with a runny nose without drops. In addition, the susceptibility to odors may decrease, the mucous membrane will dry out, since the drug also has a drying effect.

What to do: you need to see a doctor. If there are no side effects in the form of loss of smell, most likely he will suggest another drug that normalizes the condition of the mucous membrane. Saline rinsing, quartzing, UV therapy, and other procedures may also be prescribed.

Preparations to improve the digestive tract

Indeed, enzymes help the stomach to digest food. But this does not mean that you can overeat every day, and then seize dinner with pills in the hope that you will save the body from the consequences of unhealthy eating. The gastrointestinal tract of a healthy person does not need additional help, it produces enough enzymes to cope with the situation on its own. Discomfort and a feeling of heaviness, as a rule, appear not due to a lack of enzymes, but due to an abundance of food; they can also signal gastrointestinal diseases.

With frequent use of enzymes the pancreas reduces the production of its own, there is an addiction to the drug. When abruptly canceled, abdominal pain, upset, diarrhea may occur. The same story with laxatives – the intestines cease to be active and contract on their own. These drugs are often overused by people with eating disorders who want to regulate their weight with laxatives.

What to do: to avoid addiction, reconsider the diet. It must be balanced. Eat small meals often. Drink more water, exercise more. If drug addiction occurs, the doctor should develop a strategy.

Hypnotics and sedatives

They are usually prescribed for sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, severe stress. It is important to take such drugs only as directed by a doctor and no more than four weeks, otherwise not only physical and psychological dependence may develop, but also an increase in tolerance. That is, to achieve the same effect, the dose must be constantly increased.

Typical Symptoms of Misuse of Soporific and Tranquilizers – decreased performance, weakness, dizziness, tremors, internal anxiety, irritability, insomnia, nausea, headache and convulsions. In addition, the opposite effect can occur. With the development of addiction, sleep begins to be disturbed even more: night wakefulness and drowsiness during the day are not uncommon. Physical dependence on the drug is also noted.

What to do: the development of addiction can take several years. Only a specialist will help to cope with it. To prevent this, do not self-medicate. It is unacceptable to choose such a medicine according to advertisements or the advice of friends.

Immunostimulants

Drugs that stimulate the work of the body’s protective functions are not vitamins, but very serious drugs, which should be prescribed by an immunologist after a complete examination. It is important to understand: the body simply cannot cope, for example, after severe stress, or the problem is really serious. The easiest thing that can be obtained from the uncontrolled use of such drugs is a malfunction of the immune system. It simply stops working because it receives the necessary protection from the outside. This means that even the simplest viruses can threaten health.

What to do: do not take the drug on your own, be examined by an immunologist.

Without pain

Often, those with severe headaches complain that analgesics stop working over time. If you take pain medications for more than 10 days a month, it may have the opposite effect. Frequent migraines that are not sensitive to drugs are best dealt with and allowed to pass naturally. See your doctor to find the cause of frequent migraines, rather than numbing the pain with drugs.