Prescription drug abuse is a rapidly growing health problem in the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that an estimated 20 percent of the population in the United States has used prescription drugs for nonmedicinal...
Oxycontin, the brand name for oxycodone, is a potent opioid pain reliever. Like all opioid medications, Oxycontin carries with it the potential for abuse. Abuse can occur after a patient has been prescribed the medication for legitimate medical...
Depressant drugs are prescribed to relieve tension, anxiety and irritability. In addition, depressant drugs can treat insomnia. Orally taken, depressant drugs have a high potential for abuse, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Depressant drugs include alcohol, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. These substances increase the activity of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called GABA, short for gamma aminobutyric acid. Clinically, depressants are used to treat insomnia,...
The term narcotic has several definitions but often pertains to opioid drugs that produce actions similar to morphine. Narcotics are used therapeutically to relieve pain, induce anesthesia and treat additional symptoms such as cough and diarrhea....
Darvocet is commonly prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain, according to Drugs.com. Darvocet contains acetaminophen and propoxyphene, an opiate that works on the central nervous system to relieve pain. Darvocet is often prescribed after...
Caffeine is a crystalline alkaloid used as a stimulant in many foods and beverages. Although small amounts of caffeine may not cause adverse reactions in most healthy adults, other people may experience severe side effects from even a small amount...
Drug addiction evolves from physical dependence on a drug to compulsive-drug seeking behavior with negative consequences, according to the "Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders." Opiate drugs are available by prescription for pain relief as...
Opiates are a class of drugs that reduce pain and increase feelings of euphoria and relaxation. Long-term use of drugs in this class of medications can result in increase tolerance, physical dependence and addiction. Some individuals taking...
A pain medication, hydrocodone relieves symptoms by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. Patients typically take a combination of hydrocodone and another drug, such as acetaminophen. MedlinePlus explains that patients can take short-acting...
Laudanum was a popular Victorian-era beverage consisting of alcohol and opium. Due to its strong pain-killing properties, it was used to treat a wide variety of ailments, from the common cold to heart disease. Today, laudanum, or "tincture of...
Any kind of substance abuse is caused by a complex combination of factors involving the individual, his environment and the substance itself. OxyContin is a member of class of drugs called opiates that are used medically to treat pain. Opiates...
The "Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders" says that opiate drugs are natural or synthetic derivatives of the opium poppy. They include such drugs as heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone and methadone. According to the text "Essential...
Opium is a narcotic drug derivative of the poppy plant. Drug Information Online describes this drug as available only by prescription, and typically issued for the abatement of diarrhea in cancer patients. It comes in liquid form usually given...
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines alcoholism as a disease that includes four major symptoms--craving, loss of control, physical dependence and tolerance. Each day, more than 700,000 Americans receive treatment for this...
Oxycodone is a prescription medication approved for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is an opioid analgesic normally administered to people around-the-clock. Oxycodone works by blocking the pain pathways in the brain. This medication...
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Diversion Control note that in 2008, hydrocodone was the most prescribed opiate in the United States. Hydrocodone treats moderate to severe pain and acts as a cough...
Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug that is naturally found in some plants' beans, leaves and fruits. A psychoactive drug is a chemical substance that acts on the central nervous system, altering brain function. The effects of a psychoactive...
Substance abuse is a condition where physical dependence on a substance is present and the illness affects the relationships of the people around the abuser, according to "Fundamentals of Mental Health Nursing" by Kathy Neeb. In 2008, the U.S....
Suboxone is a combination drug consisting of the medications buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to aid rehabilitation in people recovering from drug addiction to opiates such as prescription pain killers and heroin, explains PubMed Health. The...
Derived from the Asian opium poppy plant, heroin is an opiate. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows 213,000 people ages 12 and over in the United States have used heroin. When a person...
Methadone is a long-acting opioid drug that is used clinically as a strong pain-reliever and to relieve the withdrawal symptoms felt by people recovering from abuse of other opioid drugs. Opioid drugs are natural or synthetic compounds derived...
Ambien, known generically as zolpidem, is classified as a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic used to treat difficulty sleeping, according to the drug’s manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis U.S. It is indicated for short-term treatment. Difficulty sleeping...
The fine line between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, also called alcohol dependence, involves a physical dependence on alcohol. While alcohol abusers maintain the ability to set limits on their drinking, alcoholics do not. Common signs of...
Caffeine, a substance contained in many beverages and foods consumed by millions of people around the world, is a chemical substance with a few benefits and many side effects. Caffeine, belonging to a chemical group called xanthines, is in fact a...
Oxycontin is a semisynthetic opioid analgesic drug generally prescribed in the treatment of surgical or chronic pain, such as with cancer. Its active ingredient, oxycodone, is delivered in a tablet form over a 12-hour period. The therapeutic range...
Pain is highly individualized because the perception of pain and the psychological response differs person to person, according to "Core Concepts in Pharmacology" by Norman Holland and Michael Patrick Adams. The goal of pain pills, also known as...
The caffeine in a person's coffee, tea, soft drinks, dietary supplements or energy drinks may cause adverse physiological side effects. Caffeine can negatively impact a person's blood pressure, heartbeat and quality of sleep. It is also...
Resveratrol is a chemical compound, trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene, that occurs naturally in grape skins and is a key ingredient in red wine. Theories abound that resveratrol may be the chemical answer to life extension.
Childhood cancers are hard to indentify, but seventy five percent of childhood cancers can be cured. Learn about childhood cancers in this video.
