5 Drugs Commonly Abused By Nigerians And Their Adverse Effects

A drug is defined according to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary as a
pharmacological substance intended
for use in the diagnosis, cure,
mitigation, treatment or prevention of
disease. Drugs are natural or synthetic
chemicals capable of altering or
modifying the functioning of the body
system for therapeutic purposes.
Prescription drugs fall into several
categories: antibiotics used in the
treatment of various infections;
analgesics otherwise known as pain
relievers; sedatives used in treating
insomnia and antihypertensives for
blood pressure lowering among
others. More still, some pharmacologic
agents are also classified as hard
drugs. These are generally defined as
substances with a high potential for
abuse, severe addiction or death.
It is important to note that they may
be legal or illegal depending on the
circumstances surrounding their use.
A few common examples include
cocaine, heroin, marijuana (cannabis)
and a host of others.
Furthermore, drug abuse or misuse
simply refers to the consumption of
illegal drugs or the inappropriate use
of legal or prescription drugs.
Obviously, it then follows that both
prescription drugs (to be prescribed
by the doctor) and nonprescription
drugs (can be procured over the
counter) may be abused or misused.
Misuse of prescription drugs can be in
the form of taking overdose or
underdose of the prescribed
medications both of which may have
dire consequences. Arguably, drug
abuse is fraught with several potential
adverse effects. In this article, I intend
to focus on some of the prescription
drugs commonly abused by Nigerians
and their potential adverse effects
1. Paracetamol
This drug is definitely a household
name. It comes in different popular
brand names such as panadol, boska
and M&B. Due to its analgesic,
antipyretic and anti-inflammatory
properties, paracetamol is widely used
- and frequently abused - for the
treatment of fever, headache as well
as mild to moderate body aches.
Although it is relatively safe especially
when compared with most other pain
killers, it is not without adverse effects
mostly when consumed in excess.
Evidently, the most dreaded adverse
effect is hepatotoxicity (liver damage)
and this may occur after the
maximum recommended dose of 4g (8
tablets) is exceeded per day. The
incidence of hepatotoxicity is even
much higher among alcoholics. Some
other adverse effects include nausea,
vomiting, abdominal pain and rashes.
In view of these, patients are usually
advised to consult the doctor if
symptoms persist despite taking
paracetamol.
2. Aspirin
This is another widely abused drug in
Nigeria. Popular brands include
Alabukun and Phensic. Aspirin
belongs to the group of drugs called
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) which are often
employed in the treatment of severe
headaches (such as migraine),
dysmenorrhoea (menstrual pain),
rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis
and many other causes of pain. Other
NSAIDs include ibuprofen, diclofenac,
piroxicam (feldene), indometacin and
so on. They act by inhibiting
cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme which is
involved in the production of
prostaglandins that normally protect
the epithelial lining of the stomach
from acid secretion. Hence, the most
common adverse effect of aspirin and
other NSAIDs is peptic ulceration
which is the reason why they should
be avoided or used with caution by
individuals with previous or active
peptic ulcer disease. Furthermore,
aspirin is contraindicated in children
less than 16 years as it can lead to
Reye syndrome in them (characterized
by liver damage and encephalopathy).
3. Codeine
Codeine is an opioid analgesic also
used in the management of pain and
diarrhoea. Like other opioids, it is
widely abused because of its potential
to produce euphoria (high mood)
when consumed in large quantities.
Hence, codeine abusers consume large
quantities of codeine-containing cough
syrups which ultimately leads to
adverse effects like dependence,
tolerance, sedation and euphoria.
Other adverse effects may include
constipation following prolonged use,
dizziness, vomiting, headaches and
dry mouth just to mention a few.
Some other opioid analgesics which
are also sometimes abused include
morphine, pentazocine (fortwin),
tramadol and pethidine. Also, they
tend to cause respiratory depression
in large doses.
4. Antibiotics
Antibiotics such as tetracycline,
metronidazole (flagyl) and
ciprofloxacin (ciprotab) are equally
victims of widespread abuse. For
instance, ciprofloxacin is a
fluoroquinolone with broad-spectrum
antimicrobial activity variously used
in the treatment of gastroenteritis
(such as cholera and dysentery),
typhoid, sexually transmitted
infections (such as gonorrhoea and
chancroid), skin infections as well as
urinary tract infections. However, it's
not without adverse effects such as
nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
headache, dizziness and rashes among
others. In addition, it is better to
avoid it in children because of the risk
of osteoarthropathy in the weight-
bearing joints. Similarly, tetracyclines
can cause tooth discoloration when
taken by children under 8 years or
pregnant women in the third
trimester as well as breastfeeding
mothers. Flagyl has been linked with
adverse effects like loss of appetite,
diarrhoea, vomiting, dizziness,
headache, seizures, tremors and
slurred speech.
5. Sedatives/Hypnotics
These refer to drugs commonly used
in the treatment of sleep and anxiety
disorders. Some of the common
examples are diazepam (valium),
bromazepam (lexotan) and lorazepam.
Unfortunately, a lot of people with
sleep difficulties have become
dependent on sleeping pills such that
they can hardly sleep without them.
However, prolonged use of these
medications is not without adverse
effects such as respiratory depression,
confusion, tolerance, dependence,
visual disturbances, reduced libido
(sexual drive) and headache.
Therefore, it is better to identify and
treat the underlying cause of insomnia
rather than take permanently to
sleeping pills which may eventually
become ineffective after some time.