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Over the Counter Drug Treatment
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are drugs that do not require a prescription and can simply be bought "over-the-counter", as their name states. Although many people assume that no harm can come from abusing drugs for which a prescription is not needed, many health complications as well as addiction can take place, requiring drug treatment. OTC drugs are abused when the drug is taken past the recommended dosage. In some cases, snorting of these drugs occurs. Addiction to over-the-counter drugs has occurred in a number of cases. In some instances, tolerance can be built up to an over-the-counter drug, and accidental addiction can take place. When high doses of some over the counter drugs are taken, hallucinations, bizarre sleep patterns, and mood changes take place, all creating bad effects for the individual using the OTC medications.
People choose over-the-counter drugs in an effort to achieve a certain goal. Some abuse these drugs to lose weight, others to create methamphetamine, and others to receive a certain sensation. Listed below are several types of over-the-counter drugs which all can be purchased at any pharmacy, supermarket or even convenience marts.
More than likely, we have all heard of the over the counter drug Dramamine, which can be used for motion sickness. If an individual takes more than the recommended dose of this OTC medication, they may possibly experience hallucinations as a potential side effect. Sleeping pills such as Sominex or Tylenol P.M. are easily purchased as over the counter medications, and can cause problems with sleep patterns and may create the condition of narcolepsy, causing an uncontrollable, unpredictable desire to sleep. Diet pills are also an OTC drug, easily accessible, and if abused, may cause palpitations and high blood pressure. An individual abusing any of these over the counter medications should seek drug treatment.
According to experts in the field of drug treatment, by far the most abused over the counter drug are cold medicines, including cough syrups and tablets containing the popular drug dextromethorphan also known as DMX. Over 100 different types of over the counter cold medicines contain this drug. Slang names for these over the counter drugs; include Skittles, Dex Tussin, Robo, and Vitamin D. Although this over the counter drug may not be harmful at recommended dosages, when taken in excess it can cause side effects such as numbness in extremities, abdominal pain , hallucinations and confusion to name a few. More serious side effects of this potent and sometimes deadly over the counter drug, can cause permanent damage. In many areas, people attempting to buy over the counter drugs containing the drug DXM, can only purchase a very limited amount and must go to the counter and ask the sales clerk for the drug, as in the purchase of Sudafed. The main ingredient in the over the counter drug Sudafed is known to be used in the making of methamphetamine, which is a highly addictive drug, creating an addiction in which the individual should seek drug treatment.
Over the counter drug addiction is extremely serious, and sometimes fatal. If an individual is addicted to any type of over the counter medications they should seek drug treatment as a solution to this problem without delay.