Over The Counter,Prescription,

and

Herbal Drugs

OTC Drugs

Over The Counter Drugs are non prescription drugs that can be    

                               bought and used with out a Doctor's permission or supervision.

                                  Even though many of these drugs are bought to help eliminate 

                           symptoms, some people miss use them and/abuse them. "Because 

                          these drugs are usually available on demand, they arpercieved as being

                                exceptionally safe, and poorly understood by the general public,

                                    their abuse patterns differ somewhat from those seen with the

                                      so called hard-core drugs of abuse;nevertheless they can be 

                                                                equally harmful (p.430)."

    Types of OTC drugs

 

         Internal Analgesics-Taken by mouth.

These drugs are Aspirin 

      like drugs.

   Therapeutic Considerations-

The are drugs that are effective in 

 treating several common ailment

Caffeine and other Additives-

Relives the aversion of the aversion 

of pain due to its stimulant effect

which may be perceived as pleasant

and energizing.

 

           Cold, Allergy, And Cough Remedies-

        Most of the population uses OTC drugs

 to treat common colds.

 

Decongestants-

The cold and allergy products were used

are formulated with such drugs as decongestants,

antihistamines, analgesics, and an assortment

of other substances.

 

Antitussives-

Drugs that also relieve common colds

Often to treat coughing.

 

Other OTC drugs

 

Sleeping Aids

Antiacids and Anti heartburn

Diet aids

Skin Products

Acne Medications

Sun Products

Skin First Aid

 



 OTC Herbal (Natural) Products

 

 

 Over the counter Herbal medicines are very common and

over 5,000 brands are OTC herbal medications. "They are

unique because despite the presence of active ingredients

there is little or no Federal regulation due to a 1994 law,

supported by dietary supplement industry called the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act. This law requires

the government to demonstrate that substances in herbal

products are harmful before such products can be

removed from the market. (p.445)"

 

                                           Common OTC Herbal Medicines

 

Echinacea- Reduce Cold symptoms

Garlic-Inhibits production of cholesterol and reduces blood sugar

Ginkgo Biloba-Improves Memory

SAM-E- Helps regulate brain Transmitters such as dopamine

St. John Wort- Elevates mood

Ginseng- Increases energy

Saw Palmetto- Relieves discomforts associated with prostate glands

Glucosamine and Chondroitin-contributes to joint strength

 

 

Prescription Drugs

 These are drugs that can only under the direction of a licenced health professionals.

"According to this pieces of legislation, drugs are controlled with prescriptions if they are habit- forming, not safe for self-medication, intended to treat aliments that require the supervision of a health professional, or, new and without an established safe track record (p 447)."

 

 

 

 

 

Common Categories of prescription Drugs

 

Analgesics- Narcotics and NSAID types

Antibiotics- Help treat infections

Antidepressants- help with people who have severe depression

Antidiabetic drugs

Antiulcer Drugs

Bronchodilators- Drugs that widen air passages

Cardiovascular Drugs

Antihypertensive Agents- help high blood pressure.

Antianginal Agents

Cholesterol- and Lipid Lowering Drugs

Hormone Related Drugs

Sedative Hypnotic Agents

Stimulants

Drugs to treat HIV

 

Generic: Official, nonpaented, non proprietary name of a drug

Proprietary: Brand or trademark name that is registered with the U.S patent Office


 

 

 

 

                                                        OTC DRUG ABUSE

 Treating Drug Dependence
 

 People who become addicted to drugs often end up getting treatment

to help them get their life back together. Many of these people who

are addicted to drugs come from many different backgrounds

and have their individual issues. Some people suffer from occupational, social,

psychiatric, and other medical issues that can make their addictions tough to treat.

There are many different types of treatment programs to help with addictions. Some of these include, behavioral therapy and medication. "The most successful drug abuse treatment programs typically provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of individual abusers (p.565)."

 

 

Therapeutic Strategies 

 

Medical Detoxification- process whereby individuals are systematically withdrawn from drugs, typically under the care of a physician.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy-Patient-centered counseling approach for promoting behavior change by assisting patients resolving ambivalence about engaging in treatment and discontinuing drug use.

Outpatient Treatment Programs- Many different services provided

Short-Term Residential Treatment-12 step method approach

Long-Term Residential Treatment Programs- provides 24 hours a day treatment care

Individualized Drug Counseling- focuses on reducing illicit drug use and any other issues with family.

 

Pharmacological Strategies

 

Methadone

Naloxone and Naltrezone

Buprenophine

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

 

 

 

 Reflection

 

One thing I learned in this session that I may be able to use in the future
is about OTC drugs. I didn't know that Herbal Drugs had their own category. I learned to read labels on all of the medicines and make sure that I take the proper dosage. This is to prevent miss use and abuse. Also I learned about different types of treatment programs that help treat drug abusers.

 What did you find the most difficult about this course? 
The most difficult part about the course were the quizzes. When I opened the quizzes I would get really bad anxiety which made me take a long time on them. I kept looking over my questions many times to make sure I chose the right answer. I didn't do bad on them, but they were my weakest grades! 

What did you enjoy the most about this course?
I really enjoyed this course! I really enjoyed the journal entries because I can be creative with pictures and videos. I am a visual learner, so putting the visuals with the writing really helped me learn the information. Also I enjoyed the research paper! I liked that I was able to go out into the community and interview someone. The person I interviewed was really friendly and this helped me write my essay well!

If you feel that everything has gone well, what is it that helped you to achieve success?
 To achieve my success, I set up a plan every week. I made sure that I made the deadlines by the end of the module. I also made sure my assignments are done well and follow directions. Everyday I would check ANGEL to see if there has been any changes and updates as well!

Marijuana, Stimulants, Athletes

                                  Marijuana

       The science of marijuana use.

 

 

Many people in our world today are involved in marijuana use.

Even though it is illegal in NYS, many people continue to use it

and think legalizing it should happen. This is a big controversial topic, whether or not marijuana

use should remain illegal or legalize it.

 

 

 

Behavioral Effects of Marijuana use

 

"After a few delayed moments of forcibly holding the smoke in the lungs, most users suddenly experience the high (395)." Many users experience dry mouths, and their heart beat is elevated. Sometimes people can have coordination and balancing as an issue. A lot of people experience  slower reaction times. Experts on the effects of marijuana use state that driving under the influence can be very dangerous. Also marijuana users tend to have red eyes. This is because the blood vessels expand, which causes the eyes to become red. A typical high can last from 2-3 hours. "Subjectively, the user experiences altered perception of space and time, impaired memory of recent events, and impaired  physical coordination (395)."

 

 

Signs and symptoms of marijuana use

 

* Oder similar to burnt rope in a room and on clothes

* Plastic Baggies that are found in pockets. Often have marijuana in the bag.

*Rolling papers or pipes, usually hidden somewhere.

*Eye drops. This is to distinguish the redness of eyes.

* Eating Binges

*Fatigue, Drowsiness.

*Excessive laughter

 

 Cannabis sativa- biological species name for the variety of hemp plant

 

 

Medical Use

 

 

 

Marijuana can also be used for medical use. The use of THC can calm or relieve symptoms of an illness. "Marijuana has been shown to be effective in the treatment of certain types of medical conditions. However, because medicines exist that are at least as effective with out the abuse potential, none of these applications is currently approved by the FDA.

 

Medical conditions that marijuana can help relieve symptoms....

Reduction in Interocular pressure

Muscle Relaxant Effect

Antiseizure Effect

Antidepresent Effect

Analgesic Effect

Antinauseant

Appetite stimulant

 

Long Term effects of Smoking Marijuana                   Short Term Effects of Smoking Marijuana

Memory and Learning                                                Anxiety attracts and feeling paranoid

Fertility Issues                                                            Impaired short-term memory

Respiratory problems                                                           Impairment of driving skills

 

 

Gate way Drug

 

"Gate way drugs are drugs that serve as a gate or path that usually precedes the use of illicit drugs, such as marijuana ,heroin, and LSD. Gateway drugs, or drugs of entry serve to initiate a novice user into the drug using world."

Many people think that people begin using drugs with the experience of marijuana use. Eventually people begin to get bored of the effect marijuana does to their body. Therefore they try other drugs that are more serious and have worse effects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athletes and Drug Abuse

 

 

 

Many athletes use drugs that enhance their athletic performance."Doping among the governing bodies of world-class competitors is rampant... and the governing bodies of individual sports as well as the international Olympic committee, turn a blind eye"

 

Why do athletes do this to themselves?

 

1." Inadvertent consumption of any pharmaceutical medicine that is protected from commercial competition either because the ingredients of manufacturing method is kept a secret or is protected by trade mark or copy right."

 2. "Deliberate consumption of misuse as a recreational drug and to enhance their performance."

 

 

Athletes want to excel in their sport because it is extremely competitive. Many of them feel if they  take a certain type of drug that it will make them become a better player. Some body builders use steroids to help them to become stronger and to look better. Some of these builder attend "pageants" which they can win based on how Well their bodies look and well built.

 

In this article it states that 60%  of athletes use drugs to increase their performance!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2185691/London-2012-Olympics-60-cent-athletes-using-drugs-claims-disgraced-supplier.html

 

 

 

 

Stimulants

 

Stimulants are substances that are used to help increase the users energy and experience a "high"

These drugs increase a person to feel restless, talkative and may experience having trouble sleeping. Having a high dose of these drugs overtime can result in personality changes. Theses changes can make a person to become more violent and psychotic behavior. 

 

 

 

 

Some major stimulants are amphetamine, cocaine, and methylphenidant.

"Amphetamines are chemicals that are similar to natural neurotransmitters such as norepinephine, dopamine, and the stress hormone epinephrine. This increases the release and blocking of the metabolism of these catecholamine subsistence's as well as serotioin, both in the brain and in the nerves associated with sympathetic nervous system (287).

 

Signs and symptoms of Amphetamines on the Body and Mind (p.294)

 

Body                                                                   Mind

 

 

Increased heart beat                                           Decreased fatigue

Increased blood pressure                              Increased confidence

Decreased appetite                                           Increased Irritability

Sweating                                                                 Psychosis

Inability to sleep                                                 Distrust people

Fever                                                                Hallucinations

Chest pain                                                    Fearfulness, apprehension

Death due to overdose                                   Behavioral sterotypy

 

 

 

Reflection

 

One thing I learned in this module is the long term effects of marijuana use! I may be able to use this in the future because I know many people that are involved in marijuana use. I can tell them information about this drug and maybe it will change their decision on how often they use marijuana. I am still unsure about the amphetamine stimulants. It is a little complicated on how they work in the brain. I do understand the effects of them, but confused about the science of it and other drugs too.

I have been really successful in this course. To achieve my success, I put a lot of effort in this class. I read the text book and reflected on it through my journal entries. This  has helped me really learn and understand the information well. Also communicating with other students through the discussion has helped really think about certain topics and see other view points from other students.

For my discussion questions, I feel like I do very well. I teach something and provide information to back it up. Also I ask a question and provide a link to help others answer the question. I also put a lot of detail in my discussions. This helps other students really understand what I am asking and students may be learning something new.

CNS Depressants: Sedative- Hypnotics

 

What are CNS Depressants?

Central Nervous System Depressants

This drugs are usually abused by many people in the US.

People take high doses of these drugs to increase their effect.

They can cause serious side affects that many people are unaware of.

 

Effects of CNS Depressants: Benefits and Risks

These type of drugs "share an ability to reduce CNS activity and diminish the brains level of awareness. There are many reasons why people take depressants. Some treat mild depression, severe depression, anxiety, help sleep, and many others. There are people that have trouble sleeping, so doctors prescribe people medicine that introduces drowsiness. Hypnotics are CNS depressants are used to encourage sleeping. This can be a problem because people become dependent on these drugs and become addicted. Sedative Depressants are used to relieve anxiety, fear, and apprehension. Most people begin to gain a lot of tolerance for the drug and eventually escalate their doses.

 

 

 

 

 

"Barbiturates are barbaric acid derivatives that are used in medicine as sedatives and hypnotics"

The most frequently abused Barbiturates are stated in chapter 6, page 172, Table 6.3.

 

 

Alcohol: Pharmacological effects

 

 When Drinking alcohol, it can have an effect on someones psychologically and can change personalities and behaviors. Many people take advantage of alcohol and use it in a irresponsible way."Although many consider the effects of alcohol enjoyable and reassuring, the adverse pharmacological impacts of this drug are extensive. Its use causes approximately 14 million causes of alcoholism and its effect are associated with more than 100,000 deaths (186)."

"The pharmacological effects of alcohol abuse cause severe dependence, which is classified as a psychiatric disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Mannual of mental disorders, 4th
 edition (186)."
Many people use drinking as a social factor. Which it is, but not used the right way. People under age are getting access to alcohol, as well as college kids who have not hit 21 yet. It states that those that live at home while going to college don't practice binge drinking as something that is common for them. But those that live in the dorms at college tend to party more and practice binge drinking. People think that those that live at home are still being supervised by their parents so it's less likely that they will do it. Those that are on their own, they feel like they are free and can do whatever they want. Also they can find ways to purchase alcohol. For example, people that are older than 21 will purchase it for them.

 

How does alcohol make you feel?

It can put people in a bad mood, more social, stressed, nausea, and many other psychological effects.

Drinking on an empty stomach slows down your metabolism. This means that you can get drunk quicker. Drinking water helps to dilute water. This helps slow down the absorption of alcohol.

 

Alcohol and Tolerance

Drinking alcohol multiple times a day can increase your tolerance and reduces many of alchol's pharmacological effects. Many of the time, it can lead to increase consumption. Which leads to dependence of the drug.  It is also common to use alcohol with other harmful drugs. This increases effects of another drug, and allows to person continue to feel relieved.

 

 

Genetics

"Large scale studies of twins suggest that addictions such as alcoholism are among the most inherited types of mental illnesses. Consequently, because of our unique gene pattern's some of us get hooked on alcohol whereas others can party hard, but afterwards walk away without any need of desire to consume more alcohol (195)."

I think this is very important for those that have parents who suffer from addiction problems. My father was an alcoholic, so that allows me to be aware of what genes I could inherit. I have to be careful because of it. Not only does this just relate to alcohol addictions but also other drug addictions can be inherited as well.

 

Affected by Alcohol Vs. Healthy Liver

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/alcliver.htm

 

Alcohol: Behavioral Effects

 

 

 Binge Drinking: a patteren of 5 or more dinks for men and four of more drinks for women on a single occasion.
Heavy Drinking: five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days
Current use (Not binge):at least one drink in the past 30 days; can include binge and heavy use.

On page 210 in the text books figure 8.1 shows and average of binge,current use, and heavy drinking over the age of 12 years old in 2008. It states that the highest rate is between the ages of 21-25 in each category.

 Statistics:
*Lower-income drinkers prefer beer, where as higher income prefer wine.
*Both men and women as they age say that wine is their favorite alcoholic beverage.
*18.8 billion dollars yearly, health care services have been spending for alcohol problems and medical consequences because of it.
*26% reported that they drink more than they should.
*The higher level of education a person has, the higher the likelihood  of current alcohol use, Vs those that are high school graduates or less.

Should the legal drinking age be lowered?
In our society, drinking is being abused by the young as well. Some of them use it to cope with life issues, while others use it to feel cool or fit in. Some people feel that the lower drinking age should be lowered because they think it will reduce the alcohol abuse. People think find it a hassle to get access to get it and many people get caught and in trouble. The united states, Pakistan, Palau, and Sri Lanka are the only four countries that set their legal drinking age to 21.  Many others countries set theirs to 18 or 16. In the US, it has the strictest youth drinking laws and still has the most drinking related problems among younger people. Also on page 215 is states that "comparison of drinking before and after the passage of raised minimum age legislation has generally reveled little impact on behavior." So this shows that their has been little to no impact on drinking consumption.

I think the drinking age should be lowered.I think once people get used to it, it wont be abused as much. Less people would get in trouble. It would be less of a worry for people.

Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism

There is a difference between these two terms.
When talking about alcohol abuse this means having cravings, loss of control, and physical dependence are examples of alcohol abuse. Abusing alcohol also has a relationship with being an alcoholic. When talking about alcoholism the behavior is not as pronounced as people who abuse alcohol."For example, an alcholic may repeatedly argue with family members two or three times a week, where as alcohol abusers may have fewer occurrences of the same type of alcohol inspired arguments with a family member."

Reasons why people depend on alcohol...
*They have problems and need to relax
*Find it fun and exciting
*Like the feeling
*Job's stress people out
*Poor people
 

Behaviors related to Acoholics
*Anger
*Sexual Tendencies
*Defensive
*Act before they think
*Hides alcohol
*Drinks in the morning
*Relationship problems
*Denial

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-high-functioning-alcoholic/200901/characteristics-high-functioning-alcoholics

Words learned:
Pseudointoxicated: Acting drunk even before alchol has had a chance to cause it effects.
Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy: Congestive heart failure due to the replacement of heart muscle with fat and fiber
Different types of alcohol...
Methyl alcohol: Wood alcohol
Ethylene glycol: alcohol used as antifreeze
Isopropyl alcohol: Rubbing alcohol, some times used as an antiseptic

Reflection:
I think I did really well in this chapter. I find this course really interesting. This is because a lot of it relates to my life. My Mom is a drug attic and my Dad was a alcoholic before he died. Also each chapter I keep learning more interesting topics related to drugs and alcohol. As far as discussions, I feel like I do really well with these also. I teach something, provide information to support it, and ask a question. Also with the question I provide a link that may help people with their answer.
 

 

 

Drug Use and the Law/ How and Why Drugs Work

  

Drug use and the Law

 

"Society mandates that it maintain control over which drugs are permissible and which drugs are prohibited"

 

 

Laws in the United States change so much in a persons lifetime. Some drugs in

the U.S are illegal, while others in different countries make it legal. Legalizing a drug is determined by political situations and the desires of the population of the country. A current controversy that is being argued in the U.S is legalizing marijuana.

 

 Since many Americans had negative experiences with addicting substances, it has led the to many legislation's. In chapter 3, page 103, there is a table that shows many of the federal laws associated with the control of narcotics and other abused drugs. (Table 3.1)

Some well known Acts are,

 

Harrison Act (1914)- First federal legislation to regulate and control the production, importation, sale, purchase, and free distribution of opium or drugs derived from opium

 

Drug Addiction Treatment Act- Allowed qualified physicians to dispense or prescribe specially approved narcotics for the treatment of opioid addiction in medical treatment settings, rather than limiting it to specialized drug treatment clinics.

 

Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act- Allowed consumers to give controlled substances to specially designated individuals, such as law enforcement officials, for disposal.

 

 

Strategies for Preventing Drug Abuse

 

There are many people who experience drug abuse. Because of this educators are trying to find effective ways to help prevent drug abuse. Some strategies were supply reduction, demand reduction, and inoculation. The most recently is the use of drug courts.

 

What do each of these strategies mean?

 

Supply Reduction- a drug reduction policy that is aimed at reducing the supply of illegal drugs.

Demand Reduction- attempts to decrease individuals tendencies to use drugs. This is mostly aimed towards teenagers. It emphasizes on reformulating values and behaviors.

Inoculation- a method of drug abuse prevention that protect drug abusers by teaching them responsibility.

Drug courts- a process that integrates substance abuse treatments. Such as rehabilitation centers.

 

Which is the most successful?

I think the most successful is the demand reduction. This is because education is key. Teaching people at a young age is the easiest to preventing drug abuse. Many people that believe drug courts have been the most successful is not always true. Many people go through the rehab program and six months later they end up relapsing.

 

 

Both of these websites talks more about the demand reduction program.

http://tricare.mil/tma/ddrp/

 

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/dea/programs/demand/program.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 How and Why Drugs Work 

 

"A common belief is that drugs can solve most of life's serious physical, emotional and medical problems"

 

 

The video below is called "Brain on Drugs" 

 

 

 

 

The Intended and Unintended effects of drugs

 

Usually when doctors prescribe medicine their goal is to treat or relieve symptoms of a disease. This is the intended part of the drug. The unintended part of the drug is side effects. This is a response that you may have to the drug that may make you have different symptoms. For example, the birth control pill is intended to prevent pregnancies and the unintended part it symptoms that can occur from taking this pill. Such as blood clots, nausea, weight gain, etc.

 

 

Tolerance

 

This is when changes in your body and don't respond to the drug the same way. You have to take more of the drug to get the same effect. This is also building your tolerance. It is important to be careful about increasing your tolerance. This is because it can result in an over dose. Over dose is when you take too much of the drug and die.

 

 

 

An individuals responses to drugs vary. There are many differences that people experience taking a drug. It is based on age, gender, pregnancy, weight, and many other difference in our bodies.

 Also the amount of a drug that is taken effects people differently as well. Some people who take one dose of a drug may experience no side effects, while others who higher dosage end up having side effects.

 

 

Words Learned

 

Dysphoric-Characterized by unpleasant mental effects;the opposite of euphoric.

Rebound effect-form of withdrawal; paradoxical effects that occurs when a drug has been eliminated

Interdiction- the policy of cutting off or destroying supplies of illicit drugs.

 

Reflection

 

 I feel like I put a lot of time in this module. I know I want to get good grades so the effort is needed! I really like this online class because I have more time to do my work, but have an appropriate time until the deadline. Also I really like doing the learning journal because I can use my creativity. I think doing the discussions and journal allow you to learn a lot about each of the modules.

 

 

 

 

Graph

Graph: Rational scale that asses the harm of drugs

(The mean of physical harm and Dependence)

 

Introduction to Drugs and Society/Drug Use and Abuse

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W9blhHA8DE  Drug abuse video (educational)

Drugs in our society has negatively impacted many peoples lives today. There are many people that abuse drugs to get pleasure out of the effects of them. Through out these chapters I have learned a significant amount of information that I was un- aware of. The terms below are words that caught my attention. In the US, it is required to have a person who is responsible for enforcing drug laws. This group is called the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). When people are going to get jobs, most require drug testing. The EAP is a drug assistance program for drug dependent employees. Those that have drug addictions to drugs that require needles like heroin, can refer to Needle Exchange Programs. This organization will give out new and uncontaminated needles to help prevent HIV and other blood related contamination's. When people become addicted to drugs, all of them go through the stages of drug dependence. These are relief, increased use, preoccupation, dependency and with drawl.

Employee assistance programs (EAPs)- drug assistance programs for drug-dependent employees

Needle Exchange Programs- publicly funded programs that distribute new, and un-contaminated needles to drug addicts. This is to help prevent HIV and hepatitis B and C

Stages of Drug Dependence- Relief, Increased use phase, Preoccupation Phase, Dependency, With drawl

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)- principle federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. drug laws


Participation

I feel like I have put in a lot of effort in commenting other students questions. Some however, replied to others in a brief sentence. Picking information out of the text and another online source allows us to learn and bring new information in. Also it helps to support peoples questions with our own opinion.


In chapter one I learned the difference between licit and illicit drugs. The picture below show the difference between the two.



Licit is legalized drugs




Illicit are illegal drugs


In the discussions and textbook, I learned that Advertisements increase the drug use among people of all ages. Many of them watch it on TV and learn how to use them on their and try it on their own.
This is an advertisement about treating Bipolar Disorder. People are going to see this and believe it work. Then try it. This is because advertising influences us so much!

In chapter two it really shows the significance of drug abusers. It talks about how and why people become involved in drugs.



The picture below is another type of picture showing the stages of drug dependence. It has more simple terms than the one on page 37 in the textbook.