In an article titled "The Medicated Americans," Scientific American stated in 2008 that 10 percent of men and women are taking antidepressants. A 2002 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that of more than 2,500 surveyed adults in the United States, 50 percent were taking at least one prescription medication in the preceding week. When it comes to determining which drugs we're taking most often, we just need to look at health trends.
Antidepressants
In the JAMA study, fluoxetine, sold as Prozac and Sarafem, ranks 38th on the list of the most commonly used drugs in the United States. Known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI, fluoxetine is prescribed for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, panic and anxiety attacks, certain eating disorders and other mental-health concerns. SSRIs work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, helping to minimize symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In Drug Topics, a trade magazine for the pharmaceutical industry, fluoxetine ranked 19th on a list of Top 200 Generic Drugs in 2007, which was a 2.5 percent change in ranking from the year before.
Conjugated Estrogens
Of the top prescription drugs used by American women, at about 5.2 percent of the population, is conjugated estrogens, medications taken to treat symptoms of menopause. While usage is practically zero for women under the age of 44, 21 percent of those ages 45 to 64 are prescribed these drugs.
Hormone replacement therapy, also called ERT, is conjugated estrogen. Other brand name conjugated estrogens, according to the National Institutes of Health, include Premarin, Cenestin, Enjuvia and Femtrace. Generic forms of the drug are estradiol and estropipate. Estrogen is used to treat hot flashes, vaginal dryness, itching and prevention of osteoporosis. Estrogen is in a class of medications called hormones.
Thyroid Medication
Levothyroxine sodium, prescription medication used to treat hypothyroid disorders, placed at No. 7 on JAMA's list of most commonly used prescription drugs. Drug Topics ranked levothyroxine fourth in 2007, up nearly 17 percent from 2006.
Medications prescribed to treat hypothyroidism (when the thyroid is underactive), according to Dr. Mary Parks, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products, include Synthroid, Levoxyl, and Levothroid, which are brand names for the generic drug levothyroxine. These medications work by replacing hormones that they thyroid does not produce enough of.
Narcotics
Pain medications are the single most prescribed medication in the United States, according to Drug Topics. Hydrocodone with acetaminophen is ranked No. 1, selling more than 100 million units in 2007, up nearly 7 percent from the year before. Common brand-name drugs made with hydrocodone include Lortab, Hydrocet and Norco.
Hydrocodone is prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. It's in a class of drugs called opiate analgesics. According to the National Institutes of Health, hydrocodone works by changing the way the brain and nervous system respond to pain.
