Americans might be the most medicated people in the world thanks to aggressive drug-maker marketing and favorable regulation. But drugs can be over-prescribed, conditions over-diagnosed, and less expensive non-drug treatments slighted. Here are common dangers to watch for in your and your family’s medication use.
Too Long on Temporary Meds
Many of us have taken an occasional benzodiazepine such as Valium, Xanax, or Ativan on a turbulent airplane flight or for a root canal. But slipping into daily use—though easy to do—is a mistake, and after one month’s use, you could find yourself addicted. (Most people already know this about opioids.) Not only do the drugs lose effectiveness quickly, but with daily use, you’ll likely be faced with withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop, such as personality changes, emotional instability, flu-like symptoms, and memory and sleep problems.Some of the same dangers can occur with using sleeping pills daily, including withdrawal symptoms such as rebound insomnia and anxiety when you try to stop. Moreover, 8 out of 10 users have a hangover effect the day after using a sleeping pill, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
