Controlling drug addictions can be difficult enough without dealing with the complications that come from a wide variety of ways to manage your medications. Many difficulties with medication control can lead to many problems for patients. Patient compliance with prescribed medications, otherwise called patient compliance with drugs, involves three steps: initiation, administration, and cessation. These steps are also important if you are a caregiver to an individual with drug addictions.
Patient compliance is crucial to achieving success in any treatment program. For instance, patients who do not follow the medication program may experience side effects such as irritability, fatigue, headaches, nausea, or even insomnia. If medication is taken in excess it can result in dependency. In fact, most addicts find that taking more medication means taking more drugs. If medications are misused or abused they can lead to serious consequences such as depression, suicidal thoughts, or physical illnesses.
When it comes to prescription medications, many people find that they cannot handle the daily dosage of these medicines without becoming addicted to them. Drug addictions can result in various physical and mental symptoms that can affect the ability of someone to function in their daily life. If medications are misused or abused it can lead to complications with everyday functions, such as concentration, memory, appetite, muscle tone, and sleep patterns.
Another complication is with prescription medications that contain benzodiazepines. These types of medications have been associated with increased heart rate, sweating, agitation, dizziness, depression, muscle tension, sexual problems, agitation, insomnia, irritability, agitation, nausea, and anxiety. This can lead to an array of physical, mental, emotional, and social problems. There are also a range of risks that can be posed by an overdose of these types of medications such as seizures, convulsions, and unconsciousness.
If you are a caregiver to an individual with drug addictions, one of the first things that you should do is review all of the medications that are being taken by the patient. Make sure that they are prescribed based on the medical records of the person. If the patient has a history of abuse, the medications should be carefully monitored. Most importantly, make sure that the medications are taken at regular intervals and in accordance with the doctor’s prescription guidelines.
Another consideration when considering medication is the type of medications that should be avoided. Some of these include anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines and anti-depressants. If the patient is at risk for suicide, alcohol, pain killers, and tranquilizers should be avoided. The patient should also be monitored closely for allergies, high blood pressure, and any other physical problems.
