Top 10 Dangerous Drugs Prescribed by Doctors and Filled as a Prescription at the Pharmacy

There has been an increased incidence of drug-related death all over the world within the last decade. The staggering increasing statistics is becoming an alarming debate in the medical and political world. In 1998, it was recorded that about 106.000 people in America die annually from drugs prescribed by doctors(Washington Post).  The frequency of death is increased among patients taking blood thinners, cardiovascular drugs, and chemotherapeutic agents.

There have been various awareness programs about no self-medication and consult your doctor as soon as you feel any discomfort. Consulting the nearest doctor could be very scary due to the increased incidence of death from drugs prescribed by a doctor.

This is not a sufficient reason to self-medicate or avoid your medical doctors or prescription. Accurate knowledge about the dangerously prescribed drugs could save your life or the life of a loved one or friends. There are different dangerous drugs prescribed by doctors that could be harmful. The most common ones include:

1. Prednisolone or Cortisone: Prednisolone is a steroid used to treat inflammatory diseases and medical conditions. It can be used in the treatment of various conditions such as allergies, arthritis, SLE, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis.etc. It is advisable to stay away from this drug if you have a pre-existing fungal infection. Prolonged use of steroids could weaken your immune system or cause infection reactivation. It is advisable to not use prednisolone for more than 6 months. Most doctors would not take prednisolone for more than 2-6 weeks because of its numerous side effects. The most common side effects of prednisolone include seizures, coma, convulsion. Bone fracture, hypertension, and fluid retention. The numerous side effects of this drug are the reason why it should not be prescribed for patients for a prolonged period of time. Most doctors prescribed these drugs for a prolonged period of time to patients due to the lack of free time to change or renew the prescription. It is easier to give a prescription once and for all to save time and energy. There are a lot of people suffering from various complications of the prolonged use of steroids. This complication can be avoided by combining some specific supplements when taking prednisolone for a prolonged period of time. Patients are advised to take vitamin and mineral supplements such as squalamine. These supplements help to taper down the side effects of the steroids on the body.
2. Methotrexate: It is an anti-carcinogenic drug used to inhibit cell growth and replication. It is one of the most common anti-carcinogenic drug used nationwide. It can be used to treat different types of cancer such as breast cancer, and lung cancer. This powerful drugs can also be used for treating psoriasis and other dermatological conditions. Methotrexate which is formerly called amethopterin is an antimetabolite used in inhibiting neoplastic processes,  treating psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis in adults

Methotrexate is a chemotherapeutic agent which is a funny name considering the fact that it kills both cancerous and non-cancerous cells in your body when used for a prolonged period of time. Increased homocysteine in the blood and blood vessels is an indicator of a malfunctioning heart. It is often used to monitor or predict the occurrence of a heart attack. Folic acid is an enzyme that helps in preventing homocysteine build up in blood vessels of the heart. Methotrexate is a competitive inhibitor of folic acid and can predispose an individual to a heart attack when used for a prolonged period of time.

3. Coumadin or warfarin: Couarmardin is an anticoagulant and blood thinner used to prevent blood clot formation and treatment of heart attack and stroke. It inhibits the clot forming a cascade in blood vessels and other parts of the body. Prolonged use of coumadin could lead to delayed closing time especially during small trauma. Medical Doctors often prescribed this drugs to patients without telling them of the consequences that occur due to prolonged usage of the drugs. Tiny trauma s or bruises could result in uncontrolled bleeding due to prolonged use of blood thinners. Vitamin C and  E  can be used as healthier substitute for preventing stroke and heart attacks
4. Cholesterol-lowering Drugs: Drugs used to lower cholesterol especial statins have a lot of adverse effects and toxicity on the Prolonged usage of the drugs could cause liver, spleen, and gastrointestinal toxicity. This is the reason why prescribing these drugs could be very harmful.
5. Prozac: This is an antidepressant drug that causes a condition called akathasia9 inability to sit in one place). This side effects of akathisia are responsible for the violent behavior expressed by individuals on prolonged used of Prozac. The students involved in the stock trading and daycare center in Atlanta and California respectively were discovered to be on Prozac.
6. Diuretics: These drugs are used to remove excess fluids from the body especially in patients suffering from cardiovascular conditions. Electrolyte dysbalance is the most common complication of prolonged usage of diuretics
7. Proscar: This is a drug used in treating prostate cancer in men when watchful waiting is inefficient or undesirable. One of the dangers of this drug is its effect on testosterone level and effect on the urogenital development of male offspring. Women are often advised to avoid having sexual intercourse with men on this drug because their sperm contains residues of these drugs.
8. Diabetic drugs: The polyuria symptom expressed by diabetic patients could predispose them to electrolyte Prolonged usage of diabetic drugs only worsens the prognosis of this complication.
9. Arthritis drug: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)  are the main drug of treatment for Prolonged usage of these drugs has a lot of adverse effect on the muscular, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal system.
10. Anti-flu drugs: Self-medicating for flu and could have been made easier by the help of various over the counter drugs and decongestants such as aspirin and ibuprofen. These drugs have been discovered to cause a   lot of toxicity and reduction in immune system when used for a prolonged period of time

These drugs are not enough reasons for you to self-medicate or avoid your medical doctors. This awareness is to enlighten you about drugs you should not use for a prolonged period of time. When these drugs are prescribed to you, ensure to ask for the duration.

References

Daily Health Post. (2018). The Most Dangerous & Heavily Promoted Prescription Drugs And Their Natural Alternatives. [online] Available at: https://dailyhealthpost.com/common-prescription-drugs/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].

Life-sources.com. (2018). The 12 Most Dangerous Prescription Drugs…. [online] Available at http://www.life-sources.com/pages/The-12-most-Dangerous-Prescription-Drugs….html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].

Roberts, J. (2018). The 12 Most Dangerous Prescription Drugs…. [online] Life-sources.com. Available at: http://www.life-sources.com/pages/The-12-most-Dangerous-Prescription-Drugs….html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].

SHIFKO, R. (2018). The Most Dangerous & Heavily Promoted Prescription Drugs And Their Natural Alternatives. [online] Daily Health Post. Available at: https://dailyhealthpost.com/common-prescription-drugs/ [Accessed 1 Jan. 2018].