Prescription drug abuse causes several side effects that include mood alterations, mental cloudiness, erratic behavior, confusion and hyperactivity among others. It is important that the addicted person seeks medical attention quickly in the case of overdose. Just like all drugs, using prescription medicine against the advice of your doctor may cause serious risks to the health of the user. Here are some of the symptoms that may point towards prescription drug abuse. A few of the symptoms may be present even when the user is not abusing the drugs
Mood alterations
This is one of the most common symptoms of drug abuse. At one moment the patient could calm and composed while at the other moment, he or she could be irritable and restless. The mood swings may be close together as the body develops tolerance to the drug.
Mental cloudiness
Drug abuse may lead to lack of clear thoughts. When one suffers from mental cloudiness, he or she is slow at performing tasks and responding to questions. This could be dangerous if one is driving or operating machinery.
Erratic behavior
You may notice a newly developed erratic behavior when a person starts to abuse prescription drugs. You may have known a person to be composed and reasonable. However, you may find the new behavior spontaneous and out of character. Such behavior may include jumping, shouting, talking to oneself, and running aimlessly among others.
Confusion
The drug abuser starts to show signs of confusion, inability to be fully aware of the surroundings and inability to take care of himself and herself. The confusion gets worse when drug abuse becomes prolonged. Short term prescription drug abuse may also cause the same effect.
Anxiety
People who are anxious look depressed, uneasy, worried, and in fear. These people are too unstable to work smoothly or be productive. As the drug abuse continues, the severity of the problem may cause suicidal thoughts.
Sleepiness or lack of sleep
The sleepiness or the lack of it depends on the kind of drug that one is abusing. Some drugs are known to cause a person to sleep for so long while other drugs are known to keep one awake for very many hours into the night. The bouts of insomnia depend on the intensity of the drug intake as well as the body’s tolerance to the drug.
Hyperactivity
Some prescription drugs such as stimulants are known to cause hyperactivity to the abusers. Hyperactive people also end up feeling very exhausted when the bout of hyperactivity is over.
Addiction
Some prescription drugs are very addictive. Once an addiction has set in, the person cannot stop taking the drug. If addicts stop taking the drug, they may experience painful withdrawal symptoms that force them to go back to the drug. Such people need to be taken to addiction treatment centers to be rehabilitated and detoxified.
If you notice a loved one who is showing these symptoms seek medical attention as fast as possible. The patients are directed to addiction treatment centers for further assistance.