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The Five Most Addictive Prescription Drugs: The Ones To Watch

Many of us fall into the trap that prescription drugs are good for us. And while, of course, they are if taken following a doctor’s instructions, they can get addictive if you don’t follow such orders.

And you’d be surprised by how many people do go off piste when it comes to taking their medication. Prescription drug addiction is more common than ever these days and that’s because people are largely misusing them.

You do need to be careful when it comes to taking prescription drugs and should always listen to medical advice when it comes to taking them. But what are the most addictive prescription drugs?

Opioids

Opioid addiction is at crisis levels at present, and while that’s largely due to the illegal market, even prescribed they can be highly addictive.

They are often prescribed for pain, and signs of misuse can often be lethargy, drowsiness, headaches, seizures and even changes in behaviour.

Codeine

Codeine is a commonly prescribed medication and is another painkilling substance that is often used to treat mild to moderate pain as well as cold and flu-like symptoms.

Access to codeine is widely available and this has led to its misuse down the years, with high quantities of it having a sedative effect that can alter levels of consciousness.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a prescription drug that is causing all manner of problems worldwide at present as the western world faces a real crisis with overdoses. Illicit fentanyl is accounting for 77% of adolescent overdoses in the USA at present, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Prescribed, it’s used for acute and chronic pains and is up to 100 times stronger than morphine.

Xanax

A large number of overdoses also occur due to overindulgence on benzodiazepine. Xanax, one of the main brands behind the drug, is prescribed to treat panic attacks and anxiety, offering a calming effect.

It’s a drug that is often misused and for those that are, they will often suffer with swelling, tremors and sleeping issues.

Adderall

Adderall is an amphetamine that is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy but if it’s misused it can be incredibly harmful. It’s often misused as an energy source, particularly among people who work in a high intensity environment, as well as students around deadline days.

It can be incredibly dangerous to do so, and highly addictive, with side effects including increased blood pressure and rapid breathing.


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