Quitting Prescription Drugs

If you suspect that you have a prescription drug problem, don’t stop taking the medication cold turkey. You may end up feeling sick and either going right back to taking it, or wind up in the hospital. Instead, there is a process in quitting prescription drugs. Before you start the process though, make sure you really do have a prescription drug problem.
Do you have the signs of prescription drug abuse?
• Taking prescription drugs belonging to someone else
• Stealing or forging prescriptions for drugs
• Taking higher doses of drugs than prescribed
• Contacting multiple physicians for more prescriptions or always “losing” prescriptionsr
If you have the signs, you have the symptoms:
• Mood swings
• Poor judgment
• Energetic
• Drowsiness
• Weight loss
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Unsteady gait
• Confusion
• Depressionr
If you notice these signs and symptoms in yourself, there is hope in quitting prescription drugs. It doesn’t happen ove
ight because the abuse didn’t happen in a night, but with treatment and support you can become drug free.
The Process of Quitting Prescription Drugsr
Contact Your Doctorr
Don’t worry. Your doctor can help you with your prescription drug problem. Be as honest as possible because the more you tell him the more he will be able to help. You don’t have to fear that everyone will find out about your problem because everything discussed and written in your medical record is confidential.
Remember to bring in the dosage of the medications you have been taking. This will help the doctor make a decision about the treatment you need to quit.
Referral to a Specialist or Drug Treatment Facilityr
You may receive a referral to a specialist or a drug treatment facility. This will help you with the withdrawal process from the drugs. The withdrawal process can be an emotionally and physically demanding time, so your doctor wants to ensure you remain safe.
To help with the withdrawal process, a prescribing physician may administer medication to help offset some of the withdrawal symptoms you experience. For opioid abusers, buprenorphine (methadone) can help with the medical withdrawal effects. While there isn’t much for the medical effects of sedatives, anti-anxiety medications can help with the high anxiety levels associated with the withdrawals of these types of drugs.
Counselingr
Individual or group counseling can greatly help you recover from prescription drug abuse. It can help uncover the reasons why you started to use the drugs. It can also help you learn alte
ate coping skills so that you don’t use drugs again when triggers present.
Family counseling can help you and your family understand how you started to abuse prescription drugs. They can also learn how to support you through your recovery. The counselor will help you learn how your actions have affected them and what you can do in the future to rectify any problems that may have resulted.
Support from Community, Family and Friendsr
To quit prescription drugs, you’ll need the support of your community, family and friends.
• Contact your trusted family and friends to let them know the help you’ll need from them
• Join support groups in your community
• Join Narcotics Anonymous or another 12-step program
• Stay active by participating in community recreational activitiesr
Coping with Relapser
As you recover from prescription drug abuse, understand that relapse is possible and common. It happens and it can happen more than once. Don’t think all hope is lost if you do.
If you relapse, consult your doctor to find out how to stop taking the drug(s), then your counselor and then your support network. Just get right back on path of recovery and soon your relapses will slow down to the point of not having any at all.